Starting weight?

[warmachine7954]

Mr. Rippetoe

I'm coming off of a L5-S1 disc protrusion and ready to lift again.
I was lifting for 5 months pretty well. Then a shoulder and back injury sent me to doing nothing so I'm detrained from not lifting for about 10 months.

I was at 285 5X5 squat, 440 1x5, press, 100 5x5 press.

Should I start light and go from there? Ex. starting with the bar on all lifts except the deadlift. Or should I do it like the book recommends?

I think I will gain my confidence back pretty soon I just don't want to risk another disc injury.

Thanks

[mthayer]

I can only share my experience. Do what you think best, and you're getting what you paid for.

About me, just for frame of reference: 53 yo, 6'7", 240 lbs. Have trained (ineffectively) with weights on and off for a long time with no real progress (listened to too many personal trainers). Decent cardio shape (swimmer). I ride, and occasionally race, motorcycles in the desert, and do some backpack hunting (you kill it, you haul it out on your back). My goals are simply to get and stay as strong as I can for as long as I can, so I can do the things I enjoy doing.

I bought the boook (SS) and studied it cover to cover. I spent two weeks, 3x/week, in the gym with just an empty bar, working on technique only for all the exercises. Took a lot of grief from the bench and curl crowd, and didn't care. After two weeks I felt sufficiently comfortable with technique that I could start adding weight in small (5 lb) weights for all the exercises.

I'm in no rush. I'm happy as long as I'm making progress. The weights will get heavy soon enough, and by then I should have decent technique. I want technique to be as perfect as I can get it so that I reduce the risk of injury as much as possible. I have no problem working hard, and have endured killer workouts in my youth, but now it's also important that I be able to do my next workout.

Start with an empty bar, make sure your technique is good, add weight in small increments, and you'll be at working weights soon enough. Good luck.
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Markl