Low back over-trained?, squats, etc.

[tweakxc03]

Rip:

A while back, I started my second attempt at the SS program after having to lay off from working out for 6 weeks for personal reasons. First time through, squat was up to 275, DL 335.

Over the first 10 workouts I brought the weight up from 165 to 230 on squats. Around 220, 225 I noticed that my lower back was having trouble recovering between workouts. It really became a problem at 230, 235, then I had some failures around 240 and 245. 250 and 255 I failed HARD, and my lower back just felt tired/aching/burning all the time.

This is what all I've done to try and fix the problem:

1. shortened ROM on squats, thought I was going too deep.
2. took an extra rest day here and there to try and heal.
3. ate more, gained weight. Ended up just gaining a bunch of excess fat.
4. deep tissue massage. the MT said every muscle in my body is stupidly tight and fibrotic with scar tissue (my lower back muscles crackle when I stretch).
6. reduced the weight some and tried building back up. but even 185 felt exhausting.

when I got up around 235, 240, I started getting overtraining symptoms:
-trouble sleeping/insomnia
-no appetite
-stressed out, irritable, cranky
-excess fat gain
-constantly tired
-shooting pains through quads, triceps under a load (squats/bench)

Anyway, I just got frustrated with it all and just stopped working out (a mistake, i know).

Since then I've taken probably 3 weeks off. back is still tight, although i have been stretching more. I went into the gym yesterday and did a few sets of squats at 135 and a few sets of bench at the same weight. lower back is pretty sore and tight today.
Now I am just skinnier, but with a spare tire from the fat gain.

My only thought is that I basically got over-trained, on top of having very tight hips, glutes, groin, etc.

Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks,


Adam

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sounds like classic under-resting/under-eating/doing a bunch of other shit during the week that doesn't involve the program. I don't know what your squats and pulls look like so I can't comment on the back situation. I don't know what you were eating so I can't comment on the belly. The MT is a fool if he thinks that muscles get fibrotic from scar tissue.

[tweakxc03]

Sounds like classic under-resting/under-eating/doing a bunch of other shit during the week that doesn't involve the program. I don't know what your squats and pulls look like so I can't comment on the back situation. I don't know what you were eating so I can't comment on the belly. The MT is a fool if he thinks that muscles get fibrotic from scar tissue.

http://www.youtube.com/user/adamclontz?feature=mhum#p/u

all of my videos are on the above youtube channel. FYI, on my squats, the bar seems to be tilted to the left (my right). I have a 1/2" to 1" drop in my right shoulder compared to my left, so I always figured that was the cause.

the under-eating and under-resting makes sense, considering i had a lot of trouble sleeping towards the end.

no extra shit outside of the program though. just the program. followed it very closely. i did nothing other than the program and sit at a desk all day for work.

[JM3]

When an MT makes a qualitative comment about your body being tight ask them: relative to what? If they don't have an answer, or if they are speaking about you relative to 'everybody' they are marketing. We MTs blow a lot of smoke up peoples asses I m sorry to say.

[Troy-SBCF]

OP

I had a similar issue regarding the back tiredness/soreness/burning for the longest time. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the problem is originating in the back! My day job is a desk job and as such, I have tight hips. So, instead of having fully extended hips when upright, they stay slightly closed, and I overextend my lumbar. I've finally started addressing this issue, and have been focusing on these two stretches from MobilityWOD (Kelly Starrett): Psoas, and hip stretch. I used to be so tired after squatting that I started to stall on my DL, and when I did DL I was sore for exactly 1 week. After a week or two of alternating those stretches, I pulled a PR 405x5 after my squat PR set of 360x5. I wasn't noticeably sore or tired 2 days later and my volume day was no problem. Look forward to 365x5 and 415x5 today. Post mongolian grill, of course.

As far as general recovery advice, don't mistake eating a shitload with eating a load of shit. I'd wager that your food quality is bad and the sugar/starches are excessive. Robb Wolfs book just came out, and if you've never tried cutting grains out of your diet, you may not be dealing with gluten well. Plenty of people can perform fine with it, but YOU aren't performing fine right now so it might be wise to try and experiment some with diet. Do what it takes to keep setting PRs.

Also go to bed, in as dark a room as possible.

[tweakxc03]

thanks for the info... that helps.

If anybody sees anything particularly wrong with my squats (linked above), please let me know.

[Steve Hill]

i did nothing other than the program and sit at a desk all day for work.

You do realize that this is horribly bad for you, right? The human body was not made to sit around in a chair for extended periods of time. I would suggest 3-4 breaks during the day where you get up and go for a walk. Doesn't have to be hard, but it will improve circulation, which will improve recovery. Also, the motion will help tight muscles loosen, etc.

[MEbigUsmall]

whats an MT?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Master Turdsman. It is a certification that I proudly hold.

[tertius]

Master Turdsman. It is a certification that I proudly hold.

I imagine the certification process for that is pretty arduous.