In this episode, I interview Dr. Layne Norton, who you’ve probably heard of, but in case you haven’t, he’s a professional powerlifter, bodybuilding coach, and host of his own podcast, Physique Science Radio, and really is at the forefront of the “evidence-based fitness” movement.
I’ve had Layne on the podcast before to talk about contest prep, maximizing fat loss, reverse dieting, and a few other topics, and people loved the interview so I wanted to get him back on to talk about the bane of every weightlifter: injuries.
Now, contrary to common belief, weightlifting isn’t nearly as dangerous as many people think, and especially when you’re using good technique, progressing intelligently, and generally taking good care of your body.
That said, if you lift weights for long enough, you’re going to experience at least a minor injury, even if it’s only a soft tissue problem stemming from repetitive use. And when it does happen, it’s going to frustrate the shit out of you, because as anyone that has gone through it knows, it quickly derails your plans and sometimes forces you to train suboptimally so you can recover.
I wanted to get Layne on the show to talk about this, because as a competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter, he has a lot of wisdom to share on the subjects of preventing and healing both minor and severe injuries. He himself has gotten hurt in ways that most of probably never will, and so he has had to go a lot further than most of us into rehab, recovery, and rebuilding his strength and performance.
As you’ll see, Layne covers a lot of ground in this interview, ranging from common mistakes that people make that lead to injuries to simple indicators to watch for that precede injury, how to know if you’re fully recovering from your workouts, how to rehab and work around injuries, and more.
Here’s the show…
TIMESTAMPS
YouTube:
9:25 – What is your history with personal injuries?
11:26 – What are some common mistakes that lead to injuries?
22:25 – What are some signs and symptoms that can help determine if someone is pushing themselves towards an injury?
26:30 – What are some preventative lessons you have learned with technique and form?
33:05 – How can someone tell if they are not recovering properly?
39:35 – After an injury, how can you continue to train properly?
46:00 – What are the advantages and disadvantages between conventional deadlift and sumo deadlift?
48:47 – What are some alternatives for dead lift if you are injured or recovering?
51:34 – What are some alternatives for bench press if you are injured or recovering?
52:55 – What are your tips for treatment options and getting through injuries?
55:45 What is Avatar Nutrition?
MP3 Audio:
12:51 – What is your history with personal injuries?
14:52 – What are some common mistakes that lead to injuries?
25:51 – What are some signs and symptoms that can help determine if someone is pushing themselves towards an injury?
29:56 – What are some preventative lessons you have learned with technique and form?
36:31 – How can someone tell if they are not recovering properly?
43:10 – After an injury, how can you continue to train properly?
49:26 – What are the advantages and disadvantages between conventional deadlift and sumo deadlift?
52:13 – What are some alternatives for dead lift if you are injured or recovering?
55:00 – What are some alternatives for bench press if you are injured or recovering?
56:21 – What are your tips for treatment options and getting through injuries?
59:11 – What is Avatar Nutrition?
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
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Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
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We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
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