Easing Back into Workouts After a Layoff

I tend to work out in spurts... I'll workout really hard for a few weeks and then I'll slack off for a while. Recently, I decided I needed to whip myself into better shape again (for ski season) and started doing some very brief kettlebell workouts.

I was interested mainly in trying some different ways to help my lower back pain and scoliosis and I decided that maybe if I just clean and pressed a kettlebell and held it overhead for a while, one side at a time, that might do me some good.

Well I started out the first day with the 36lb kettlebell, and that went just fine, holding it overhead for about a full minute on each side. The second day I did it again, but then I decided that I should try it with the 54lb KB as well. It wasn't too much trouble, until I decided I should lower it to shoulder position doing a slow negative.

Bad idea.

It didn't feel like I really hurt myself, but a couple of days later... wow. I could barely move my left (weaker) arm. It feels better today, although it's still bothering me, but now I have to lay off for a while to make sure my arm/shoulder heals and I don't aggravate it.

So, just a little reminder that even if you could lift at a certain level once, doesn't mean you can lay off for a month and then go right back to the same level. The funny thing is that if I had just waited a week before tackling the bigger kettlebell, I probably would have been fine.