4 Day Hypertrophy High Bar Squat - Arm Numbness and Weakness

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Docs! And Alex!

First off, thanks for all the information that you guys put out. I’ve had a bad streak of training in the last 6 months with torn ankle ligaments and jaw surgery leading to some crazy weight loss. Using your programming I’ve had more fun training and incrementally getting closer to my previous PR’s at 20lbs lighter bodyweight - instead of just adding 5lbs and hating being at the gym.

I recently bought your 7 week 4 day Hypertrophy program and had Week 1 day 3 today - where I had an issue. After my first set of 8@8 with 245 highbar squats my left hand went lightly numb from thumb to middle finger. This didn’t happen at 215 or 225. I haven’t done HBBS ever before but I do get some mild numbness from the odd LBBS set. Oddly enough, this set comes out to a higher E1RM than my LBBS so I got excited, ignored the mild numbness and did my last set. The numbness progressed throughout the set and when I finished my entire left arm was numb, weak and lost coordination to the point where I had difficulty stripping the bar. My right hand went numb as well from thumb to pointer finger.

I tried to OHP afterwards and the bar was flying all over the place. I waited 20 minutes until the numbness subsided a bit and tried again. I can normally OHP 135 for 9 reps, but when I attempted to do my first set set of 8@6 with 115 I completely failed the 5th rep. Now 3 hours later, the numbness is almost fully gone but coordination still feels off. I’m probably going to be fine tomorrow.

I’m bummed because I enjoyed high-bar so much - and do appear to be stronger at it. Do you think it would be worth deloading and working back up to weights I can use without experiencing numbness? If not, what movement would you recommend instead for the context of the program? LBBS 3-0-3 uses lighter weights. I haven’t seen LBBS pauses and pins used for higher reps and I’m already doing front squat myoreps. Leg Press won’t have as strong carryover.

Training History:
Winter 2017 SSNLP
BW: 215 to 240, 6’2
S: LBBS 365x5 (1" high)
P: 167.5x5
B: 240x5
D: 365x5

Spring 2018 The Bridge 1.0
BW: 233
S: 385x1
P: 185x1
B: 285x1@8
D: 405x1@8

Fall/Winter 2018 Weekly LP + RPE Volume
BW: 220, still 6’2
S: 305x5
P: 155x5
B: 255x5
D: 405x1@8

Thanks again for all the content and I hope your training is going well.

2

This is pretty unusual, and makes me wonder if there’s something unusual about the way you’re setting up under / carrying the bar in the high bar squat. Try posting a video to our FB group or to the unmoderated training forum.

3

Thanks for the reply! I considered that as well and was sure that the bar was sitting on my traps after retracting my scapula. I’ll film next week’s sets, stop if I feel it happening again, and post a video in the unmoderated training forum.