Bill Starr Broke My Back

[roastchicken]

hi guys,
recently used bill starrs intermediate5X5 program. i ran it through 6 weeks ,so i surpassed my 5 rep maxes by 2 increments for anyone familiar with the program, however my back has been REALLY stiff so i stopped the program as squats and deads were causing me some substantial pain and keeping form was becoming near impossible with weights i would have previously warmed up with(i am confident my form is good ,exept maybe for the heaviest lifts where i am really pushing myself.)

2 weeks down the line and the pain has all but subsided exept when i perform any kind of bent row or deadlift (i am still avoiding squats and my shoulder press is very suspect)my strengh has taken a knock as i have reduced weights to compensate for the injury, but my confidence has take a bit of a bash most of all. the affected area is the lower left hand side of my back above my glute but below the meat of my middle back - DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ADVISE ON THESE TYPES OF MUSCLURE BACK INJURIES? (I will see a physio asap...

 

[Gazhole]

I will see a physio asap...

You answered your own question! It's impossible to give specific advice over the internet, because we can't actually physically see you.

I would stop training, stretch once or twice a day, and make an appointment with the physio.

I would also try and figure what caused this. Perhaps you were over-reaching? Perhaps your form isn't as good as you think it is? Perhaps there is some flaw in your program design?

 

[P-funk]

Perhaps it could be adding weight to rapidly like Gazhole said.

Perhaps it could be form issues.

Or, perhaps it could be that you are not qualified to perform those lifts properly at this time. This is a huge one and a big problem with taking a program off the internet and just going at it. People need to be screened so that you can weed out the limitations and know what you can and (more importantly) cannot do in order to adjust your program properly and develop your "weak links". You have to earn the right to put a bar on your back and you have to earn the right to pull from the floor in my opinion. If you have limitations that are preventing these movements from being fluid, then you will surely run into problems later down the road.

patrick

 

[CowPimp]

How are you so confident your form was good on these lifts?

 

[danzik17]

You also mentioned that you had "good" form on all of your lifts "exept maybe for the heaviest lifts where i am really pushing myself."

Those are the most critical lifts for good form! You're pushing weights heavier than normal with suboptimal form, of course you're probably going to hurt yourself.

 

[Gazhole]

You also mentioned that you had "good" form on all of your lifts "exept maybe for the heaviest lifts where i am really pushing myself."

Those are the most critical lifts for good form! You're pushing weights heavier than normal with suboptimal form, of course you're probably going to hurt yourself.

Didn't even notice that part, good catch! Absolutely right aswell.

My guess is that you are lifting far too heavy than you should be. If your form isn't perfect then you can't do it, so don't do it. Just because the program says you should do it, doesn't mean you ought or have to.

 

[roastchicken]

thankyou all for your responses,each one of you has helped put things in perspective.

 

[CORUM]

this is the reason i do not squat or deadlift heavy. i have a bad back already and those two i know for a fact will JACK you up if not done properly. i was doing bentover BB rows and i got up to like 140 or so and when i went to set the weight down, tweaked the damn back. so i no longer go too heavy with that either.

 

[Gazhole]

I hate barbell rows. Possibly the most uncomfortable exercise ever. At least in deadlifts you arent fixed in that position the whole time.

Really really prefer dumbell rows these days as i have a dodgy back, also.

 

[CORUM]

i may have to switch!!

 

[P-funk]

why did you start with the intermediate program? Did you do the basic first?

patrick

 

[roastchicken]

patrick - i felt i had enough experience with the lifts involved and about 3 years of training under my belt. surely the basic program would have had me increasing the weight even more to take advantage of so called newbie gains?
Aside from that i visited my physio today and she told be i had dfinetly been going too heavy with less than good form.obvious really she elaborated by saying that my spine had compressed a nerve which was affecting my QL furthermore this was having implications on the rest of my body affecting my nervous reactions in my legs aswell as inhibiting my glutes .
Had my first ever acupuncture session which was odd but really enjoyable, relieved a lot of tension in the affected area!
All in all she told me to continue training but to start from ground zero as far as squats and deads were concerned and to switch to one arm dumbell rows so i could concentrate on contracting the left hand side of my back. i've realised how much my ego has been getting in the way of making good gains,i'm annoyed at myself but at least i can move forward with my training and apply myself to perfecting form and lifting technique.
-one last point for discussion... she warned me about over extension of the back when performing bent rows/squats/deads, that one should concentate on contracting the muscle around the spine as opposed to arching..thoughts??
cheers ROAST

 

[P-funk]

sounds like even after three years, you are a newbie!

learn proper technique on your lifts and understand proper progression.

patrick