SDs F@#$ed Back Log

[SDAssassin]

Age: 37
Height: 5'9"
Bodyweight: 85? kg

Background: Been lifting on and off for 5 or so years (more off than on). Previous best numbers (pre Oct 2013) Squat 120 kg: 3 x 5, Deadlift 125kg 1 x 5, Press 50kg 3 x 5, Bench 82.5kg 3 x 5, Powerclean 62.5kg 5 x 3. Considering the squat to deadlift ratio, fairly confident the squats where high. Oct 2013 injured the back at work, not even sure how, it just started to hurt and never got better. Know issues (although which one is actually the main problem is anyone's guess, including doctor's/specialist's etc):

CT Scan done 20th Jan 2014:
Mild posterior annular disc bulges at L1-2 and L2-3
L3-4: Moderate broad based disc protrusion, more to the right with forminal osteophytes impinging on the exiting L3 (Right>Left) nerve roots bilaterally. Mild facet joint degeneration and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Mild canal stenosis.
L4-5: Moderate broad based disc protrusion with forminal osteophytes, more to the left, impinging on both exiting L4 nerve roots (Left>Right). Mild facet joint degeneration and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Mild canal stenosis.
L5-S1 Minimal posterior annular disc bulge. No canal stenosis or nerve root impingement.
Mild degenerative changes of the sacroiliac joints with large osteophytes on the right.

MRI done 16th May 2014 pretty much confirm the above findings. Cortisone epidural done a week after the MRI and L4-5 facet joint injection done a week after that. Provided some improvement in pain for 1-2 months but gradually came back.

Minor lower back issues most of my working life of @20 years, doing manual labour type jobs. How much of the above was already there pre-injury i can't say, but at least some of it. Previous bulged disc at L4-5 back around 1997, had trouble with it ever since.

Have done a few workouts last month or so, including trying to Deadlift 70kg and on the 4th rep felt something pop in my lower back, left side. Couldn't walk for 2 days, considerable pain for 2 weeks, moderate pain for a further 2 weeks before it subsided. Diagnosed as SI joint inflammation. Type of pain seemed to confirm SI joint as it was extremely painful to stand/walk, but disappeared while sitting or lying down.

Tl:dr Lower back is fucked. Shit scared of injuring myself Squating/Deadlifting so not doing either at the moment.

04 April 2015

Week #1, Session #1

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 5
70 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
40 kg: 1 x 5

Lat Pulldown:
120 lb: 3 x 10

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 9, 1 x 6

Comments: Been extremely inconsistent on workout's at the moment, lucky to get 1 in a week, so hopefully posting a log will motivate me to get my ass into gear. Have worked up slowly over the last month, starting at 50/30 in the bench/ohp respectively. Was doing some leg pressing to try and get at least something done for the legs, but they started hurting my knees, so fuck em. May very cautiously try some front squats, but i ain't LBBS'ing or Deadlifting without a coach that's for damn sure.

[vanslix]

As a fellow fucked up back person, get a coach. It'll be the smartest thing you ever do. Please learn from my mistakes. And I wouldn't necessarily agree front squats are "safer" for your back.

Caveat that this does not constitute medical advice but your back imaging isn't the worst thing in the world. I'm not saying you don't have pain or don't have a reason to have pain. The exact opposite actually. Radiographic evidence doesn't correlate with severity of pain very well at all. It just helps us determine what your treatment plan should be going forward. Nothing there jumps out as a surgical option as a necessity to me (granted this is limited information and I don't have a physical exam, history or the actual films to look at). Conservative management seems feasible. So I don't think you need to be terrified. You're not going to paralyze yourself or anything. But I do think getting a SS coach is the best possible thing you can do. I'd rank them up there with your doctor in importance.

[SDAssassin]

10 April 2015 (Last workout date above was a typo, it was done on the 07 April)

Week #1, Session #2

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 5
72.5 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
42.5 kg: 3 x 5 (Another typo above, 40 kg: 3 x 5)

Chin-ups:
BW: 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 4

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 10, 1 x 8

BB bro curls:
20 kg: 1 x 8
30 kg: 1 x 8, 1 x 7, 1 x 6

Comments: Needed a couple days rest between WO's, having difficulty sleeping and probably not getting enough food.

As a fellow fucked up back person, get a coach. It'll be the smartest thing you ever do. Please learn from my mistakes. And I wouldn't necessarily agree front squats are "safer" for your back.

