Workout 21 was two days ago, only got in deadlifts. Time crunch.
Top two sets
Dl 250x4, 250x4 (goal 255x4). Grip better.
Cardio 2 of 2 yesterday
30min 3.4mi
Sleep amd stress continue to be very poor
I have continued to workout, ending week 8. Past week or so was really rough with external stuff, so lifts suffered, but today was a glimpse of optimism.
top two sets
DL 255x4, 255x4@8.5 (target 255x4)
bbbp 125x8, 125x8 (target 145x8)
Fs 110x10, 110x10@8.5 (target 115x10)
I continue to lift, and have not missed a session. Most recent was start of “week” 10 - heavy front squat day. Unfortunately, I did something to my neck, probably on my rest day, and felt the symptoms stronger than ever on my sixth rep of 135lb deadlift warmups, so did not do DL.
Top two sets:
FS: 155x4, 155x4@ rpe 8.5 (target 155x4) new PR for me!
OHP 75x10 80x10 @ rpe 10 (target 75x10)
The OHP was a case of me going to stop at two sets of 75x10, but felt good and wanted to really push myself, so I did. De facto, my 80lb RPE 8 is 8 reps.
The neck is annoying, sort of a dull but shooting bilateral discomfort at base of skull/very top of spine triggered by certain head angles/movement. Immediately resolves once tension/position is corrected.
Can sometimes be reproduced sometimes by standing up, holding phone in left hand, and glancing down at the phone then slowly lifting head back up. Triggered a little even while laying flat on my back with head on pillow, but not my side. In some ways, it is worse laying down as feels more painful, almost seperation is the onoy way incan describe. Standing is more like a dull headache, only muscular feeling.
I noticed it in the afternoon many hours before lifting. Worse now, next morning after lifting, but also had poor sleep on couch etc.
The deadlift triggered it as I was putting the weight down, not pulling it up, and on the sixth rep only. Will just keep training around it and trying not to aggravate.
I continue to get my workouts and cardio in. Workout 30 was today. Hit DL and FS target. Bench was wonky.
Top two sets:
DL 265x4, 265x4 @8.5
BBBP 135x8, 135x7 @ 10
FS 125x10, 125x10 @ 9.5
I still have not missed a workout, though many are cut short. Had a solid start to week 12 the day before last, but today on my heavy OHP day I hurt my ear.
Basically screwed up my breathing and put all the presure in my head on one of the reps, or so it felt. Sudden wrong sensation in right ear and stabbing minor earache pain. I did another set which neither lessened or worsened the pain (but was cognizant of keeping pressure in torso).
Anyway, starting googling and my anxiety kicked in and I didnt do my third set. The pain mostly went away within 30min, but i still have a feeling of wrongness there, like the faintest of swimmers ear but could just be imagining it. Anyway, i’m letting the anxiety keep me from my other lifts. But will rest and keep on.
Top two OHP sets - both 97.5lbsx4 @ rpe 8
No pain in ear, but my anxiety is in overdrive, and so I am very concious of the ear “not feeling right”, but cant tell if just my imagination (which probably means that it is just my imagination).
My fears are about having/causing a perilymph fistula and I am scared of doing my heavy deadlifts tomorrow.
I have been pretty good with continuing to train despite anxiety around other injuries, but the ear is a particuarly strong phobia and i’ve never experienced anything like what I felt.
I will try and talk myself down, and just ease into the workout tomorrow.
I have continued to workout, though something was off last week, i have bounced back and had a really good workout. No ear pain!
workout 38, 90min rpe 8
Top two sets
ohp 97.5x4, 97.5x4 rpe 8 (no ear pain)
fs 130x7, 130x7 rpe 8
bw pullups, bw x 2, bw x 3, bw x3
I have continued to lift, albiet somewhat intermittently. Got sick twice in August, started new grad program in September. Sick again in October. New job novemeber.
New PRs in OHP 110x2 and FS 165x4, DL PR still at 275x4
ear pain likely due to jaw clenching per doc, jaw joint.
Right now sidelined with a hurt back. Was irritated for past two weeks but kept lifting as did not hurt during lifting. Currently am mostly functional, with occasional sharp radiating pain. Hips, glutes, all feels irritated.
Can BW squat to about quarter depth before back starts feeling ibflexible and hurting.
new today, a bunch of painless, low volume pops in low back.
Will do some machine stuff tomorrow and
So… yeah. Frustrating. Back pain still present.
Last night did some bar-only rack pulls, a few reps of ginger front squats, a few sets of bar only high rep ohp. One rep of 135lb dl to get it into the rack… felt better this morning, was able to put socks on while standing up. Little pain in car.
Tonight did more of the same, bar only rack pulls, three sets of ohp, last at 55lbs. Two sets of 10 FS, bar only. Etc.
About three minutes after i finished, felt a type of pain i’ve never felt before inside of right leg. Cant describe it, but it wad not a good pain at all. Not tied to movement, inside groin and traveling down to knee. It went away after a few minutes but… my anxiety off to the races about nerve issues.
