What the hell just happened?

[Howard]

I did a set of chinups to failure (my first of the day), and when I landed, my head exploded with the most intense pulsing pressure I'd ever felt in my life. I literally crouched on the ground for 30 seconds straight doing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHbPgDvAvf0

but holding my head instead of my knee. It was like a hangover from hell, lasting a good minute or two before subsiding.

Any idea what happened?

 

[douglasb]

Might have been a spike in blood pressure.

 

[KMc]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderclap_headache

 

[SociallyChallenged]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderclap_headache

What's more likely is that he's just responding to a change in blood pressure. With a large compound movement, BP spikes. As tone is released afterward, BP drops. After that, BP will return to a higher than normal value, possibly resulting in a headache.

It could also be that you were having muscle spasms in your traps after the exercise. Or spinal nerve root symptoms from the contraction.

 

[darkxshade]

I get these doing squats, the BP thing, not the headache... it's like half euphoria and half faintiness(if that's even a word).

 

[MrEgo]

I get these doing squats, the BP thing, not the headache... it's like half euphoria and half faintiness(if that's even a word).

That happens to me, too. I'm conscious, but everything seems to happen in slow motion and I'm just not very aware of my surroundings. I have to sit down or lean up against something for a few seconds.

However.. this doesn't sound at all like what the OP is describing.

 

[iluvdeal]

How warmed up were you before you did your chinups? I'm wondering if going from a cold state to all the sudden maximum exertion may have played a role? Even then, I've never had anything like that happen to me. That's pretty scary, I wouldn't ignore what happened. To be on the safe side, I'd get it checked it out and go through a full physical with your physician.

 

[jorken]

This plague's my heavy squat progress. Happens everytime I put work weight on the bar. I'm going to have to back weight off and work my way back up slowly and hope it helps. It's pretty unbearable and once they start, game over for the rest of my gym time.

 

[Pantlegz]

That happens to me, too. I'm conscious, but everything seems to happen in slow motion and I'm just not very aware of my surroundings. I have to sit down or lean up against something for a few seconds.

However.. this doesn't sound at all like what the OP is describing.

Same, I might get slightly light headed or have a bp spike but after I rest for about a min it's back to normal, seems to only happen on my first and/or second heavy set of sqauts tho.

 

[Howard]

How warmed up were you before you did your chinups? I'm wondering if going from a cold state to all the sudden maximum exertion may have played a role? Even then, I've never had anything like that happen to me. That's pretty scary, I wouldn't ignore what happened. To be on the safe side, I'd get it checked it out and go through a full physical with your physician.

It was at the end of my routine... squats, bench and BO row beforehand

 

[iluvdeal]

Another theory, perhaps the drop from the chinup bar may have played a role too? I thought of that since steep drops on roller coaster rides can cause blood to rush to the brain which then can cause throbbing sensations in your head. The drop from a chinup bar is nowhere near as far as that on a roller coaster, but perhaps that combined with your elevated BP created the perfect storm for your incident?

 

[Howard]

I don't think it was the drop. My bar is low enough that I need to flex my knees to clear the floor.

I should mention that on chinups and pullups I usually have slight head pains after doing sets to failure, especially at ten-tenths. Maybe I should stop trying so hard for them, and making sure that I breathe properly.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I don't think it was the drop. My bar is low enough that I need to flex my knees to clear the floor.

I should mention that on chinups and pullups I usually have slight head pains after doing sets to failure, especially at ten-tenths. Maybe I should stop trying so hard for them, and making sure that I breathe properly.

Ehhh, actually, what you're saying sounds more like an exertion headache. It tends to be a tension headache that kinda hangs out unnoticed until even more tension is put on your neck/head by muscle contraction. Try massaging your upper traps and levator scapulae (or foam roll). I bet this helps Either way, it can't hurt to try.

 

[Howard]

I dunno, but if that shit happens again, there is no way in hell a massage is going to help.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I dunno, but if that shit happens again, there is no way in hell a massage is going to help.

Seriously? Do you know how easy tension headaches are to alleviate? I get immediate relief with soft tissue mobilization and stretching. It's silly that you'd make a statement like that without any basis. It WILL help, if it's a tension issue.

 

[Whisper]

Seriously? Do you know how easy tension headaches are to alleviate? I get immediate relief with soft tissue mobilization and stretching. It's silly that you'd make a statement like that without any basis. It WILL help, if it's a tension issue.

Tension headaches happen fairly frequently in high-anxiety clients that I see (due to near-constant flexing of the shoulder/neck area), and yes, massage and various relaxation techniques will often lead to very significant reductions in the frequency, duration and intensity of the pain.

 

[NAC]

I’ve had these intense headaches after chin-ups or squats. I think about 4 times. Google exercise headache for sites describing what I feel I had.

I decided that I get them most often when I’m pushing myself to failure, and going quickly. If I slow down a bit I don’t think I get them. Also, I’m more likely to get them if I don’t breathe when moving. I’m always on the lookout for them, and haven’t had one in months.

If I have one, I stop exercising. It isn’t worth continuing even it was mild and has largely subsided. And the next workout or two I take a couple asprin before exercising and don’t push myself hard. Otherwise, I feel like I’m much more likely to get a second one. I think once I had one two workouts in a row and researched and decided on the asprin and working out lightly. And asprin on off days if you still feel the lingering headache.

 

[Howard]

Seriously? Do you know how easy tension headaches are to alleviate? I get immediate relief with soft tissue mobilization and stretching. It's silly that you'd make a statement like that without any basis. It WILL help, if it's a tension issue.

I don't think it is. Hasn't happened since I started doing controlled breathing (i.e. not what I do on squats/DL).