I am person #10,439 of the Starting Strength testimonies - I’ve had back pain since I was 14 years old. Diagnosed with everything from scoliosis, hip issues, and even legs length problems. Had $1000 inserts. Nothing worked. Started squatting and pulling the SS way in my mid-30s and in a month all pain is gone. I mean everything in knees, hips, and low back are eliminated. When I take time off, the muscles grow lazy and the pain comes back. My back issues like the vast majority of non-injury back pain are from weak muscles. Nowadays any time my back hurts, I squat and deadlift. It’s just that simple people: you are not a snowflake - you are just weak!
@@NoNo-ro9gx I prescribe FAHVE sets of FAHVE gallons of milk a day for those with Crohn's disease. And of course 10,000 heavy sets of squats per week, 2000 sets of deadlifts and maybe the odd bench press rep
Keep preaching the gospel of Starting Strength! For what it's worth, here's my 30 second testimonial. I retired a few years ago from an active job and took a "sedentary retirement gig." In less than a year I had gained 20 pounds and along with it came back pain, knee pain, and all sorts of aches. A buddy recommended your book last July. I read it through three times and then hit the gym. Yesterday, I looked through my training logs just to see where I started from, and I was shocked at how far I have progressed at 52 years old in just 9 months: Starting Bench Press on July 29, 2020 - 125 lbs. x 5 reps. Yesterday 265 lbs x 5 reps. Squat starting weight was 155 x 5. Currently, I'm at 310 lbs x5. Overhead Press started at 105 lbs. Currently 165 x 5. Deadlift started 155 x 5. Currently 280 lbs. x 5. Now I realize I have a long way to go to get really strong, but for those kinds of gains in 9 months (not to mention body recomposition from 36.5 % bodyfat to 25.3% bodyfat along with 15 pounds of pure muscle gain) this program WORKS!!!
My L5 was cracked and pushed in toward my bellybutton. The disc between my L5 and L4 was herniated. Every step I took hurt. My buddy invited me to start lifting weights with him. I didn't have anything to lose. So I went. He showed how to squat and deadlift. My pain became manageable. I found Starting Strength and it was the most effective program of those I had tried. And it was more effective than Yoga, Physical Therapy, or the Chiropractor. My doctor finally agreed to operate on the crack. I followed his post op instructions. Three months later I started with an empty 45 pound and started adding 2.5 pounds three days per week. Eventually moved up to 5 and 10 pound jumps. Despite covid gym closures, My deadlifts are now at 360, my squats 335. I'm 43 and feeling better than when I was 30. My Conclusion: Barbells Reduce Back Pain.
I got 4 slipped/bulging discs and sciatica on my left side but it isn’t from lifting. It’s from being a lazy fat body my whole life then I decided to get strong. Don’t let a bad back hold you back
I have worn orthotics in my shoes for almost two decades. I started lifting without wearing them, and I recently started not using them at all and now I don’t need them anymore. Further, I was a thrice weekly runner for about 15 years and all I got was bad posture and knee pain. The knee pain is gone, still working on the posture. Thanks Starting Strength!
I have had a bad back since I was a teenager, I'm now 61. I could never squat, even with light weights, without zingers (shocks) shooting down my legs. Using SS technique I have been able to squat and deadlift within the last year. I'm old and slow, but at least I'm still trying. Thanks Rip...
Several herniated discs. Surgery on L5-S1 for issue that laid me up w neurological issues. Treated my back like veal for years but finely got better when I started heavy (for me) squats and deadlifts on your plan! Best thing ever, thanks Rip! Love your chicken fried steak, btw.
Agreed. I have a sitting job and before I started lifting I would always feel it in my lower back later in the working day. Now that I squat and deadlift I can work all day without getting any discomfort (not advocating sitting all day). And I sit on a plain ass chair.
I tore the disk between by L4 and L5 using terrible form on a deadlift machine. I gave up training, on bad advice from 'Doctors' who 'knew best.' I was in pain for 2 years and was wasting away. I went for 8 months of private physio. The physio saidnI had become so inactive (due to fear of re-injury) that my core wasn't supporting my spine properly. After that I started training again. Since going back to the gym - I don't have back pain. I find squatting regularly helps me keep the ability to move my back normally. I am not a doctor and can only speak from my experiences, but I would recommend strength training to anyone with similar back pain.
I'm 37 and started lifting 2 years ago and your channel has helped me grow and I now respect lobsters. I have found occasionally I will get some pain in my knees and back during a set. I have found if I stop during a set the pain remains, however if I push through the set the pain completely disappears. Why is this? It is hard knowing when to push through or back off.
