Weekend Archives: Your First Two Weeks of Training

[Mark Rippetoe]

Your First Two Weeks of Strength Training | Mark Rippetoe

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Timely article since I'm finishing my first two weeks.

43 years old, history of back surgery after a Jiu Jitsu injury, did CrossFit for 12 years, and have a good working knowledge of the lifts (loved watching Coach Rippetoe's video back in the day and owned the 1st edition of SS). Went through a very long period after back surgery 10+ years ago of reinjuring my back over and over until I met a chiropractor who identified severely atrophied multifidus muscles (said they were the size of a 7 year old girl's). Got those muscles stronger over several months. Was eventually back to snowboarding, Jiu Jitsu, and very short runs (3 mins of running, 3 mins of walking for a total of 30 mins.) Gave up the Jiu Jitsu and running and currently just doing the SS Novice program.

So far I've gained 11-12lbs in the first 2 weeks. I'm 6'2" tall, started at 185lbs and now 196-197lbs (and still have visible abs...for now!). I already look bigger, clothes are fitting tighter, and my lower back feels incredible. Only adding 5lbs to each lift each training session. Again, I'm 43 with a history of back surgery (L4-L5 / L5-S1 double discectomy and double hemi-laminectomy). Before the surgery I was at a point where I eventually lost feeling in both feet, lost a bunch of weight from being depressed and actually had trouble straightening out my right leg completely, and after exhausting every non-surgical approach I could find I got a myelogram. .It showed severe nerve root impingement I had surgery less than two weeks later. While they were in there they also removed a bunch of disc fragments that had broken off and was worse than they thought, but that's a story for another time.

Obviously still have pretty low numbers but steadily making progress and feel fantastic:

BS: 215
Press: 115
Bench: 215
DL: 255

So far the toughest part has been consuming enough calories and is proving to be harder than the workouts.

[Szymon]

43 years old, history of back surgery after a Jiu Jitsu injury, did CrossFit for 12 years, and have a good working knowledge of the lifts

What is the diffrence between actual knowledge and good working knowledge ?

And how did you maneged to get that week muscle strong ? What exercise did you do ? Proper form deadlift, starting very light and adding 5 lbs every workout ?

And most important question - how in the hell did you maneged to do Crossfit exercise for 12 years and stay week enough to need a back surgery ?

[Mark Rippetoe]

These are fascinating questions, Simon. Vinnie?

[Vinnie Boombatz]

What is the diffrence between actual knowledge and good working knowledge ?

And how did you maneged to get that week muscle strong ? What exercise did you do ? Proper form deadlift, starting very light and adding 5 lbs every workout ?

And most important question - how in the hell did you maneged to do Crossfit exercise for 12 years and stay week enough to need a back surgery ?

Good working knowledge from actually being taught by people who know how to do these lifts properly (a few of them actually get thank you in Mr. Rippetoe's books) and executing them over the last 10+ years, even if it was previously at lighter weights due to my previous back issues. Is that a good enough answer for you?

And to answer your other question, no, it was not from proper form deadlifting, starting very light and adding 5lbs to every workout. Actually, when I had tried that many times over the years I'd eventually injure my back again, and again. Had some muscles that were severely atrophied as I previously mentioned and or weren't firing at all. The larger muscles would compensate for it for a while, then get to a point where I'd get really bad muscle spasms. Strengthening the multifidus muscles seemed to be what allowed me to start lifting again and increasing the weight.

To answer your last question...I started Crossfit in 2002. My injury was in 2006 from a specific event when training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where someone who was rich heavier than me that was in my guard basically picked me up while in my guard and dropped me on my neck and compressed my lumbar spine. The injury had nothing to do with being weak at the time. Over the following year and and a half I got worse and worse, eventually losing feeling in both feet and having some other issues. During that time I still was working out, but toward the time right before I had surgery I was modifying workouts more and more, then not working out at all. Several months after surgery I started back at CrossFit and would just modify WOD's if it was something that aggravated my back. Even if I went light on certain things my back would still spasm. Thats all I can really tell you. Deadlifts back then caused a lot of pain, but I actually got back to being able to OHS 224lbs and snatch 192lbs, but my deadlift and back squat was embarrassing. I could also do muscle-ups and pull-ups all day long.

