High Rep Squats, Deads or Back Extensions

[ColoWayno]

My lower back is starting to feel a little tender from the paltry amount of weight I'm trying to squat. It's just a little bit of persistent pain that forces me sit with better posture. I don't notice it much when squatting, especially with my belt, but I feel my back extension could be stronger at these heavy weights.

I'm doing 5-3-1 and have just added the Big But Boring, high rep squats on my dead lift day to try to build it up (and keep me in the squatting "groove").

That BBB scheme is 5 sets of 10 reps at 50% or so of 1RM.

So, should I just do the high rep squats for now, or would weighted back extensions be better, or should I try to program both? I do think I need the extra squat session regardless for now. Would high rep dead lifts help?

Me: 47, 5' 11", 195lbs, "5" day all out squat: 7x270lbs

You: thanks!

[simonsky]

it's not Big but Boring, it's Boring but BIg. hehe.

so what's your problem? are you injured/strained your back recently? overtrained?

maybe rest or an ego-crushing deload is what you need.

can you do GM's? their better than back extensions.

how about trying this as this is what i'm gonna do next cycle:

squat
BBB dead
Gm's

then on deadlift days

deadlift
BBB squat (if you want quadzilla's, switch some sets of these t0 front squats for a lighter load also)
leg curl (read in some westside article that strong hams=strong squats well duh)

[ColoWayno]

Thanks Simonsky,

I just lost a lot of strength in my squats after going from 3x per week to 1x per week so it would be a blow to deload now, yep. Since then I've added in the extra squat session, just like in your program.

The injury, it's just my weakest link I think. It's fine if I keep good extension on my lifts and don't slouch all day. I guess I would like to figure out how to be an ox when it comes to back extension.

I didn't think of GM's, would you suggest a high rep scheme on squat day?

[El Viejo]

Colowayno,

Google 'Stuart McGill'. Read some of his articles and listen to the podcast interviews. He's a PHD in spinal-biomechanics and seems to know a little about the human back.

Phil

[SeanL]

Are you doing any mid-section work? weighted work?

[simonsky]

Thanks Simonsky,

I just lost a lot of strength in my squats after going from 3x per week to 1x per week so it would be a blow to deload now, yep. Since then I've added in the extra squat session, just like in your program.

The injury, it's just my weakest link I think. It's fine if I keep good extension on my lifts and don't slouch all day. I guess I would like to figure out how to be an ox when it comes to back extension.

I didn't think of GM's, would you suggest a high rep scheme on squat day?

oh yeah i asked jim wendler on his q and a and he said that 10 reps on the last of the 3's day are the norm when in your very first cycle and i just hit 6 so he adviced me to deload. i think you must lower your max also. and it definitely hurts a lot in the inside you know but less reps with a higher weight doesn't always mean stronger than more reps with a lesser weight.

BTW how did you test your max? i found out the hard way that plugging my PR to the formula is not the way to go.

the BBB dead is a high rep scheme right? and you follow that up with GM's for the ultra back pump.

[ColoWayno]

oh yeah i asked jim wendler on his q and a and he said that 10 reps on the last of the 3's day are the norm when in your very first cycle and i just hit 6 so he adviced me to deload. i think you must lower your max also. and it definitely hurts a lot in the inside you know but less reps with a higher weight doesn't always mean stronger than more reps with a lesser weight.

BTW how did you test your max? i found out the hard way that plugging my PR to the formula is not the way to go.

the BBB dead is a high rep scheme right? and you follow that up with GM's for the ultra back pump.

I tested the same as you, using a PR and a formula. Even worse, I got sick on my first week and couldn't eat for a couple of days. Whatever my 1RM was, it fell off quickly over the first couple weeks of the program.
So, you and Wendler are right... of course... dammit.

Yep, BBB dead is 5x10.

Sounds like a plan.

Thanks.

[EDIT]
I just checked my log, I hit 8 squats on my first "3" week and got sick right after that.
I also quit drinking 1/2 to 3/4 GOMAD when I started 5/3/1 and was adjusting my diet around all of these changes. So I probably went in a little heavy, and everything else just compounded the problem.
[/EDIT]

[ColoWayno]

Are you doing any mid-section work? weighted work?

I've been slacking on the crunches.

Probably time to fix that.

So, deload.... add high rep work with squats, deads and GM's.
Add crunches.
????
Profit.


Thanks.

[ColoWayno]

Colowayno,

Google 'Stuart McGill'. Read some of his articles and listen to the podcast interviews. He's a PHD in spinal-biomechanics and seems to know a little about the human back.

Phil

Thanks. I'll check it out. I learned a few things from another book I read and just got lazy about actually doing it.

So I started stretch-laying (a technique I learned) last night and trying to sit with better posture at work.
I've had 99 12 hour shifts in the last 100 days, mostly at a desk which is probably a factor too.

[simonsky]

I've been slacking on the crunches.

Probably time to fix that.

So, deload.... add high rep work with squats, deads and GM's.
Add crunches.
????
Profit.


Thanks.

try deloading.

and i try sitting on stable non compressible chairs, squishy unstable ones sometimes make my back tired and i'm only 18!