That's how tendonitis works because arteries and nerves must infiltrate it to fix it. Doing work on the tendon without ripping it is the only way to fix it.
I used to always have lower / mid back pain from the way I stand cutting meat, but that went away with deadlifting and squats after like a week or two training.
I have had anterior pelvic tilt my entire life, and with lifting, it got progressively worse. There came a point where I tore my psoas and couldn't walk due to pain. Yoga and IAST massage were the only activities that helped me with pain because of my muscle imbalances (very hypertonic back). Never could get my glutes engaged enough during deadlifts
im going for medium strong no pain everywhere I dont need to squat 500 lbs at 66 years old. maybe my body weight should do it. 160lbs 3 sets of 5 starting to feel heavy. surprising thing is my knee stopped hurting this week, may be the weather i don't know.
I had a herniated disc in my neck. Took some time off of training and now starting again. Having trouble setting my upper back for some reason and find I am rounding at the bottom of the squat
It is odd my back blew out at 30 years old. I couldn't even drive for days. I had a weak back. I started doing bent over rows and pulls. I'm 58 now with no problems and benching 350lbs easy. It's our sedentary life styles which requires no back muscles so they atrophy. In the old days people actually did work at work. Like shovel dirt, lift 100 lbs sacks of beans, carry a chain saw all day. This builds your core and back. Now we are all just weak.
I have never experienced any back pain. I get some soreness after deadlifting but it's short lived. Everyone around me has had back pain for years though, so I keep wondering when my time will come.
I have sciatica that runs down to my left calf. Once I finish 3x5s of 220, it goes away. Idk how or why, but I'll keep strengthening my spinal erectors, lumbar musculatures, and all else that's involved.
red light/NIR and rest to start. Don't do anything actually painful as you do it, but a little discomfort is ok. Just put easy volume with light weights on to pump blood into the tendons and muscles and as you get fewer symptoms you can start to add more weight.
@@ChowMeinChowdown it’s serious, with Rip always saying to train through stuff and me being a Novice with not much lifting experience it’s difficult for me to decide exactly what I need to do. At the moment I’m just going on light walks because my back hurts so much I can’t even stand for longer than 10 minutes.
Very good way to describing it. My back feels like a brick (in a good way) from deadlifts, it's the left golfer's elbow from doing low bar squats (which I'll never, ever do again because of that) that has stayed with me for 4 years now and I'm feeling as I type this, that really urks me.
@@HAL-dm1eh Hey Hal, sorry to hear it's been with you for so long. Your description sounds like an issue they cover here, have you tried this? startingstrength.com/training/elbow-tendonitis-how-it-occurs-and-what-to-do-about-it
Yeah, I've seen those types. They are afraid to deadlift because they "don't have a good back". So, they didn't solve the problem, they just don't do normal motions to avoid the pain. That's coming from someone who had constant back pain that a neurosurgeon told me I would have just to accept, but it vanished after a month of deadlifting.
I lift heavy arss shit every day at work and in the gym. I have no back problems at all. And been at it all my working life of 30 odd years. A strong back doesn't hurt. A weak back does. Snow flake generation at it again.
Lifting makes my back feel better than not lifting. I'd rather be strong and have a bad back than weak and have a bad back
I am person #10,439 of the Starting Strength testimonies - I’ve had back pain since I was 14 years old. Diagnosed with everything from scoliosis, hip issues, and even legs length problems. Had $1000 inserts. Nothing worked. Started squatting and pulling the SS way in my mid-30s and in a month all pain is gone. I mean everything in knees, hips, and low back are eliminated. When I take time off, the muscles grow lazy and the pain comes back. My back issues like the vast majority of non-injury back pain are from weak muscles. Nowadays any time my back hurts, I squat and deadlift. It’s just that simple people: you are not a snowflake - you are just weak!
