The Day I Broke My Back: Vault Safe

[@anthonyhagan8499]

this is pretty helpful, cause I vault at my school and I do a lot of the mistakes that you've pointed out.

[@mdhd9740]

Anthony Hagan yea me too man thanks winder for the video

[@WinderUp]

Anthony Hagan so happy it's helping some people!!!

[@anthonyhagan8499]

Winder Up do you have any good tips for lower back workouts, I've been vaulting for the past few weeks and my lower back has been is killing me.

[@WinderUp]

The lower back is a tricky thing. Mine was pretty locked up in high school. If you think you injured your back in any way, you should go see a doctor. Heck, I went to see the doctor after the biff in this video and had no idea I would walk out of there in a back brace and two broken vertebrae. Couple things that helped me in high school though... Hanging from high bars for about 20 seconds at a time. I had a high bar in my backyard and at my high school and before and after every vault workout I would hang there for about 20 seconds for maybe 3 or 4 sets (you can also use anything you can hang from). Plus, I would do a lot of hip mobility. Check out this video. Although it works your hips, it will do wonders on your back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIvCkoOhbq2of5I Last, simply doing back extensions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppmWoZeapbCtsNk Hope this helps!!!

[@anthonyhagan8499]

Thx

[@alexcronkhite9404]

I can't believe I havnt found this video sooner, thank you for the insanely useful tips, the last few practices have been bad for me and I couldn't figure out why.. I wasn't starting small and this video made me realise that, thank you so much!

[@WinderUp]

I am so glad you found this video useful! That's why I make them. And yes, starting small is the way to go. Stay safe, build confidence, jump big bars!!!

[@tbhfoo1]

Your putting out this video because you know I'm right and you are good heartedly trying to save others from what you call "your mistakes". It's the box and technique. Not your lack of warm up!!!

[@dominicmikula6179]

Love this! We only use bars at practice but the same principles apply.

[@WinderUp]

It's easy to rush into things and feel confident doing it...until it doesn't work out. Warm up well and listen to the coach instead!

[@dombomb8679]

Just fractured 2 vertebrae the same exact way on friday, first meet of the year and im out for the season

[@samahsdiary]

Dombomb that must be really sucky! I hope you get better!

[@WinderUp]

That’s rough! I wish you the best in recovery. Please let me know if you have any questions in that process.

[@tbhfoo1]

Hi! Did you see my comments about the steel box? We, as parents and coaches can change that to a soft pliable box very easily by refusing to go along with the UCS and other pole manufacturers that heavily influence the High school and collegiate rule committees.

[@super8guy]

Terrific, your emphasis on solid technique and safety! I had a look at your blog, and I learned you are located at North Central College in Naperville, IL.

[@tbhfoo1]

The is also an easier way to bend any pole that is impossible with the current box!

[@tbhfoo1]

Oh and I still have the record at my university after 40 years. I ended up with broken bones in my back and arm.

[@mantexas9033]

In judo there are specific techniques for falling down properly. I wonder if they could applied to situations like this. Parkour runners use these techniques when jumping off of buildings.

[@WinderUp]

True. Having body awareness helped me quite a bit with this one, even though you can't really tell.

[@mantexas9033]

Winder Up cats get all the credit sometimes. Practicing giant swings one day and my grip broke, went flying horizontally 10ft through the air. At the last moment I did some kind of twist turn diver move and landed on my face to absorb the impact. Also sprained my elbow and broke my foot. But all my teammates said if I hadn't of done that move the back of my head would have hit the ground first causing my body to slam down and snapping my neck. Body awareness.. 😎 👍

[@WinderUp]

Yeah thats insane. Sounds like it hurt. I unfortunately have had plenty of biffs in the PV, but most of which I ended up walking away uninjured. Years and years of skateboarding helped me to learn to fall correctly, or as correct as I can haha.

[@mantexas9033]

Winder Up roger that!

[@howardkwasman4824]

In the 70's we had one vaulter one pole only (poles were expensive $100.00). The two years I coached pole vaulting, the safety rule i thought of was you never let go of a pole unless you know where you were going to land. The pole keeps you away from the ground. After you let go of the pole physics takes over and down you go. When I did vault I kinda knew where I was in relation with the pit. I never had a vaulter or myself injured by missing the pit. Let me know if that would still be a good rule. Love the videos. There was no pole vault help when I was in high school!

[@WinderUp]

Don't let go of the pole is still the number one rule in pole vaulting. That is a rule I have always followed very closely over the thousands of jumps I have taken over the years. On this particular jump, I just simply didn't have enough energy to get into the pit due to a number of variables explained in the video. I know my vault well and knew I would end up double bending the pole and shooting backwards back onto the runway. Simple put, I should have warmed up better, dropped down a pole and a grip, and been more aggressive at my take off...then I wouldn't have had any issues. For what it's worth, I ended my vaulting career with a broken hand after hanging onto the pole in this exact situation a little over a year ago. I was vaulting at the high school I coached at and slipped at take off because we were on an odd surface and weren't allowed to wear spikes. Got hung up over the box on the exact same pole! Learning from the jump in this video, I held on and it resulted in an a broken wrist/hand. So in both instances pole vault won. All you can do is the best you can do, hold on to the pole 99.9% of the time, but if you know your vault well enough...make a game time decision and hope for the best.

