Have you experienced any nerve problems since...

[Techo]

I've been doing HST for almost five years now and have been lifting regularly for almost 10 years. While almost completely healed from regular carpel tunnel, I had something strange happen to me: bent rows, halfway through my 10s, on rep 6 or so, and my right hand grip started to fail!

I'm now very close to permanent ulnar nerve damage and have been told to stop weightlifting -- possibly for life.

One doc, when trying to determine the cause of this problem, found out I recently made some rapid weight gains (yes, HST does work!) THAT's how it started was his diagnosis.

I find this prognosis to be utter bullcr*p:

1. We have a forum full of HSTers that frequently make weight gains and there was only one thread that I could find that hinted a similar problem?

2. Over the last five years, I have made even greater gains at a faster rate before and this has never happened before

That said, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe some of you have had nerve related problems such as ulnar nerve inflammation and/or carpel tunnel. I also have switched my exercise equipment to older, less ergonomic, machines in the past two years.

 

[XFatMan]

That doc who said that rapid weight gain is the beginning of your evil needs a season or two on the funny-farm - just my opinion though. I don't believe that weight lifting can result in nerve damage unless you suffer from an injury due to wrong form or had a previously existing condition you weren't aware of.

One question must arise. How good (or bad) is your doctor's knowledge on lifting? If he doesn't know much about lifting, how can he say that lifting triggered your problem? Don't get me wrong, but doctors usually criticize things because they don't know what to say and what to do. Even less do they know what exactly caused a specific problem. If you go to a doc and complain about your coughing, the first thing he will ask you is whether you smoke. All right because that can be related. But the second question usually is whether you drink. So how is that related to coughing? It isn't, but be assured they find a way to establish the relationship.

Another thing: I'm not a friend of machines. They have their place but are usually overrated. Machines isolate muscle groups, which means that you need higher weights to get the same effect. Barbells give you a greater range of motion and therefore you must lower the weights you were used to compared to exercise-equivalent machine exercises. In a similar manner, dumbbells add even more range of motion, which is why you can never lift the same weights using dumbbells compared to equivalent exercises done with barbells.

 

[Old and Grey]

All nerve damage problems I have had in the past have been related to structural problems, e.g., herniated disk, and not to the development of muscle tissue ,weight lifting or weight gain. I actually herniated the disk reaching for a piece of paper not trying to pull 500 pounds.  

 

[quadancer]

Perhaps it would aggravate it less if you used wraps. I simply can't grip what I can pull and have used them successfully for a long time. BUT, my left hand had a stinging/dead spot in the center of the back of it for a while, possibly from the tight straps! It seems to have gone away, so I'm back. Some of these things come and go the older you get.

 

[Techo]

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That doc who said that rapid weight gain is the beginning of your evil needs a season or two on the funny-farm - just my opinion though.</div>
Agreed.
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">One question must arise. How good (or bad) is your doctor's knowledge on lifting?</div>
No idea. He was a temp/fill in doctor at a med facility that deals with workman's comp claims. AFAIK he's just an MD -- not specialized in anything.
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">...doctors usually criticize things because they don't know what to say and what to do. </div> Sage advice there, and it's not just limited to doctors. It's human nature. I've seen it happen in many times especially in some religions. First, any answer is more satisfying than no answer. Secondly, how often do professionals want to say &quot;gosh! I'm baffled!&quot; Your analogy with drinking is dead on because he was saying &quot;I don't know&quot; until I fell for his leading questions.

Hopefully I can get at least a second opinion. The whole thing was very odd. After he made the statement, I raised at least five potential counters -- one of which was backed by his colleague (who he later said supported his new diagnosis).

Okay, I'll post my gains just to keep the rapid weight gain in perspective. Plus it's always good to spread the HST gospel! The first chart is first from this past fall. The second one was from over two years ago:

 

[XFatMan]

Find a specialist. I wouldn't trust those docs.

Your graphs look impressive. However, nobody can really tell you what happened without seeing your exact diet, body fat changes, and lifting program for the period in question.