MAD9692

Rip, I have a question.

On Thursday during Squat Volume day I tweaked my back pretty badly. 365 @ 5th rep / 1st set. I had to leave the gym and get prepared for dealing with the pain and basically being a cripple for the next 2-4 days.

This same tweak generally happens to me once or twice a year and I have already learned that getting back under the bar as quickly as possible is the only thing that is going to alleviate my back pain and get me back on schedule.

Yesterday I did some air squats to feel things out and a few hours ago I worked up to squatting 315 for a set of 5 and pulling 315 for 5. I already feel almost 100% and I couldn't get off the couch on Friday & Saturday.

Every other day I'll add 10 lbs for a single set of 5 until I'm back on schedule to my volume day injury weight...should be about 2 weeks. (been here before)

What I was just trying to figure out is this: why is it, that the same movement that hurt my back, is also the only movement that also fixes my back? How does that work?

Suwannee Dave

While we make analogous comparisons to mechanical systems in analyzing the lifts, we ultimately are not mechanical systems, but biological. When a U joint fails in a drive shaft, you have to replace the U joint. When you tweak your back, it has to repair itself. It does this by adaptation to carefully induced stress. Ergo, tweaking your back with squats requires more squats to adapt to and repair the injury.

Suwannee Dave

He stated that it happened on the 5th rep. I suspect his form was breaking down.

MAD9692

It wasn't. It was the first set. Form breakdown on VD generally happens to me on the last reps of the 4th & 5th set. The injury probably happened because I was sitting down in meetings all day and I trained earlier in the day that I normally do. My guess is that I if I did some sort of mobility work (only because I was sitting for 6 straight hours and I am old ) I wouldn't of got hurt.

But to Rips point this isn't the question. The question is: why is it, that the same movement that hurt my back, is also the only movement that also fixes my back?

jpwk

I was recently diagnosed with leukemia and am currently undergoing chemotherapy. I will be hitting a phase of lighter chemotherapy my doctor calls the "maintenance period" where the chemotherapy will be less frequent and taxing on the body in about three months' time, and hopefully will start Starting Strength then. I have previously lifted and was squatting and deadlifting around 100 kg (220 lb) for fives.

Any advice? Should I alter my diet? (I am obese, around 110 kg) 

Andy Baker

Trained a college football player over the last few years who has been battling cancer and going through chemo. Performance will vary from session to session. Tolerance to volume will almost be obsolete. Focus on 1-2 main lifts per day and utilize a "top set" approach rather than sets across. Take advantage of your good days, but don't try and push too hard on days you really feel like shit. Ok to go light and easy on your bad days

k_dean_curtis

I am 6 weeks post chemo and radiation for stage 4 throat cancer caused by HPV virus. I eat clean, ex- athlete, balanced work life, great family and social structure; yea, life is unfair. Cancer is gone, way better results than docs expected, but now I am recovering from the treatments themselves.

Oncologist is also a ND,MD,PhD, and a college tennis player, understood where I was coming from. Hopefully what I did will help OP decide.

I stopped SS workouts the week treatments (8 weeks) started and just did light dumbbell stuff at home, and worked out of the house full time. Gyms are terrible over the winter about bugs. In my case getting a head cold or the flu would have put me in the ER with a feeding tube and tracheotomy. While going thru treatment please be careful to stay well from everything else besides the cancer.

I started back at the gym 2 weeks ago once my chemo doc gave me a thumbs up on my blood work / immune system. Weights are literally 30% of where I left off, adding weight very slowly. You don't want any soreness or inflammation, play it safe.

Biggest issue for me is eating. Before treatment at 5'7'', 55 yrs old, my weight was 175 (nude) at 12% bodyfat. This week weight is 154 and 9%. Yes I am naturally lean, but at 55, 9% is way too freaking low. You have a vicious cycle of needing to eat more, but because they exploded a bomb in my neck so even drinking water hurts, and the nausea from chemo, it is a fight. If you are obese and not having your throat destroyed during the treatment, you will have a way easier time than I did. Get your protein and try not to lose too much weight too quickly.

When you start back, a single top set for each exercise is fine. You might want to do that for a few months until your recovery returns.

Also, you have to do your PIC line hydration daily. Get home health to do it on the weekend too if needed.

Try to sleep 10 hours per night and a nap. You will need it.

This is going to sound cheesy and maybe disingenuous, but I am telling the truth. To keep up my spirits and motivation, I have been reading the forum and every video/article since my ordeal started. Staying in the community and seeing others here who have also been to hell and back, and are STILL lifting, and improving, greatly helped me to prove to myself that my weight and strength WILL be back to my old self soon! I utterly despise cancer and what it does to people, but I beat it and will not allow it to happen to me again.

If anyone else wishes I can add much more detail of how my cancer was defeated.