[Mark Rippetoe]

And to answer your other question, no, it was not from proper form deadlifting, starting very light and adding 5lbs to every workout. Actually, when I had tried that many times over the years I'd eventually injure my back again, and again. Had some muscles that were severely atrophied as I previously mentioned and or weren't firing at all. The larger muscles would compensate for it for a while, then get to a point where I'd get really bad muscle spasms. Strengthening the multifidus muscles seemed to be what allowed me to start lifting again and increasing the weight.

How did you strengthen the multifidis?

[David Kirkham]

My injury was in 2006 from a specific event when training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where someone who was rich heavier than me that was in my guard basically picked me up while in my guard and dropped me on my neck and compressed my lumbar spine.

Rip,

Forget the multifidus of a 7 year old. I want to know how his thoracic spine transferred the shock all the way from the C’s to the L’s???

[Vinnie Boombatz]

How did you strengthen the multifidis?

Lay prone on a bench, table or other flat surface (I actually use an ottoman when I do these at home). Lift the torso up to where you feel your lower back is engaged but not far enough to where you're engaging the glutes. Keep the head and neck neutral (not hyperextended). Arms start back and down at your sides or with the tops or your hands in the small of your back. While keeping the arms straight, very slowly bring your arms out as far as you can go, eventually working up to eventually being able to bring them out directly in front of you and slowly back to the starting position. I usually do 3 sets of 10 a couple times a day.

At first I couldn't go much past half-way, and/or would catch myself activating the glutes. Over time the range increased and I could specifically isolate and feel the multifidus engaging.Now there two palpable strips down my lower back. You could also see and palpate the muscles in my lower back, previously they were not palpable. Before, if I was doing something that involved jumping, or even landing, like coming off a bar after doing pull-ups I'd just get a nice jolt going down my spine and my lower back felt very weak and unstable. Even if I deadlifted light, with just the bar or 95lbs and slowly increase the weight my lower back would protest and I'd be out again with spasms.

I still do this exercise everyday, and also incorporate them between warm-up sets for the squat, and also throw in a set or two between warm-up sets for the deadlift. My lower back feels so much more solid, engaged and stable now. Honestly a night and day difference. I can jump off things, snowboard, go for short runs, mountain bike, and even started back at Jiu Jitsu for a bit and I no longer have back pain and my back has not gone out since I built up these muscles. I feel like I had such a muscular imbalance and because of the surgery I had and was told to not lift heavy weights, not to run, squat or deadlift again that it just made things even worse over the years, when in reality I should have been doing these things, but go to a point to where every time I tried to get back into it I'd only last a few days to a few weeks and re-injure myself. Even air squats or light goblet squats would aggravate my back. Just this past Monday I DL'd 270 lbs and my back felt solid as a rock. I know that's nothing to brag about, but keeping in mind the semi-laminectomy and double discectomy and what I've been dealing with for quite a while with re-niury I'm very pleased, feel fantastic and finally making progress.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Lay prone on a bench, table or other flat surface (I actually use an ottoman when I do these at home). Lift the torso up to where you feel your lower back is engaged but not far enough to where you're engaging the glutes. Keep the head and neck neutral (not hyperextended). Arms start back and down at your sides or with the tops or your hands in the small of your back. While keeping the arms straight, very slowly bring your arms out as far as you can go, eventually working up to eventually being able to bring them out directly in front of you and slowly back to the starting position. I usually do 3 sets of 10 a couple times a day.

And you think this exercise made your multifidis strong enough to deadlift 270, but that deadlifts themselves don't provide enough stress to strengthen them, even though their weak condition was sufficient to prevent you deadlifting 270. Okay.

[Vinnie Boombatz]

And you think this exercise made your multifidis strong enough to deadlift 270, but that deadlifts themselves don't provide enough stress to strengthen them, even though their weak condition was sufficient to prevent you deadlifting 270. Okay.

I never said I started out deadlifting 270, now did I? I started much lighter and very slowly progressed and also got back into training Jiu Jitsu, started snowboarding, going on very short runs (3 mins running, 3 mins rest for 30 mins), doing other exercises and very light deadlifting and have slowly progressed.

Okay?