[SMed]

Badly.

[SMed]

Exceptionally week today, not recovered from 3 all-nighters in the past week. Worked up to:

150 squat
180 deadlift

[SMed]

And I'm back.


Squats:
60x5
80x5
100x3
120x2
130x1
140x1x3

Pushdowns:
50x10x2
60x10x2

T-Bar Rows:
35x10x3

Barbell Curls:
30x10x3

[SMed]

Again today. Quite sore, but not too bad.


Squats:
50x5
100x5
120x3
130x1
145x1
150x1


OHP:
40x5x5

Deadlift:
60x5
100x5
130x3
150x1
170x1
160x3x2

Chins:
BWx7
x5
x3
x2
x2
x1

[Smack]

I completely forgot about you, nice to see you back training.

Just a quick question, since I know you've had back problems in the past. I posted this elsewhere and thought that maybe you could help.

Spoiler:

Show

Age, Gender, current training status - male in early twenties, currently been training for a few years, squatting 407lb and deadlifting 462lb for 1RMs, although I haven't been near that on the squat this year.

Chief Compliant - pain in my mid-back which stops me from squatting and deadlifting.

Narrative describing the mechanism of injury - Two months ago when I loaded up the bar to do three plates for sets across as my workout, after a period of a month or so with very sporadic training, I felt this weird, slightly compressive feeling in my mid back area. In my log I describe it as "some weird soreness in my mid-upper back. Wasn't a shooting pain ... felt more like stiffness or DOMS even..." I deadlifted four plates for five at the end of that session and did not report anything feeling wrong during that set, however I did say that I "put belt on too tight so couldn't get a proper breath or set up properly" if that makes a difference.

Then two days after I added a bit of weight, 6lbs, to my squats and the pain was worse. I only did two sets.

Eleven days later, I squatted again, adding a little bit of weight, and reported that my back felt better but not 100%. I did three sets of five.

Just over two weeks after that, so about five weeks ago from now, I squatted again, and my back was really bad. I stopped at 265lb.

And that's how it is now; I still try to squat every second week or so to see how it is. Except that last Saturday I managed to get up to just over 350lb for a single without too much discomfort. Then on Wednesday it was back to the same story, unable to do much more than one plate before the pain.

Note that the long gaps between workouts were because I was incredibly busy. I was spending a lot of time hunched over a desk, if that makes a difference.

Pain- 7? Enough to stop me from squatting, but it's not like I'm getting stabbed or beaten or anything...

Describe the pain - Shooting, aching, maybe a little deep.

What makes it better? - Not squatting or deadlifting. I can still do upper body work, power cleans, and live a normal life.

What makes it worse? - Squatting and deadlifting.

How do your symptoms behave throughout the day? - None, really, except sometimes when I sneeze really hard I feel something's up.

Signs and Symptoms - Area looks perfectly normal; no swelling, bruising, or anything like that. It doesn't stop me doing anything in my dad to day life. I just can't squat or deadlift in the gym!

I have previously injured my back before. It was in November 2010 and I was doing something a bit stupid (trying to rack pull 20kg over my deadlift 1RM after I had fatigued my back with deficits), which is the cause of most injuries but by god experience is the best teacher. The area that I injured then is close to or the same as the area that's sore now. What I did then was just take three weeks off and came back and it was completely gone and it's never bothered me since. But that was a different type of injury in that I felt it as it happened, and it felt like a "tear" of some sort, whereas this is a more graduate pain that hasn't gone away after a few weeks off.

When I think about what's unique from this situation the only thing I can think of is that I was spending a long, long time hunched over a desk from the beginning of March to mid-May.

Any idea of what it could be?

[SMed]

(Original post by Smack)
I completely forgot about you, nice to see you back training.

Just a quick question, since I know you've had back problems in the past. I posted this elsewhere and thought that maybe you could help.

Spoiler:

Show

Age, Gender, current training status - male in early twenties, currently been training for a few years, squatting 407lb and deadlifting 462lb for 1RMs, although I haven't been near that on the squat this year.

Chief Compliant - pain in my mid-back which stops me from squatting and deadlifting.

