Enter Planet Cybertron

Well…I’m not too happy today. After a few tests and Scheduling yet another doctors appointment because my lower back has had this odd burning sensation for quite a while now, on and off, and my sciatica has become a big enough problem to where its screwing with other stuff I have to do. I went to a specialist that my mom and dad go to and have gone to for years. I really like this doctor, never met him, so that was my first time. He was very nice, very understanding of my training and that I do this because its something I find important. Told him of what I did, how ive been feeling, where the pain was, etc. My other family doctor I had been going to completely misdiagnosed me…again. I went through an ultrasound, and had an x-ray done and he concluded that it was either muscular or tendon related injury, come to find out after having a physical, and CT scan ive herniated the disc that sits between the L4 and L5 pieces. Ive been freaking out for the past few days.

I’m more upset because ive been given about 3 wrong answers, and that was time I could’ve spent actually knowing exactly what was wrong, and going about fixing it. Because ive mentioned a shit ton of different things of what I thought was wrong with me, going off of what I was told at the doctors visit. Needless to say, I’m going to stick with the new guy.

I pretty much have to start from square one. He told me to first lose about 25-30lbs, which as you guys all know ive been slowly doing. He wants me to have it off in 2 months, but I’m in no rush to shed that much weight that fast, and ill be damned if I lose my strength progress.

Above all else, I’m fucking freaking out about my plans. I feel like this is going to throw everything off, even my school stuff. I’m not going to be stubborn and keep powerlifting as heavy as I have because I want to recover as quickly as possible.

At the moment I’m probably going to sift through some old 5x5 stuff, or modify a strength training plan and keep volume at a decent percentage, going off of what my maxes are to retain as much strength as possible, because I have been to gym about 3 times last week, but I was barely able to do anything over 75% as far as training goes, and most of the sessions didn’t even last a full 30 mins because my hip was killing me.


I’m home now, called off work, sort of started to cry, but now I’m just angry. I’m upset with myself, but I probably shouldn’t be. I was just so eager to see how strong I could get. I know it takes time, and commitment, and patience, but my form was off by just enough to put me in this situation I am in now. I’m not even sure how to go about recovery. Doctor hasn’t mentioned any surgery, if I even need any. I’m not sure if I should be proactive and start some sort of physical therapy or see a chiropractor on my own. I’m not sure. At the moment, my one assignment is just to cut down. Strength has to be put on hold. Which I’m not happy about.

I feel like I may be being too hard on myself. My mom and hubby say I’m freaking out for nothing, but I like…I take stuff like this seriously, and first and foremost I feel like I’m waaaaaay too young to be dealing with a damn herniated disk.

I either herniated my disc between L3/L4 or aggravated it enough to send me to doctors to discover it in 2014.

The disc swelled over about 4-6 weeks after my injury (sprained ligaments in my SI joint while shifting the right half of my pelvis up and forward). I was recovering well from the initial injury and then I developed intense pain that wrapped around my right hip following my waist line. It then traveled down my medial quad following the femoral nerve. The most excruciating pain was when I raised my leg and bent my head down to put on socks.

Eventually my shin went numb and then I lost the function of my medial quad. I couldn’t flex it and it definitely affected my walking.

I visited a nerve specialist and spinal specialist. The disc was inflamed and pinched a nerve but the spinal Doc said I’d be fine once the swelling went down. There was nothing I could do but wait. Eventually I recovered. It was probably a 3-4 month process, maybe a bit longer.

If surgery was necessary it would’ve been with a laser to trim the bulged part of the disc so it quit putting pressure on the nerve. That’s what causes the pain.

I’m back to doing whatever I want now. I still have problems occasionally. As a matter of fact, my SI joint has been out of alignment for about 3 weeks causing some of that familiar pain.

Time might be the only answer, but you will get better. Hang in there!

