Last week I spent a fairly relaxing week camping but sleeping on a very uncomfortable mattress and I feel like I didn’t get very good sleep the whole week. Add on to that I had a stressful breakup with a girl I was dating and the next day I wake up and I get really painful back pain. I did no training during the last week while I was camping and no training when I got back. The back pain was not caused by anything training related.
I’m sure it was caused by the stress and the lack of sleep.
I’d like to start slowly training tomorrow with light weights I usually do squats deadlifts bench press the usual and I’m fairly still on the beginner template.
My question after reading the pain article that Austin wrote is when I’m doing these movements with lower weight and the higher volume or a variety of movements how much pain should I tolerate before I realize the movement is probably loaded too much or it’s not the right one for me right now? Or do I select an exercise that gives me zero pain while I am doing it?
If symptoms are worsening from set to set during a session (or within a set, with each rep), you’re probably exceeding your tolerance for the day.
If there is a movement you can identify that causes zero pain, that’s one easy way to find an entry point, but eventually you’ll want to progress it back towards the goal movements, which may involve a mild amount of discomfort – however, this should be tolerable, and it should ideally not worsen throughout a set/session. If it does, you’re likely loading it too aggressively / too soon, and need to adjust based on the guidelines laid out in our articles.
It’s great that you’re getting back into training, but listening to your body is crucial. When starting with light weights, aim for exercises that don’t exacerbate your back pain. Mild discomfort is normal, but if you experience sharp or increasing pain, it’s a sign to stop or adjust your technique. Consider prioritizing exercises that don’t provoke pain and consult a professional for personalized advice. It’s better to err on the side of caution to avoid further injury.