Back exhaustion from work

[francesco.decaro]

Your numbers are very very low for your demographic. You are undertrained and weak, not overstressed, that's why you have back pain. You are concerned with grinding 5th reps because you are not even doing fives it seems.
When you a see an SSC your technique, and numbers, will be fixed, and you can start back from there.

[HailMary]

Yeah, I didn’t even want to put that part in because it makes my situation sound even more stupid unfortunately

Hire a coach so you can focus on work, training, and recovering without over-thinking, spinning your wheels, and living in the land of inconsistency.

[Johnsonville]

Hire a coach so you can focus on work, training, and recovering without over-thinking, spinning your wheels, and living in the land of inconsistency.

Yup, you and frank are right, I’m gonna get some in person coaching to clean up what form issues I’m having and let them do the programming. And wear my belt for everything. I appreciate all
Your guys responses, it’s good to have an outside perspective for clarity

Your numbers are very very low for your demographic. You are undertrained and weak, not overstressed, that's why you have back pain. You are concerned with grinding 5th reps because you are not even doing fives it seems.
When you a see an SSC your technique, and numbers, will be fixed, and you can start back from there.

Yeah I know they have dropped a lot, I have pulled five plates and squatted 435x5 in the past. To be honest I don’t feel any weaker in my day to day life, but I haven’t done any training in two years probably. Just some fucking around when I get to a barbell. I’m concerned about the back pain though, I’ve never experienced it before even when I was weaker than I am now.

[dalan]

I need to get back to well-trained for sure, I’m just trying to find the best and safest way to do so. And one day doesn’t bother me, I’m doing this shit six days a week for a year straight

Came to say this. Anyone can do anything for a day. Doing it all day, every day for months or years is a completely different thing, especially as we get older. I work Monday - Friday. Monday night I feel fine thanks to having the weekend off but by Friday I'm just trying to get through the day. Being in my mid 50's doesn't help.

No clue what's up with your back but I hope you get it sorted out. Good luck!

[Jason Donaldson]

To be honest I don’t feel any weaker in my day to day life, but I haven’t done any training in two years probably. Just some fucking around when I get to a barbell. I’m concerned about the back pain though, I’ve never experienced it before even when I was weaker than I am now.

Prior to getting locked on to proper, actual training, even at a period of life when I was very active (including martial arts, I'll point out), screwing around intermittently under a barbell was one of my major sources of back and other pain. Proper training has largely addressed that and many other things.

That’s a good idea, but leave my house at 530am, the gym doesn’t open til 6. Time for a home gym it seems.

It often is. Not having access to a good gym with a strong community, I've found that a home gym has done more for my consistency than a nominal gym does, and that's even with having had good consistency lifting at the Y for years.

[VNV]

…I’m concerned about the back pain though, I’ve never experienced it before even when I was weaker than I am now.

I have much less L4/5-induced pain after using Louie Simmons’s reverse-hyper machine. Maybe just correlation. Time and progressive loading will tell. Typical maximum ibuprofen advice also applies.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have much less L4/5-induced pain after using Louie Simmons’s reverse-hyper machine. Maybe just correlation.

It is just correlation. That thing has fucked up a lot of backs, including mine. I'm telling you: Stop Wiggling Your Damaged Discs Around. Just Squat and deadlift, keep your spine in normal position, and your back will settle down.

[Jason Donaldson]

Typical maximum ibuprofen advice also applies.

Good call - and ibuprofen + acetaminophen together work wonders, since they treat pain via disparate mechanisms.

I'm told there's growing evidence of greater efficacy with that combination than with opiates for a lot of chronic pain management.

[Johnsonville]

Came to say this. Anyone can do anything for a day. Doing it all day, every day for months or years is a completely different thing, especially as we get older. I work Monday - Friday. Monday night I feel fine thanks to having the weekend off but by Friday I'm just trying to get through the day. Being in my mid 50's doesn't help.

No clue what's up with your back but I hope you get it sorted out. Good luck!

Same here, on Sunday I can lift pain free for the most part. Thank you sir!

Prior to getting locked on to proper, actual training, even at a period of life when I was very active (including martial arts, I'll point out), screwing around intermittently under a barbell was one of my major sources of back and other pain. Proper training has largely addressed that and many other things.



It often is. Not having access to a good gym with a strong community, I've found that a home gym has done more for my consistency than a nominal gym does, and that's even with having had good consistency lifting at the Y for years.

Yeah I made a hell of a lp run at my home gym during Covid, but I sold my equipment before moving to Florida during the time. You’re right, it’s time for a new set.

It is just correlation. That thing has fucked up a lot of backs, including mine. I'm telling you: Stop Wiggling Your Damaged Discs Around. Just Squat and deadlift, keep your spine in normal position, and your back will settle down.

Will do.

[tompaynter]

I am quite a bit older than you (52) and I don't have a physical job. But I find my back is very sensitive to cumulative fatigue, especially if I am deadlifting heavy. I tried adding some HIIT-type conditioning at one point, but lot of those moves (like kettlebell swings and battling-rope stuff) are lower-back intensive. It was very easy to overdo it and wind up with a level of fatigue that felt more like a back strain or spasm and left me taking a week off from everything. So I relate to your concern.

If I were you I would be very careful with volume on the deadlift and avoid anything unnecessary that works the lower back (e.g. in your BJJ training, avoid warmups/calisthenics that hit the back). Like, say you try for 5 reps at a weight but only get 3. You might think, "I'll take a rest and then try to get 2 more. Or I'll back the weight off a little and try for another 5, to make up for it." That might be ok for most but too much volume for you. Again, my experience has been it doesn't take much to tip over and hit a level of fatigue that is hard to bounce back from.

Also, if you aren't hook gripping (or using straps), I'd recommend it. I used to use a mixed grip but I think the slight rotation that puts on my back (that's how I think of it, anyway) makes little back tweaks more likely. Given that you are a mason and a BJJ guy you probably don't have grip problems (and your hands are probably plenty tough to hook grip without pain), but I offer this suggestion in case it helps.