Ep. #113: Layne Norton on How to Avoid and Overcome Weightlifting Injuries

In this episode, I interviewDr. 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’vehad 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, weightliftingisn’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…

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?

43:44 - After an injury, how can you continue to train properly?

50:07 - What are the advantages and disadvantages between conventional deadlift and sumo deadlift?

52:55 - What are some alternatives for dead lift if you are injured or recovering?

55:41 - What are some alternatives for bench press if you are injured or recovering?

57:02 - What are your tips for treatment options and getting through injurie

59:48 - What is Avatar Nutrition?