Can Zoloft affect strength output somehow?

[Robert Santana]

The best way I can describe it is as a greatly reduced stress tolerance. When I tried starting my volume day workout last saturday every squat set took my mood off a cliff. It's like the neurological stress of heavy lifting was leaving me extremely depressed and irritable for no good reason. Eventually I was starting to shake a bit too. No videos of the lifts this week. If you meant in general, here's one of my corrected lighter weight power cleans from October. Here I was still working with deliberate slow acceleration out of the bottom. For reference, I was about 280 pounds when this was recorded.



I do not train with bumpers, I use an old iron home gym set in my basement. I was able to do a pair of deadlift sets today without too much issue. I'm hoping maybe Saturday I'll be able to pick back up, and when I'm clear of withdrawals I'll be able to coax a bit more oomph out of my muscles, because everything has just seemed so sluggish this whole time.

Definitely don't look 280. Keep your eyes in one spot on those and drop under it faster. Are you taking in carbohydrates post workout?

[CommanderFun]

Definitely don't look 280. Keep your eyes in one spot on those and drop under it faster. Are you taking in carbohydrates post workout?

I don't look it, but I assure you, I was in the 280s at the time of that recording. Dropping under it is hard to do after jumping it up, it's one of the problems I have with power cleans. One of the things I really noticed on zoloft was what I called "sticky muscles". After contracting it felt like they didn't wanna release immediately. Some muscles actually had a habit of STAYING contracted until I physically pulled at them with opposing ones. This mostly happened with isolated areas of the neck musculature though. But yes, I take in carbohydrates both before and after workouts.

[Robert Santana]

That sounds painful as hell. Has this improved at all?

As for the cleans, you may want to practice with some tall cleans before you do your set. That's what helped me in the past. Basically stand up at the top of the pull, pause, then drop under it.

[CommanderFun]

That sounds painful as hell. Has this improved at all?

As for the cleans, you may want to practice with some tall cleans before you do your set. That's what helped me in the past. Basically stand up at the top of the pull, pause, then drop under it.

It actually doesn't hurt at all when it happens, it's just awkward and annoying. Haven't had it happen since I dropped off the meds, but I'm only on week 2. I do feel a lot like I am "accessing" more muscle than I did previously, if that makes sense. I feel like areas of the muscles that hadn't felt soreness and exertion previously now do feel like they've been working. Even did power cleans for my volume day pull and it went alright. Still pretty low at 125, but I didn't miss any, and managed to hit the second pull off the jumping position every time, which is what had been giving me a lot of trouble. Still having issues dropping down under the thing though. Basically end up racking the thing at almost full standing height. I'll definitely look into this "tall clean" procedure, any more info out there about it?

[Robert Santana]

Well shit I'm glad it is improving. The following video is a descent video of a tall clean. I use the empty bar only to drill the movement pattern and do this before every clean workout. If I don't I will arm pull. It's a fine drill and I intend to make a video myself soon

Exercise Library - Tall Clean - YouTube

[MFCPete]

Zoloft really is a weird drug. I’m currently tapering down after being on it for years.

Never noticed any strength problems whilst on it, in fact I’m the strongest I’ve ever been in my life right now.

Gained a ton of weight, always hungry all the time... I suppose that’s the usual stuff people report from a period on Zoloft.

I’m currently down to 25mg from being on 200 for quite a long time, and during that period I’ve dropped around 6-7 kilos without really making any effort to do so, I just seem to be way less hungry, which is actually a relief.

[CommanderFun]

Zoloft really is a weird drug. I’m currently tapering down after being on it for years.

Never noticed any strength problems whilst on it, in fact I’m the strongest I’ve ever been in my life right now.

Gained a ton of weight, always hungry all the time... I suppose that’s the usual stuff people report from a period on Zoloft.

I’m currently down to 25mg from being on 200 for quite a long time, and during that period I’ve dropped around 6-7 kilos without really making any effort to do so, I just seem to be way less hungry, which is actually a relief.

I'm the strongest now I've ever been too. But that's because in the past I didn't train. I didn't even understand how, all the guidance I could find was lousy. But I definitely feel like I could get more out of the muscle I had more quickly before I took the Zoloft. Going off it I've felt a little more explosive. I'm still getting the mental fatigue effect from intense sessions though. It's weird, one day the withdrawals are basically gone, the next I'm feeling them again.

[Robert Santana]

You have a couple of confounding variables. Squatting heavier and heavier 3 times per week will kick the shit out of you. Combine that with a drug that has similar effects on your energy levels it can be pretty rough. How many doses have you trialed?

[MFCPete]

I’ve got 3 more doses left and then I’m
Off this stuff hopefully for life.

[Robert Santana]

Fix doesn't get anymore straightforward than that.