[@drewzillakill-a3854]

Dang your channel is growing well

[@WinderUp]

+DrewZilla Kill-a thanks man! I hope it keeps growing! Love doing these videos!

[@ike745]

Hello also a pole vaulter and i fractured my L4 vertebra from pole vaulting last year what did you do differently or your experience with your back breaking and continue to pole vault

[@WinderUp]

After rehabbing from this injury I was forced to do more ab and core work. My abs and lower back were weak and felt some solid core work would make a difference. I also found that taking off "under" hurt my back more than usual. I made an effort to take off further out at takeoff to take the pressure of my back. This created a "free takeoff" and made a huge difference in my vault. How is the back healing up?

[@ike745]

The back is doing good now, I took the like there months off as the doctor ordered after the outdoor season still lifting upper. I am a Jumper at central Michigan University and we have not done certain lifts because of it, we have done short jumps 4L and haven't felt much pain. We have been focusing on not taking off "under" but we have not moved my step back yet so we will see. Did you do any specific lifts or ab work that you felt helped.

[@WinderUp]

Yeah I took about 3 months off for my back injury as well. Mine was very tender to the touch, so doing exercises that actually put pressure on my back(flat bench, seated shoulder press, etc.) would hurt so bad. I found hanging from a high bar(letting my back and vertebrae stretch a bit) and doing L, V, J and i Ups to help a lot. I have a video on that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXzaiHmjoLSKrKc I probably did various high bar drills 3 times a week. Also making sure my glutes were firing during my running workouts instead of my back. For some reason after that injury I found my lower back tightening up a lot so I made sure to a lot of glute heavy exercises, like single leg dumbbell lunges, light squats, various straight leg hip extension exercises. This way I could teach my legs and back to work together again. All the best to you and your career man. Let me know if you have any more questions. I hope I can help.

[@JakeRyanH]

I just broke my vertebrae snowboarding. I overshot a jump and landed on my back on ice. 30 foot jump

[@ericccrose]

Where was the box collar?????????

[@WinderUp]

Around the box actually! If it wasn’t for the collar I probably wouldn’t have walked away very easily, if at all.

[@ericccrose]

@@WinderUp glad you ended up ok! I over extended my legs because of their being no box collar about 4 months ago and I pulled my hamstring and I still can feel it

[@tbhfoo1]

Please voice your opinion if you agree that I'm right. 74% of all catastrophic injuries and fatalities are due to the lethal "steel box" sunken in concrete!! It's not necessary to use steel and concrete in the fabrication of the box. It can be eaily made of softer composite material or plywood on rubber mulch.

[@Josiah427]

I just did the same thing today luckily I didn’t break my back tho

[@lordvenomous6335]

Just wondering, where did you go to high school? I'm in the IHSA too.

[@WinderUp]

Lord Venomous Plainfield Central. Hbu?

[@lordvenomous6335]

Winder Up Triad high school.

[@WinderUp]

@@lordvenomous6335 Cool. Over by St. Louis I believe. Good luck with your season!

[@lordvenomous6335]

Winder Up Thanks, it's my first high school season.

[@WinderUp]

@@lordvenomous6335 Heck yeah. It'll be a blast. Consistency is key. Trust in your training and the process. You will do well!

[@sorrym8421]

I broke a pole ,7 pounds over my weight, in two places. what could that mean?

[@WinderUp]

Konner Johnson breaking a pole can be caused by a number of things. I've broken a pole 25 pounds over my body weight before. Most of the time breaks are caused by minor dings in the pole which makes the pole weaker and weaker over time. Make sure you try to keep your poles in a bag and stored away from any objects that may damage them. Also, pole breaks can be caused by what some call "overloading" the pole. This is usually a result of overbending the pole while hanging and swinging on the pole, making the pole break because it can't handle the elastic energy put into it. I'd say there is always the slim chance the pole was defective. Which usually means something very minor went wrong in manufacturing.

[@Ilimar1]

If you "know" you're in trouble, don't let go of the pole.

[@WinderUp]

True!

[@sorrym8421]

Vaulting in the rain is so fun, just not in competition.

[@WinderUp]

Agreed!

[@tbhfoo1]

I spent three days in the hospital by landing from 16 feet plus in the air. Concrete shouldn't be used in the plant box area. It's not your fault ! It's the coaches and lazy people who already know the box should be redesigned!!!

[@tbhfoo1]

Funny how you blame yourself and not the "steel box with sharp edges sunk into concrete"??? Ask your coach why it has to be such hard materials??? See what he says!

[@imluflips7605]

You was too slow lost your right knee (that’s why you broke your back not because of your pole)