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Thread: Bill Starr Rehab Protocol for quad strain

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
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    4

    Default Bill Starr Rehab Protocol for quad strain

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    Hello everyone,
    For Background, I’m 35 years old, 6” height and roughly 220 lbs.
    Last Friday I attempted squatting 6 sets of 10x105kg (I squatted 3 times a week and had pretty much accumulated fatigue. On Monday and Wednesday I already squatted 5x10x105 and 6x10x105, respcetively)
    In the 5th set in the 9th rep I felt a popping/contraction/pull in my left quadriceps– finished the rep but immediately stopped the set and workout and iced my leg at the respective location.
    I felt no sharp pain, but instead slight pain and uncomfortable “tightness” in the muscle. On the next day I could see no bruises or swelling such that I assume it’s not a severe tear. Walking caused no pain but I felt tightness. Walking stairs caused slight pain – but more in a sense of a very tight feeling. Some slight pain was felt when sitting down or getting up.
    In order to recover scarless and as soon as possible I follow the Bill Starr rehab protocol as follows (unfortunately, I forgot to ice after the first two workouts):

    Friday (Injury) (stopped any activity lay down and iced leg)
    Saturday (Rest) (icing every 2 hours, just relaxed walking)
    Sunday (Rest) (icing every 2 hours, just relaxed walkin)
    Monday Start Routine
    Start 27.6.2022 (Exercise Squat)
    Monday 1. 25xBW, 25xBW, 25xBW
    Tuesday 2. 25xBW, 25xBW, 25x20
    Wednesday 3. 25xBW, 25x20, 25x20
    Thursday (yesterday) 4. 25x20, 25x25, 25x25
    5. 25x25, 25x30, 25x30
    6. 25x30, 25x35, 25x35
    7. 25x35, 25x40, 25x40
    8. 25x40, 25x45, 25x45
    9. 25x45, 25x50, 25x50
    10. 25x50, 25x55, 25x55
    11. 25x55, 25x60, 25x60
    12. 25x60, 25x65, 15x80
    13. 25x65, 15x80, 10x90
    14. 15x80, 10x90, 10x100
    15. 10x90, 10x100, 10x105

    Question 1:
    At the first reps of EACH set, I feel slight pain/tenderness in the quadriceps but throughout the set, it gets better.
    After workout: the left quadriceps feels tight – when walking. Feeling like a tenderness in the muscle. This tightness is stronger directly after the workout than throughout the day. It felt like the injured muscle has a very intense pump (is very tight). There is definitive a difference to the healthy leg.
    I feel that this tightness does not decrease in the course of the first 3 sessions – it rather increases slightly from session to session (but maybe that is just perception). It surely does not decrease. Yesterday, there was no significant tightness directly after the 4 session. However, after icing (directly after the las set) the tightness was there again. Today morning the tightness is gone and I feel almost nothing during walking. It feels the workout or Icing brings the injury to “work” afterwards. Is this feeling common during this protocol? Could it be related to the fact I forgot to ice after first two sessions?
    Question 2:
    I entered the protocol with a decent amount of accumulated fatigue from the previous weeks. Before each session of the protocol if feel that my quads (both sides) are pretty sore which hurts (slight DOMS) when starting to warm up with a few BW squats. Is it ok to incorporate rest days, if I feel I’m lacking recovery? Alternatively, should I ignore accumulated fatigue?

    Many thanks in advance and I highly appreciate any advices and the time invested by the people on this board.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    Chandler, AZ
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    Default

    Has any bruising appeared at all? I always thought a tear would produce bruising, so no bruising, no tear. Not at all an expert, so I could very well be mistaken.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,498

    Default

    It's possible to tear a few fibers without any blood getting to the skin as a visible bruise. Were it me, I wouldn't have done the full 2 week rehab. But then again I would have been doing sets of 10 across.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
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    Default

    First of all, thanks for the quick feedback to my thread. My muscle feels much better today and I almost exclusively feel the (significant) fatigue.

    @ Rob Plano:
    I check it carefully several times a day and found no evidence for swelling or bruising. I had a similar feeling two times in the hamstrings and once in long triceps head. This however, developed over several training session and not all of a sudden with a popping feeling.

    @ Mark Rippetoe:
    Thanks, this statement supports my assumption that it is not a severe case and gives me confidence. However, I don’t exactly get the meaning of the last sentence. You mean just a few light days of rehab protocol and then a much faster progression to sets of 10 with working weight?

    Many thanks.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
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    Have you ever seen a program in Starting Strength that used sets of 10 across?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
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    OK, the session today felt good.

    As im not sure how to shortcut the protocol, I will finish it and then conservatively progress to three sets of 5, three times a week, by successively adding weight and cutting reps.

    Again, many thanks.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
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    Hello everyone,

    I just attempted the 11 session, however I today my quads felt very sore and fatigued. This did not go away after several sets of bodyweight squats and squats with just the barbell. The soreness was everywhere in my quads (both sides) but the injured area felt well. My legs felt too weak to perform the sets with perfect technique. Hence, I decided to do a single set of 25reps with the empty bar (to bring some blood in the muscles) and aborted the workout. Tomorrow I want to incorporate a rest day.
    My plan would be now to incorporate a rest day in-between days 11-15. Then continue with a conservative linear progression similarly as described in

    [URL="https://startingstrength.com/training/rehabilitating_a_severe_adductor_group_groin_tear"]

    Has anybody a suggestion or experienced something similar (fatigue) doing squats with the rehab protocol?

    Many thanks in advance.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,498

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