Roy Thomas
Male, 23 yo, 185.6 lbs, started barbell training in February of 2021.
I had a layoff (exceptionally busy, not an injury) from 12/08/22-02/02/23. During this time, I was training once a week (all four lifts). I was 218 lbs at the beginning of December and my lifts were as follows (Best sets of five, using backoffs on bench and squat, and going for 15 total reps on press)
Squat 350x5 Bench 212.5x5 Press 145x5 Deadlift 390x5
Current lifts (Post weight loss)* Squat 300x5x3 Bench 195x5x3 Press 125x5x3 Deadlift 365x5
Within two weeks of switching to once-a-week programming I started developing 'This' on my face and around my eyes. It happens exclusively with squats. If I go check in the mirror after the first work set, they will be all around my eyes and extending into my cheeks/eyebrows. I've gone back to a typical M-W-F training structure and the spots have gotten much less severe and they only pop up around my eyes now. But, they pop up EVERY time I squat, even on light days (Which is a meager 270 lbs at this moment). I've only been able to find anecdotal evidence relating to this on the internet at large and this lovely forum. My nurse practitioner thinks this is nothing to be worried about and is encouraging me to continue lifting (I was planning on it anyway). I'm wondering if anyone has seen this before/if it is a sign of any underlying condition.
Mark Rippetoe
Petechia
Up your Vitamin C and keep training.
Waschechterwiener
I'm 22 years old and doing the NLP. Even though I can progress, my lower back seems to be the weakest link in the chain and feels extremely sore every single time after I do squats or deadlifts. It is not painful, but prevents me from progressing the way I should be.
I read the first 3 questions and I am eating more than enough, sleeping enough and resting enough between my sets. I genuinely have no idea what it could be. I deadlift once a week, do back extensions with added weight once and power clean once. Do you have some advice, sir?
Numbers? What about the pain is keeping you from adding 5 pounds to the bar and lifting it?
Around 130-140 kg squats, for fives obviously. Deadlifts 155kg for 5, Powerclean Something between 85-90 kg for a triple. I can assure you that I'm not a pussy, I always try to do the weights I have to lift but my lower back feels so fatigued that I can't manage to complete even the first set of 5. This is really weird; let's say I managed to do 135kg for 3x5. The next workout with 137,5kgs fails at rep number 3 or 4. This happened pretty often unfortunately, and I deloaded by 5-10% every time that happened.
I tried the light day method you explained in practical programming, where you use 80% on squats but that just made me weaker for the next squat workout. I feel like I have to squat "heavy" every workout in order to make progress but that seems impossible with being sore all the time. I know you don't give a fuck about muscle groups, but it feels like my legs could take way more punishment but my lower back cannot.
Tell us about the First Three Questions. Details.
I am 22 years old, sleeping around 9 hours a night, I am resting around 10-12 minutes between sets when training squats. I am eating at least 4000 kcals a day. With 10 eggs and bread and chia pudding in the "morning" later pasta with vegetables and so on. When I do not feel satisfied, I drink half a liter of milk. Was there more?
If your lower back is "fried" you are not recovering. Figure out why.
Petrizzo on Injuries in Barbell Training, Part III –John Petrizzo
Reflections In Iron –Colin Webster
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