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Thank you. I don’t really think I need surgery if at all. Doc said I’m fairly young, and its not too severe, its just messing with a few things. But hopefully it doesn’t effect my left leg. I feel most of the pain in that leg. Ive had this injury for some months now though. not sure if that really means anything.

Not even kind of. Part of powerlifting is injuries. Most of life is set backs and how you deal with them. I throw tantrums with the best of them in these instances but after that you self evaluate and get to work. You learn and that makes you stronger, not just mentally.

You are all right for the wrong reasons LOL. They are right because you are going to come back from this and be better, smarter stronger etc. Its a cliche for a reason. You are right except you arent a normal person. Athletes get injured because they push themselves.

NO! Do what the doctor says. Plus, if you have a tendon/disc issue the last thing you want is somebody puling and twisting it. When I have these injuries just putting on my shoes and that stretching of my back aggravates it like it was freshly injured.

Also, chiropractors are temporary solutions to currently permanent problems.

This just isnt true. Offseason PLing doesnt use a lot of heavy weight. My preps start in the 50-60% range. George Leeman is a big proponent of even 20 rep sets to build strength. It really all comes down to progressive overload. Then when you are healthy enough for heavy weight you take that piggy bank filled with tonnage and peak it into PRs.

Real simple:
-Squat and Deads 3*5@X beginning between 30% and 50% of 1RM. Add 1-5% each workout
-If it hurts, go back to lighter weight
-On better days you can push either with more sets or weight but only if it doesnt hurt
-Focus on assistance work, especially ab and hamstring stuff (takes pressure off the lower back).
-Pause Squats are a great way to rebuild core strength and motor patterns. It will also allow you to have a greater stimulus while keeping the weight lighter so it doesnt aggravate your back

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Thanks man.

I have a habit of freaking out sometimes. I do with school a lot more than training lol

I was skimming through some of your stuff and Mark’s stuff and other stuff pertaining to volume.

The Doctor was REALLY avid on just doing cardio to take the weight off, and I was kind of explaining why I don’t think that’s the best idea, but he kind of just nodded in silent disbelief.

I was going to do some type of 5x5, or 3x5 like you do, and throw in 20 rep sets maybe 1-2 a week. IF my body is feeling up to it. I can keep up with high dosages of volume, but something tells me I’m going to have to be more committed to some type of MISS cardio. I’m down a few pounds but that’s only due to just walking all the damn time, and work. Doc wants it off pretty much as fast as possible which I’m in no rush to do.

I think I’m also going to have to following the offseason/peak cycles more closely. I deviate enough from the main programs I do to where intensity is always a constant when it probably shouldn’t be. I just get eager to do stuff lol.

Okay. so no chiropractor. Gotcha.

Ive been slowly trying to incorporate box squats into training. Do you think that is okay to interchange with pause squats? I’d use both, id just switch back and forth occasionally.

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You can still practice your lifts. Listen to the doctor but add to that cardio crap. We all know steady state cardio isn’t the best road for weight loss.

Like @BOTSLAYER said, just drop the weight. You can progress and fatigue your muscles in a lot of ways. Change your tempos, try new stuff like paused squats, increase your volume but significantly decrease your weights, etc.

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Well, I’m glad I have you guys to talk to. Thanks again.

I just have it instilled in my head, that 1rms are like the only way to display your strength. Which isn’t true in the slightest, and I have no idea how I arrived at that conclusion. I guess its from being so happy that I can go heavy, I get all eager and whatnot and count my chickens before they hatch. Ive seen good and well how strong people are despite rarely even going near a 1rm.

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We all get a skewed perception from time to time. Just look at me. I think I’m pretty strong in general and then I load up the squat bar and feel pretty pathetic lol!

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It beats my squat total by far I’m sure lol. Youre a beast with the Olympic lifts, especially the cleans. Ive seen a few of your videos and theyre very very very very very good.

