I’ve had some nagging back pain x 5 months. All variations from the floor cause significant pain. I don’t have anywhere to block pull. Rdls don’t bother it at all. I can train the pretty hard. I was think of doing one heavy rdl day in the 4-6 rep range then a lighter rdl day in the same week for sets if 10-12. Any problem with this if it’s well tolerated? Any time I try to pull from the floor it hurts if it’s heavier than 405. Squats are well tolerated with little to no symptoms. Seems to be just a couple inches off of the floor and when I set the bar down with heavier loads.
If I had been dealing with persistent pain issue for this long, I would simply not be doing lower-rep, “heavy” work at all, as it is more likely to unnecessarily prolong the rehab process. As I mentioned to another user recently who had been struggling with making sufficient changes to his training in the rehab context: https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/forums/pain-and-rehab-q-a-with-dr-derek-miles-and-dr-michael-ray/88518-strange-hip-pain
-Take a few weeks away from all “competition”-type barbell movements, and use other variations instead that you’ve not done before.
-Cap RPE target @6 for movements involving the affected area for the first week.
-Increase rep ranges to 8-12 (or even 15).
-Utilize tempo, whether 3-0-0, 3-0-3, or even slower on the eccentric.
-Substitute unilateral movements - front-foot elevated split squats, rear-foot elevated split squats, lateral lunges/cossack squats, box step-ups, [single-leg RDLs]; these can begin with just bodyweight if that sensitive.For more specific, structured, and/or individualized advice, a one-time consult would be a great option.
Thank you for the feedback. I tend to shoot myself in the foot by testing the waters to “see if it’s ready” because it feels like I’m losing tons of hard fought progress, but I geuss I need to just face the reality that it’s not going to get better if I don’t stop trying to pursue training numbers to maintain previous strength levels. Thank you.
It’s been my experience that digging in your heels to avoid “losing ground” is a surefire way to make the process take longer than is necessary.
Thanks man. I’m going to commit to bringing down the intensity once and for all to take care of this.