Caveat that this does not constitute medical advice but your back imaging isn't the worst thing in the world. I'm not saying you don't have pain or don't have a reason to have pain. The exact opposite actually. Radiographic evidence doesn't correlate with severity of pain very well at all. It just helps us determine what your treatment plan should be going forward. Nothing there jumps out as a surgical option as a necessity to me (granted this is limited information and I don't have a physical exam, history or the actual films to look at). Conservative management seems feasible. So I don't think you need to be terrified. You're not going to paralyze yourself or anything. But I do think getting a SS coach is the best possible thing you can do. I'd rank them up there with your doctor in importance.

Thanks Van for stopping by. When i say i have a fucked back i know i'm being a drama queen and over-exaggerating. It's not the worst back injury in the world, far from it. The most prominent "problem" from the scans seems to be the bulging discs, strangely enough i almost never get any shooting/sciatica type pains, so they aren't even a problem at all. Most of the problem seems to be the facet joints on the left side, a constant localized dull ache, sometimes bad, sometimes not bothering me at all. Due to this being a work insurance issue, i've had to do the usual silly bullshit, i.e physiotherapy (who don't do a damn thing to help, glad i'm not paying the bill) and pilates for about 9 months last year (it's usefulness also debatable).

[SDAssassin]

13 April 2015

Week #2, Session #3

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 5
75 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
45 kg: 3 x 5

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 10, 1 x 12

Comments: Last couple reps on the bench were a bit tough, was feeling a bit flat today so just the bare basics.

[vanslix]

I've had the most success with yoga, though it be blasphemous round these parts. But damned if when I get into that child's pose, I can't feel those facet joints getting less stiff and painful. It's pure bliss.

With facet arthritis, I don't think you need to scare yourself out of squats or deads. Deads haven't made mine worse. And I'd rather be strong (relatively speaking) and in pain than weak and in pain.

[SDAssassin]

I've had the most success with yoga, though it be blasphemous round these parts. But damned if when I get into that child's pose, I can't feel those facet joints getting less stiff and painful. It's pure bliss.

With facet arthritis, I don't think you need to scare yourself out of squats or deads. Deads haven't made mine worse. And I'd rather be strong (relatively speaking) and in pain than weak and in pain.

Strangely enough the best days i had last year generally followed a day i did pilates, so it wasn't all bad (other plus, the instructor was a little cutie). I've got no problem squatting or deadlifting, but as i mentioned in the first post, i'm not doing it without a coach. Even deadlifting a relatively light weight of 70kg i injured the SI joint (left side) bad enough i needed 2 weeks off work recently, if it's a choice between getting strong and being able to make a living, the latter wins every time. I say this because there's only so much time off my employer's will allow before it starts to cause problems. Keeping in the mind the huge inconvenience the original work related issue has already caused.

[SDAssassin]

15 April 2015

Week #2, Session #4

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 5
77.5 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
47.5 kg: 3 x 5

Chin-ups: (Neutral grip)
BW: 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 4

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 10, 1 x 10

Lat Pulldown:
120 lb: 2 x 10

Comments: BW up to 89kg!

[SDAssassin]

18 April 2015

Week #2, Session #5
BW: 89kg

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 3
80 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
35 kg: 1 x 3
50 kg: 3 x 5

Chin-ups:
BW: 1 x 7, 1 x 4, 1 x 3

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 10, 1 x 12

Comments: Both bench and press getting hard now, hopefully a couple more workouts before failure happens. Struggling on the chins last couple work out's, although bodyweight has increased. Time to start weighted dips.

[SDAssassin]

20 April 2015

Week #3, Session #6
BW: 88.5kg

Bench:
20 kg: 2 X 5
40 kg: 1 X 5
60 kg: 1 X 3
82.5 kg: 3 x 5

OHP:
20 kg: 2 x 5
35 kg: 1 x 3
52.5 kg: 3 x 5

Dips:
BW: 1 x 10, 1 x 10, 1 x 13

DB Curlz for the girlz:
12.5kg: 2 x 8, 1 x 9

Comments: Last rep on press was a grind! Bench wasn't much easier, slow bar speed but got all the reps. Forgot dipping belt so just bodyweight for another week. Did some curls for shits and giggles, strangely enough being a right hander, the right side was harder than the left, weird.

[SDAssassin]

21 April 2015

Diet:
6am: Get to work, coffee
8am: 3 cinnamon donuts, cup of tea
10am: Apple, another cup of tea
12am: Sushi, chocalate bar, 300ml flavoured milk
3pm: Slice of banana bread
7pm: 300g porterhouse and veg

Thought i'd write this down to remind myself how bad my diet is sometimes and why i often need 2 days between workout's to recover.