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Well, thanks! I think my long levers make me atypical. Pulling seems to come pretty easy but pushing sucks. I can power clean more than I can front squat! :joy:

We’re like on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Youre very tall with long proportions, and I’m barely passing by 5 feet, and I’m rather compact. I like to think I was pretty much designed to squat lol, but it also explains why my lower body is much more beat up than anywhere else. And bench, if I ever get around to training it frequently enough like I once did. Deadlift not so much, but I try my best.

Bad news, but getting hurt happens.

Do what the doc says, as he sounds sensible.

Lose the weight. Thirty pounds in two months is a bit quick but three to four months is doable.

I think the key point that @BOTSLAYER and @Frank_C have already addressed is that your focus needs to shift to fixing your injury. That’s going to involve losing weight, keeping it off and accepting that temporarily you will lose strength. When you’re better, you’ll come back and surpass your current strength levels.

The last thing you want to do is try to stubbornly hold on to your strength while at the same time rehabbing your injury and losing fat. It won’t end well.

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Yea, that semi what ive been trying to do, and I haven’t really seen much progress. Very slight. I’m writing out a few things at the moment and going later to actually play out what I wrote down to get a feel for it.

Light volume, and I’m going to shift focus to a few good conditioning routines. Botslayer mentioned the 30-40 range. maybe 50. I’ve been saying how I need to do such and such and this that, but now I’m going to actually have to put up, because I have no other choice. Cant remember where I read it from, somewhere on here, actually I think you said it, but when done right, most strength doesn’t really do anywhere, or muscle. Ive built a pretty decent strength base, and I think it will take me basically starving myself to lose a crap ton of progress.

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Sorry to hear about the injury hope you’re okay

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Thanks man. Ill be alright. I guess this is like my official right of passage lol.

Believe me, if you were physically here, its not as bad as I probably have made it out to be. Most days I feel good, but ive been dancing around needing to lose weight, and the Doctor said Everything should come to if I actually take the time to rehab. I semi-sort of rehabbed for all of two weeks, and jumped right back into training heavy. Theres a good chunk in my log where youd probably ask, “Why the f*** is she doing that?” and I wouldn’t blame you. lol

I’m a bit of a sissy when it comes to change, especially if ive been doing something a certain way for a good minute, but in the next 3-4 months ill probably be like, “omg I don’t know why I ever waited so long, I feel 10000x better wheeeee!”

Or…something like that lol

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Plenty of fantastic advice here!

To add: one of my best friends messed his back up snowboarding a little while ago. I believe a fracture and herniation are what he came away with.

Long story short, he had to lose weight and change his lifting priorities. He’s down from the 250 area to 210-215. He moved away from powerlifting to bodybuilding while he was hurting, then to speed/athletic training when he felt better. His lifts are pretty close to where they used to be (I think only his bench is down as a result), but he’s lighter, leaner, and in far better shape. Talking to him, he’s confident he’d be safer and more effective training powerlifting again now after what he learned from the layoff.

So just a speedbump, and who knows, some good may come from it! You’ll be back to kickin’ ass in no time!

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Awww thanks man! I appreciate the kind words. I’m equal parts frustrated and excited. So I’m just going to trek forward.

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You already sound better :smiley:

Yes, what ever Squatting you can do with out pain. I am not the biggest fan of super high rep sets though because form is going to fail. (Especially for people like us who put it in our head then do what it takes to get it done.)

Do it, in short bursts (1-2 months) cardio will take some fat off. Long term it’s a terrible solution.

In the beginning there is not a better way to improve 1RMs than singles all day ERDAY!! But now you have graduated to where you have to think about CNS and joint wear. 75-85% is our bread and butter now.

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LOG # 196

Squat
Using 50%= around 200, used 225
5x5

Volume set: 20 reps, 135lbs


Secondary:

Hanging leg raises: AMRAP

Hamstring curls: 30lbs 4x12

Back extensions: 100lbs 5x12


Agile 8

Extra foam rolling

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LOG # 197

Active recovery

5 mile walk

Afternoon tire flips for about an hour. Was just having fun, not tracking reps or anything.

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