Narrative describing the mechanism of injury - Two months ago when I loaded up the bar to do three plates for sets across as my workout, after a period of a month or so with very sporadic training, I felt this weird, slightly compressive feeling in my mid back area. In my log I describe it as "some weird soreness in my mid-upper back. Wasn't a shooting pain ... felt more like stiffness or DOMS even..." I deadlifted four plates for five at the end of that session and did not report anything feeling wrong during that set, however I did say that I "put belt on too tight so couldn't get a proper breath or set up properly" if that makes a difference.

Then two days after I added a bit of weight, 6lbs, to my squats and the pain was worse. I only did two sets.

Eleven days later, I squatted again, adding a little bit of weight, and reported that my back felt better but not 100%. I did three sets of five.

Just over two weeks after that, so about five weeks ago from now, I squatted again, and my back was really bad. I stopped at 265lb.

And that's how it is now; I still try to squat every second week or so to see how it is. Except that last Saturday I managed to get up to just over 350lb for a single without too much discomfort. Then on Wednesday it was back to the same story, unable to do much more than one plate before the pain.

Note that the long gaps between workouts were because I was incredibly busy. I was spending a lot of time hunched over a desk, if that makes a difference.

Pain- 7? Enough to stop me from squatting, but it's not like I'm getting stabbed or beaten or anything...

Describe the pain - Shooting, aching, maybe a little deep.

What makes it better? - Not squatting or deadlifting. I can still do upper body work, power cleans, and live a normal life.

What makes it worse? - Squatting and deadlifting.

How do your symptoms behave throughout the day? - None, really, except sometimes when I sneeze really hard I feel something's up.

Signs and Symptoms - Area looks perfectly normal; no swelling, bruising, or anything like that. It doesn't stop me doing anything in my dad to day life. I just can't squat or deadlift in the gym!

I have previously injured my back before. It was in November 2010 and I was doing something a bit stupid (trying to rack pull 20kg over my deadlift 1RM after I had fatigued my back with deficits), which is the cause of most injuries but by god experience is the best teacher. The area that I injured then is close to or the same as the area that's sore now. What I did then was just take three weeks off and came back and it was completely gone and it's never bothered me since. But that was a different type of injury in that I felt it as it happened, and it felt like a "tear" of some sort, whereas this is a more graduate pain that hasn't gone away after a few weeks off.

When I think about what's unique from this situation the only thing I can think of is that I was spending a long, long time hunched over a desk from the beginning of March to mid-May.

Any idea of what it could be?

Have you seen a doc yet? And what's the longest stretch of time off you've had between doing lifts that aggravate?

If it was this frequently troublesome, I'd probably take at least a month off, maybe even fully/completely off lifting.

A doc will probably get you imaged, probably x-rayed first and possibly refer you to a physio (though physio could take a month or more on NHS).

[redbuthotter]

^I have similar problems to smack - where it don't hurt usually only if I load the **** out of squats and DL. Will doctors take it srsly and refer me to specialists? Like I can still FS 150 ect, so its like there isn't anything that majorly wrong with me if that makes sense.

[Smack]

(Original post by SMed)
Have you seen a doc yet? And what's the longest stretch of time off you've had between doing lifts that aggravate?

If it was this frequently troublesome, I'd probably take at least a month off, maybe even fully/completely off lifting.

A doc will probably get you imaged, probably x-rayed first and possibly refer you to a physio (though physio could take a month or more on NHS).

I haven't seen a doctor yet, I'm going to try and make an appointment with a sports doctor, I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on what it might be.

The longest I've taken between doing lifts that aggravate it is a couple of weeks. After that, when it usually feels much better, I try and test the water again, and it hurts. I've had it since April.

I can still do benching, overhead and arms without feeling it at all.

[redbuthotter]

(Original post by Smack)
I haven't seen a doctor yet, I'm going to try and make an appointment with a sports doctor, I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on what it might be.

The longest I've taken between doing lifts that aggravate it is a couple of weeks. After that, when it usually feels much better, I try and test the water again, and it hurts. I've had it since April.

I can still do benching, overhead and arms without feeling it at all.