@@NoNo-ro9gx 🙄
@@NoNo-ro9gx I prescribe FAHVE sets of FAHVE gallons of milk a day for those with Crohn's disease. And of course 10,000 heavy sets of squats per week, 2000 sets of deadlifts and maybe the odd bench press rep
Keep preaching the gospel of Starting Strength! For what it's worth, here's my 30 second testimonial. I retired a few years ago from an active job and took a "sedentary retirement gig." In less than a year I had gained 20 pounds and along with it came back pain, knee pain, and all sorts of aches. A buddy recommended your book last July. I read it through three times and then hit the gym. Yesterday, I looked through my training logs just to see where I started from, and I was shocked at how far I have progressed at 52 years old in just 9 months: Starting Bench Press on July 29, 2020 - 125 lbs. x 5 reps. Yesterday 265 lbs x 5 reps. Squat starting weight was 155 x 5. Currently, I'm at 310 lbs x5. Overhead Press started at 105 lbs. Currently 165 x 5. Deadlift started 155 x 5. Currently 280 lbs. x 5. Now I realize I have a long way to go to get really strong, but for those kinds of gains in 9 months (not to mention body recomposition from 36.5 % bodyfat to 25.3% bodyfat along with 15 pounds of pure muscle gain) this program WORKS!!!
My L5 was cracked and pushed in toward my bellybutton. The disc between my L5 and L4 was herniated. Every step I took hurt. My buddy invited me to start lifting weights with him. I didn't have anything to lose. So I went. He showed how to squat and deadlift. My pain became manageable. I found Starting Strength and it was the most effective program of those I had tried. And it was more effective than Yoga, Physical Therapy, or the Chiropractor. My doctor finally agreed to operate on the crack. I followed his post op instructions. Three months later I started with an empty 45 pound and started adding 2.5 pounds three days per week. Eventually moved up to 5 and 10 pound jumps. Despite covid gym closures, My deadlifts are now at 360, my squats 335. I'm 43 and feeling better than when I was 30. My Conclusion: Barbells Reduce Back Pain.
I got 4 slipped/bulging discs and sciatica on my left side but it isn’t from lifting. It’s from being a lazy fat body my whole life then I decided to get strong. Don’t let a bad back hold you back
Fucking same.
Fucking same.
Yep, same.
Amen
I have worn orthotics in my shoes for almost two decades. I started lifting without wearing them, and I recently started not using them at all and now I don’t need them anymore. Further, I was a thrice weekly runner for about 15 years and all I got was bad posture and knee pain. The knee pain is gone, still working on the posture. Thanks Starting Strength!
I squatted 545lbs with L4 and L5 hernias. Stuart Mcgill is a godsend
Is he though
Get sum
I have had a bad back since I was a teenager, I'm now 61. I could never squat, even with light weights, without zingers (shocks) shooting down my legs. Using SS technique I have been able to squat and deadlift within the last year. I'm old and slow, but at least I'm still trying. Thanks Rip...
Several herniated discs. Surgery on L5-S1 for issue that laid me up w neurological issues. Treated my back like veal for years but finely got better when I started heavy (for me) squats and deadlifts on your plan! Best thing ever, thanks Rip! Love your chicken fried steak, btw.
Agreed. I have a sitting job and before I started lifting I would always feel it in my lower back later in the working day. Now that I squat and deadlift I can work all day without getting any discomfort (not advocating sitting all day). And I sit on a plain ass chair.
Took me 2 years to heal from a squat injury in my lower back. Hurt it again after 2 months of training again from squats. I will never squat again
I tore the disk between by L4 and L5 using terrible form on a deadlift machine.
I gave up training, on bad advice from 'Doctors' who 'knew best.' I was in pain for 2 years and was wasting away.
I went for 8 months of private physio. The physio saidnI had become so inactive (due to fear of re-injury) that my core wasn't supporting my spine properly.
After that I started training again. Since going back to the gym - I don't have back pain. I find squatting regularly helps me keep the ability to move my back normally.
I am not a doctor and can only speak from my experiences, but I would recommend strength training to anyone with similar back pain.
"They have been made to be afraid.."
I'm 37 and started lifting 2 years ago and your channel has helped me grow and I now respect lobsters. I have found occasionally I will get some pain in my knees and back during a set. I have found if I stop during a set the pain remains, however if I push through the set the pain completely disappears. Why is this? It is hard knowing when to push through or back off.
That's how tendonitis works because arteries and nerves must infiltrate it to fix it. Doing work on the tendon without ripping it is the only way to fix it.
THANK YOU for changing the gray wall that didn't match the brown wood SS Radio logo!
Herniated my discs several years ago and withing 3 months resumed deadlifting but paying attention to the form.
Do you want a weak bad back or a strong bad back?
I used to always have lower / mid back pain from the way I stand cutting meat, but that went away with deadlifting and squats after like a week or two training.