Frustrated. Will probably go see a Dr. next week.
First noticed back irritated 12/12/22 in context of ramping up DL very fast and hitting OHP PRs.
Continued to stay actice and train at reduced intensities, being concious of back, but still DLing.
e.g. 12/21/22 heavy DL, heavy FS
12/25/22 heavy OHL moderate DL
12/27/22 light DL and somethig was really off
12/28/22 back in noticeably more pain
have stayed active and continued to do accessory work, light front squats, light OHP.
Attempts to do ultralight DB rows (25lb dbs and 30lb dbs) and ultra light DL (65lbs, 135lbs) continue to agravate during set. Agravation is in erectors.
Day-to-day I remain functional, but difficulty putting on socks while standing, certain bending (not the bending itself, but putting torso at an angle that calls on the erectors), occasional painless "pop"ing from my back during daily activities.
Feels like im 97% good, but have been stuck there.
Will give it a few more weeks, if no resolution will see doctor.
Right now is only about 5 weeks from 12/12/22 and not even 4 weeks from 12/27/22. And i think the general thought is most things heal uo in 6-8.
Was feeling confident again on 1/26/23.
Back was feeling solid, not 100% but no pain during daily activities.
I did two sets of front squats, 95lb x 10 reps
i did one working set of deadlifts 135lbs x 8
Back felt pretty good. Let’s say 98%.
Next day still felt pretty good, but a little worse… 97%
The next day, 95%
Today woke up and was 93%, back to pain, very uncomfortable driving, sitting etc.
incredibly frustrated. Sitting agravates. But cant tell if DL aggravated or not.
Was starting to feel 100% Feb 7 and 8. To include deadlofts at 125lbs for 8 reps.
feb 8, last night, went in to do another light workout.
deadlift 65x5, 95x5, 135x2, 155x8 all felt good, but I knew i should have stuck with my plan to just do 135x8
FRont squats, 45x10 back felt wierd, knees werent tracking, 75x5 stopped because back really bothering me out of the hole.
back has gotten worse and definitely reaggravated today.
frustration continues, though i have only myself to blame for puahing to hard too fast.
Back remains irritated.
2/15 did FS top set 115x10
Was a pallbeaer for a funeral 2/17, which did not help back. That evening did a light workout with things like pullups, pushups, dumbell curls, etc.
2/18 back was unhappy.
2/19 back has been unhappy. Went to lift, plan was light FS and deadlift (like 65lb deadlift), but back too sensistive so called it off.
Back still bothering me and my workouts have dwindled significantly as the pain reduces motivation.
Ive schedule a doctors appointment on Monday. Will go from there
Yesterday, The day after scheduling the dorctor, back started to feel ok.
this mirning woke uo to cats fighting outside.
half alseep i go got up and tried to quickly pull on boots (raising leg, be bending over)… that was a huge mistake.
shooting pain amd now im laying down with back throbbing.
demoralizing this.
Saw MD at ortho-spine clinic. Younger Dr. and looked like he recreationally lifted. Info and advice bassically same as the barbell medicine folks, more conservative on reaumption of deadlift and squat.
Basically keep doing birddogs and planks, avoid flexion, be concious of how im lifting things. Slowly reintroduce lifting stimulus after a good 4 to 6 weeks of healing with no setbacks.
So, yeah. frustrating.
Still dealing with back pain flare-ups.
I’ve not been able to get above 110lb on the front squat and 145lb on the deadlift without reaggravation.
I’ve been able to do some running here and there.
A far amount of dumb bell work.
I thought I had been seeing some progress but two weeks ago injured my neck/shoulders doing 65lb OHPs. That is getting better, but last week tried to do deadlifts again and 145lbx3 seems to have done something.
I’m just trying not to be depressed and keep doing something, but has been really hard.
Continuation of last post: back was hurting while driving today, first time in two or so weeks. General ache + occasional more sharp pains. No sciatica yet.
had taken last three days off.
Out of frustration, went ahead with workout:
5" block pulls 75x5, “”,“”,“”
Front squat 70x6, 75x6, 75x6 rpe 7
rdl with 10lb db… sharp back pain third rep.
floor back extensions, 15, 10
Back aching. Curious how tomorrow will go. Im just so frustrated.
Frustration continues. I just want to give up.
had been doing ok, hitting front squat 115x6 a few weeks ago and three days ago gingerly ran up to a deadlift single of 175lbs with no issues.
But right now back is aching in a not good way and caused me to abort workout after just 95lb x 6 rep front squat.
It must be a form thing. I just cannot believe i’m this fragile.
Yesterday, after getting a little more sleep, went back under the bar. Was much stronger on FS and did three sets of 105x6@8
Then did some RDLs to above knee, 3 sets of 8, and defijitely felt some back strain.
This am, back is really achey and stiff, I have regressed significantly, to where i need to support myself bending over or sitting down.