Hi Docs!
I read back through some old posts that seemed relevant, and I think what I’m experiencing over non-functional overreach, but I wanted to make sure, and to make sure I’m thinking of a good approach to deal with it.
My last 3 training cycles have been with Powerlifting 2 (x2), then Low-ISF 4 day. With PL2, at around the halfway mark I would start to notice increasing day-to-day pain my quads. Not DOMS, which feels quite different. This would bother me even while sleeping (which probably compounded the problem). Figuring the training demands of PL2 were too high, I switched to Low ISF. However, around the same timeframe the pain returned. For a few weeks there was pain but I could still hit more or less the same weights. Two weeks ago it turned a corner and my performance was totally shot. Squatting 135 was painful enough to stop. Oddly bench and dead seem mostly unaffected, so I’ve continued working those. But my quads are shot, all I can really do without making the pain worse is leg extensions and very light leg press. It is getting better, the day to day pain has abated, and I can increase the weight on these lifts a bit workout to workout without making it worse. I’m sure I’ll be back to normal after another couple weeks (as was the case the on previous occurrences).
But I want to avoid this going forward. My plan for the next go-round is to just drop RPE for squats by 1 for all sets, and see how that goes. Sound reasonable? I like the Low ISF program otherwise.
Anything else I should be concerned with?
Oddball question: I have restless leg syndrome and there’s a similarity with the pain/discomfort I feel and what RLS feels like. Coincidence?
Thanks, and thanks for everything you guys do, you’re an amazing resource.
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Hey Jon,
Sorry to hear about your experience. I’m sure that’s frustrating! I do think it’s possible that the daytime symptoms may be related to what’s going on in your sleep. Did you have a sleep study and are you being treated?
For the leg pain, if you had to locate it with one finger, where would it be?
I don’t think I can comment on what you should be doing now without some more info, so let me know on the above and we’ll see how we can help.
-Jordan
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Hi Jordan,
Thank you for the response! I have had a sleep study for OSA, and I sleep with a CPAP. RLS never came up during that time, so it’s not something I’ve talked with my sleep dr about specifically. It’s coming about more frequently now though.
The leg pain is interesting. If I’m just sitting it will feel like a sharp ache throughout my quads, hard to pinpoint a specific spot, but I feel like I need to massage the medial and lateral parts of the quad (guesstimating, anatomy not my strong suite). When I try to squat or leg press in this ‘overreaching’ state like I’m in now, I also have pain directly above my patella on both legs. Additionally, more pain on my right leg roughly around the IT band, lower toward the knee more than toward the hip. This one hurts especially when I’m sleeping or driving (sitting still for long periods without moving). I think that may be a separate issue, because it’s new with this most recent episode. It’s also getting better with the lighter workload, happily.
Thanks again, let me know if I can add any more info.
-jon
Hey Jon,
Thanks for the follow up. It sounds like you might need to ask your doctor about the night-time leg symptoms you’re experiencing, as that may benefit from further workup and management.
For your training, I think running the lower body movements from the Knee Rehab template alongside the upper body training from Low ISF for the next ~6 weeks. From there, I’d see how your knees and legs are feeling, then make a decision about whether you feel like you’re ready to get back to normal training. I don’t think a modification of dropping the RPE by 1 is likely to work now and, in the context of the low fatigue templates, is unlikely to be beneficial.
-Jordan
Hi Jordan,
Awesome, I will do both of those things. Thanks for the help!
-jon