Hi team,
Thank you for putting out useful and easily accessible information - it has been very helpful. I wanted some advice on my current situation -
Back story :
I started lifting in April 2021 and followed the free beginner template till Dec 2021 when I picked up a pretty bad lower back strain (due to excessive intensities and volume as opposed to “poor form” or one time mistakes) which made deadlifts slightly painful and pain free squats near impossible. I followed the advice your team puts out by reassuring myself and re-introduced body weight and empty bar squats but the strain worsened even at weights ~20 % of my previous 1rm.
Upon consultation with my GP in March 2022 I was advised active rest for 6-8 with PT (which will start next week). I have made the decision to not squat or deadlift (even at low intensities which is causing me pain) for these 6 to 8 weeks.
Current decision :
In the absence of lower body volume, I decided to focus on improving my upper body lifts, specifically my OHP and bench press given that I have more time and recovery resources. What modification , if any, would you suggest to the beginner program to facilitate this goal ? I was thinking one of the below paths might be the way to go, any advice would be greatly appreciated
- Double the number of working sets (8 rpe) on bench and OHP
- Introduce more bench and OHP days , effectively benching 3x and OHP 2x a week .
- Don’t do anything , proceed with beginner template minus squat and deadlifts for 6 to 8 weeks.
Some background stats:
Age / sex : 25/M
Height : 6’4
Weight : 91 kg
S/B/D/OHP 5rm (prior to injury) : 110/65/140/40 kg
My bench was going up slowly and OHP had stagnated. To be honest I did the bare minimum to progress my presses (was working towards a bigger squat and pull predominantly) and hence want to use this opportunity to progress them.
PS- Not relevant to this question , but do you think there is a case to be made for using lunges, hack squat or leg press instead of beginner template’s day 3’s 10 rep squats to build leg strength without taxing the lower back for a tall ,limb dominant and lanky person like myself ?
Thanks once again for looking into this, and once again I appreciate the free content you guys put out on a regular basis.
BN,
Thanks for the post. Sorry to hear about your current issue and appreciate you sharing your experience here.
As far as what I think you should do, I am inclined to disagree strongly with your GP. I think that you continuing to experience pain (that did not resolve) from 12/21 to now does not indicate something that requires complete rest, but rather the need for additional activity modification (type, load, etc.) and education. Avoidance of all lower extremity movements would not be my recommendation. I think given the time course here, you’d be best-served by a consult.
I would not double the working sets of the Beginner Prescription, no. I also think that running that template from April to December suggests that it is likely no longer the appropriate program for you in many ways. I was hoping that we made clear that none of the exercises selected in that program were uniquely beneficial and that ultimately, the individual should pick a variety of exercises rather based on their resources, preferences, etc.
As far as what you should do now, I agree that the upper body programming will be different than the lower body programming, though it also needs to take into consideration your current symptoms. In other words, something working through low back discomfort may not tolerate a lot of arching on the bench press or overhead press.
I do think lunges, split squats, hack squats, let press, etc. are all great exercises to incorporate for general strength and conditioning. I do not think this is unique to your height or back discomfort, though you may find that these exercises are more tolerable at this time, yes.
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Thanks for the quick response Jordan.
. Avoidance of all lower extremity movements would not be my recommendation
Thanks for this insight. I was performing low weight/ body weight squats from 12/21 up until March, I think I will continue with that for now.
I was hoping that we made clear that none of the exercises selected in that program were uniquely beneficial and that ultimately, the individual should pick a variety of exercises rather based on their resources, preferences, etc.
The idea was clear in the template - I merely continued following the program for its convenience and results I was seeing from it. Thanks to your content I realize that there are other modalities for strength development, not only the SBD lifts.
I will probably try out Bridge next , as it seems like the natural progression.
I agree that the upper body programming will be different than the lower body programming, though it also needs to take into consideration your current symptoms. In other words, something working through low back discomfort may not tolerate a lot of arching on the bench press or overhead press.
Makes sense. Surprisingly , I feel no pain or discomfort under back extension , only flexion. Hence I comfortably continued with bench and OHP with my planned working weight. I assume this course of action is ok ?
Thanks once again Doc,
I don’t think BW squats are advisable for lower extremity training unless you can do them at a sufficient intensity (RPE 6-7) without pain. I think it is unlikely they are of the appropriate intensity.
The Beginner Prescription would ideally be run with with different variants of squat, pressing, and deadlifting-type movements. If reduced exercise variety helps get people started, that’s great, but we don’t want people to stay there, especially for months. I would not run the Bridge next, no, as you do not require an introduction to RPE. I would probably do the Beginner Template with greater exercise variety, though I do think you’d benefit from a consult here given the duration of your symptoms.
Thanks for the advice Jordan - This has been very helpful !