Abdominal pain and leg pump?

Earlier this week as I began my morning workout routine which starts with pushups I sensed a sharp ab pain below the belt line on my right side. Of course, like the good trooper I am I pushed on through my sequence. Will I ever learn? Anyway as I looked back to see if I could determine the source of the pain the only thing I can remember is that I was working on my leg pump technique the day before. I never have been able to sustain the leg pump very long and try to work on lengethening my session each time I paddle. On the paddle I am referring to I pushed it really hard, practicing my leg pump, for the last 10 minutes or so. Have any of you had any ab pain as a result of practicing your leg pump. I was pulling on the paddle pretty hard as I enjoy the sudden burst of speed associated with the leg pump. Wondering if I was just pulling to hard. I know that David Kalama stresses that pulling the paddle should not be much more strenuous than drinking a glass of water. He trips me out. He must have some heavy glasses at home.

I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I am working out of town and have been using my trusty TRX in the motel room. I suspended the pushups for the time being. I am bummed about that as I do 100 a day and enjoy the fitness associated with that. I am trying to avoid the heavy core stuff while using the TRX which is also a bummer as they are my favorite moves. Atomic push ups are the bomb especially with a pike thrown in.

So, any similar experience out there?

Hernia?

I guess it could be but it doesn't feel that bad. It doesn't seem to match the symptoms I read. Definitely no outward sign of a hernia. I understand that a lot of times you will see some swelling or protrusion.

No strange pain is ever good, I would get it checked out at the Doc asap before it becomes something that may require many weeks of no training.

That's right where your appendix is as well. Us pseudo athletes always put pain down to pulled muscles but muscles aren't always the culprit.

If it were your appendix you would also feel a bit off, mild fever, decreased appetite.

It is possible to have a hernia of the abdominal wall (rather than the groin) right on the edge of your rectus abdominis (the washboard muscle), usually about the level of the top of the hip, called a Spigelian hernia. You can't necessarily see or feel a lump because it is between muscle layers. But these are very rare.

It is much more likely that you sprained one of the oblique abdominal wall muscles, and yes, it might not show till the following day. This distinguishes it from a tear. I did this. It was moderately sore to feel and startlingly painful to touch. It went away in a few days and I didn't have to stop paddling, just no sprints.

Definitely do not have any loss of appetite and no feverish feeling. I have been feeling a bit off but really believe that's more about not being able to work out comfortably. And I keep aggravating it because I won't leave it alone. Have decided today to leave it alone for a few days. But I did do a little 10 pushup set this evening to gauge the pain and it does seem better.

Thanks for sharing your experience and your explanation sounds very similar to the location of my pain. I am in a motel right now and away from my boat but mocking the paddling motion doesn't seem to evoke any pain. It's just those dang pushups that fire off the pain. Guess I'll be coming back from work and watching American Idol for a few nights rather than doing my regular TRX workout.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!



Watching Idol for a few nights will surely kill many brain cells.
This is irreversible damage!

Just let up on the bloody pushups.

Stanton, I dont want to alarm you, but in 2000, while stacking chairs of all things, I also felt a stabbing pain below the beltline on the right side. My doc told me it was a small inguinal hernia. If you can imagine the wall of the stomach has two layers of muscle, then only one layer of mine had torn at the time. Occasional pain but no visible symptoms.

5 years later, it got worse, then went away again, BUT THEN!!! I was holidaying on a Greek island, swimming, hiking and I felt an acute pain when climbing some stairs. This time it didnt go away. When I got back to Australia I had a herniagram. With keyhole surgery, a mesh patch was fixed to my stomach muscle wall with 12 titanium screws. Recovery was painful for a fortnight, but the problem was solved.

Inguinal hernias dont go away by themselves, and if you've got one, they always are a weak point no matter how fit you are and can enlarge from even the mildest awkward flexing movement. I left it 10 years to get mine fixed! Dumb!
So get it checked properly, and even if it is a hernia that needs fixing, (hopefully not) you'll bounce back better than ever. Good luck.