Training induced arthritis

[Matt Nieveen]

My wife (31 yo) has been doing the program for almost a month. She has cystic fibrosis, and we had a baby on 4/15.

Before pregnancy she was training (not SS method) and experiencing joint pain, to the point she couldn’t open things because her hands hurt so badly. It was diagnosed as “cystic fibrosis related arthritis.” During pregnancy she ceased training, and the arthritis went away. As I said, she has been back to training (this time SS method) and the arthritis has come back.

The solution cannot be to stop training, but that is a hard sell if seemingly every time she lifts she is in pain again.

Numbers are 5’3, 150 lbs, squat 105 x 5, bench 80 x 5, dead 180 x 5, press 60 x 5.

Any ideas on how to proceed?

[Mark Rippetoe]

There is no such thing as "training-induced arthritis." Proceed with very small incremental increases, twice a week.