I've had mine since april 22nd. Do you wear any other compression kit? I'm thinking of getting rehband lower back support thing. Also do you arch during bench press? I find that it make me a little sore too.

[SMed]

(Original post by redbuthotter)
^I have similar problems to smack - where it don't hurt usually only if I load the **** out of squats and DL. Will doctors take it srsly and refer me to specialists? Like I can still FS 150 ect, so its like there isn't anything that majorly wrong with me if that makes sense.

In all honesty, unlikely. Compared to what docs see day in day out, you both are still fit and healthy for the most part. They should still get you imaged though and if it doesn't show anything, and resting isn't helping, they should escalate the investigations. But you really got to chase this up yourself too.

[redbuthotter]

^Should I tell him my **** hurts normally and I'm in extreme pain? Will he be able to tell its a thib? I've gone in for thyroid checks cos I'm experiencing other issues atm

Sorry to sound like moiz lol.

[redbuthotter]

Oh taught that kid how to bench a couple weeks back... apparently its moving now.

[SMed]

Having trained with Moiz in months. Probably will today I think.

[SMed]

Squats:
60x5
100x5
120x3
130x1
145x1
152.5x1x3

Kroc Rows:
50x15
50x20

Pushdowns:
60x10
70x10
60x10



Got kinda sideways on the last single of 152.5, so stopped there.

[redbuthotter]

(Original post by SMed)
In all honesty, unlikely. Compared to what docs see day in day out, you both are still fit and healthy for the most part. They should still get you imaged though and if it doesn't show anything, and resting isn't helping, they should escalate the investigations. But you really got to chase this up yourself too.

Do you think this would be helpful - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neoprene-D...ht_1452wt_1039

Underneath a full on powerlifting belt? Like you wear sleeves for elbows to keep em warm, is the same theory for low back good? Is it a good idea to buy one of these?

[SMed]

You'd have to just try I suppose. I'm not even wearing my knee sleeves in this warmer weather, but then I've only just started back training again.

Speaking of which, need to buy new knee sleeves. My pharmacy sleeves have finally started to split after 2/3 years.

[SMed]

Squats:
60x5
100x5
130x2
145x1
150x1

OHP:
40x5
40x5
42.5x5
47.5x1
50xf
40x7
40x6
40x4
40x3

Deadlift:
60x5
100x5
130x3
150x1
160x1
170x1
180x1
190xf

45 degree Back Extensions:
15kg x10x5

Comedy Cleans:
60x3
65x3

Cable Curls:
50x12
50x10


Tweaked my right shoulder doing the comedy cable curls. And ripped off a big callus from my thumb doing comedy cleans.

[SMed]

Squats:
40x5
60x5
90x5
120x2

OHP:
30x5
40x5
42.5x5
42.5x5
42.5x5
42.5x5
42.5x4

Deadlift:
70x5
110x5
140x3
160x1
175x1
190x1
165x3x3

Cable Pushdowns:
70x12x3



Was a bit annoyed not to have gotten 190kg last session, so I did it today. Thumbs are ****ed.

[SMed]

Squats:
60x5
80x5
100x5
115x5
130x5

OHP:
35x5
45x5x7
40x5x3
(there were a few missed final reps in there)

Deadlift:
70x5
120x5
150x2
170x3x3


Used straps for deadlift, as I ripped a big callous off of my thumb last week. These felt really good with straps. Not sure if it's because of the straps though. I suppose I don't have that painful distraction from using hook-grip.

[HFerguson]

(Original post by Smack)
x

(Original post by redbuthotter)
x

Is the pain in the midline or near the midline of the back? i.e. near the vertebrae? I think I've had the same or similar issue before, got it once from squatting, but the first time I got it, I was on a rowing machine. I suspected it to be a "subluxated rib", or dysfunction of the joint where the rib articulates with the vetebra. What worked for me though was having someone stand on my back - try it. Lie on your front on the floor, get someone to put their heel on the area where the pain is, and slowly bare weight onto it. It should click back into place, you'll feel it and it'll feel immediately better. Pain was a lot worse when I was slouching forward.