After a woman suffered severe muscle damage as a result of performing an excessive number of pull-ups at the gym, a significant warning has been issued.
At the beginning of her first week of CrossFit’s rigorous program known as the Murph Challenge, Jessica Johnson, who was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, was twenty-five years old. This challenge comprises of jogging, pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, and she attempted to complete fifty pull-ups at the gym in her area.
After completing a mile of running, participants in the Murph Challenge are required to complete a circuit consisting of three hundred squats, two hundred push-ups, and one hundred pull-ups and then finish the circuit.Another mile run follows. Johnson woke up the next day to discover her arms were somewhat sore and swollen; she knew this was usual since she had not paid much attention to upper body training for some days.
Her arms kept growing, though, and the healthcare professional soon visited the hospital after losing sensation in her hands.
Johnson related, “I was somewhat surprised. That felt rather embarrassing. I spent four days in the hospital in total.
“I consider myself among the fittest people I know; I said to myself, ‘I’m here because I overdid it at the gym.’ I honestly found this shocking and never knew something like this could happen.
Having completed ten sets of five pull-ups, I left the gym quite exhausted. Oh gosh; tomorrow I will be rather sore. I hadn’t done that kind of exercise in some years.
“By Wednesday, I was pretty sore and had never before experienced swelled arms from workout.
“I hardly gave it any thought initially. “I haven’t done pull-ups in years; it was an intense session; they will go back to normal; it’s not really important,” I thought.
Trying to wash my teeth and take a shower, I exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, my arms aren’t working properly.” I could not extend my arms completely.
“I also noted that my urine had become dark, almost orangey. Admitting, “I was a bit anxious since I had no clue what was happening,” I said
Johnson was diagnosed by doctors with rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous disorder whereby muscular tissue breaks down and poisons the bloodstream. This can possibly cause organ failure or even death if high-intensity exercise done over a limited period of time causes this often. Suspected to have organ failure, the 25-year-old athlete almost had her arms surgically opened to reduce swelling.
She is currently spreading awareness of her health crisis on TikHub “Getting hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis was definitely not on my 2024 bingo card,” the caption on a video she released during her hospital stay says. In another film, Johnson talks about her condition and issues a caution: “Take it easy. You need not strain yourself that much. You will be good. Her experience spoke to many people, one of whom said: “Been there, done that. It was extremely embarrassing; another said: “I got it twice in a year because of exercise.”
The healthcare professional has fortunately recovered fully, although she has been cautioned not to do intense exercise going forward. Johnson said, ” Doctors advised me I needed to take some time off from exercising and gradually ease back into it, avoiding intense workouts”. Once your body heals, it disappears. Once you have it once, though, you may be more likely to have it once more. Luckily, my body has entirely recovered.
She has also decided to skip training for the Murph challenge, saying her condition acted as a necessary wake-up call. Johnson said, “I decided I wouldn’t be training for the Murph anymore; it’s not worth another hospital trip. I still want to keep up my jogging, walking, and mild Pilates activity levels.
“This served as a sobering reminder that my teenage body and high school are gone. We have to look after ourselves better as we age. This encounter has let me realize that one should somewhat slow down. Relaxing exercises are quite acceptable; you do not have to always engage in very demanding ones.
“Pay close attention to your body and go easy. Although one should remain active, sharing this message is becoming more and more crucial. I think many people should be aware of the negative effects overworking and too intense exercises might have on their health.
Honoring the legacy of U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, who perished serving in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005, the Murph challenge is a CrossFit Hero workout.