I have had anterior pelvic tilt my entire life, and with lifting, it got progressively worse. There came a point where I tore my psoas and couldn't walk due to pain. Yoga and IAST massage were the only activities that helped me with pain because of my muscle imbalances (very hypertonic back). Never could get my glutes engaged enough during deadlifts
Ngl all that kinda sounds like bullshit lol
im going for medium strong no pain everywhere I dont need to squat 500 lbs at 66 years old. maybe my body weight should do it. 160lbs 3 sets of 5 starting to feel heavy. surprising thing is my knee stopped hurting this week, may be the weather i don't know.
That's the way to go. Keep it up!
I had a herniated disc in my neck. Took some time off of training and now starting again. Having trouble setting my upper back for some reason and find I am rounding at the bottom of the squat
It is odd my back blew out at 30 years old. I couldn't even drive for days. I had a weak back. I started doing bent over rows and pulls. I'm 58 now with no problems and benching 350lbs easy. It's our sedentary life styles which requires no back muscles so they atrophy. In the old days people actually did work at work. Like shovel dirt, lift 100 lbs sacks of beans, carry a chain saw all day. This builds your core and back. Now we are all just weak.
I routinely run around with 100 lb sacks of beans. I only set them down when I go to bed with my chainsaw.
And then fuck it
I have never experienced any back pain. I get some soreness after deadlifting but it's short lived. Everyone around me has had back pain for years though, so I keep wondering when my time will come.
I have sciatica that runs down to my left calf. Once I finish 3x5s of 220, it goes away. Idk how or why, but I'll keep strengthening my spinal erectors, lumbar musculatures, and all else that's involved.
Did Rip get kicked off of UA-cam or what? Is this his spotify deal?
No, he asks money for his content now. No more free stuff
If you tweak your back pretty bad should you still train through it ?
Hope your not seriously asking this
red light/NIR and rest to start. Don't do anything actually painful as you do it, but a little discomfort is ok. Just put easy volume with light weights on to pump blood into the tendons and muscles and as you get fewer symptoms you can start to add more weight.
@dr77 at the moment I can barely stand for ten minutes like the pain is really bad even laying in bed isn’t easy.
@@ChowMeinChowdown it’s serious, with Rip always saying to train through stuff and me being a Novice with not much lifting experience it’s difficult for me to decide exactly what I need to do. At the moment I’m just going on light walks because my back hurts so much I can’t even stand for longer than 10 minutes.
@@teodormrdenovic1981 walks are good just don’t stay laying around doing nothing try air squats and air deadlifts if you can
2 bulged disc's at 23 years old.
NOTHING helps to cure the pain like OHP and DL...
How'd you get that ?
Squat and deadlift actually cure my back pain
Just make sure add weight smartly, i got back pain because of egolifting in deadlift in the first place
My step dad has hip pain. He says it feels like a pinched nerve when a certain movement is made. Will Starting Strength program help that ?
It can help but that is too little information. He needs to try it.
Back pain does not equal bad back.
I get shoulder and forearm pain from heavy squats. Back feels like its made from gator hide. No worries there
Very good way to describing it. My back feels like a brick (in a good way) from deadlifts, it's the left golfer's elbow from doing low bar squats (which I'll never, ever do again because of that) that has stayed with me for 4 years now and I'm feeling as I type this, that really urks me.
@@HAL-dm1eh Hey Hal, sorry to hear it's been with you for so long.
Your description sounds like an issue they cover here, have you tried this?
startingstrength.com/training/elbow-tendonitis-how-it-occurs-and-what-to-do-about-it
Longest my back has ever hurt (significant enough to limit training) is 3 days. Guess I’m lucky - or young (37)
Not enough weight.
@@kiril1 it’s enough that the last rep of the third set is in doubt.
Love you guys, but I will not pay for radio...💁🏾♂️💁🏾♂️🤔
It is a good content most of the times
I thought Rip was gonna fall asleep around 45s in.
Solution to back pain? Bodybuilding training. As in not strength training. Is what it is huh lol
Yeah, I've seen those types. They are afraid to deadlift because they "don't have a good back". So, they didn't solve the problem, they just don't do normal motions to avoid the pain.
That's coming from someone who had constant back pain that a neurosurgeon told me I would have just to accept, but it vanished after a month of deadlifting.
@@suntzu7727 wow. Amazing.
bodybuilders have the weakest backs out there not to mention destroyed un-usable shoulders due to way to much bicep work.
@@joebot9309 and bad shoulder training
@@joebot9309 that's such a dumb statement.
Robin McKenzie would disagree.
Who the fuck is that
Fist
I lift heavy arss shit every day at work and in the gym. I have no back problems at all. And been at it all my working life of 30 odd years. A strong back doesn't hurt. A weak back does. Snow flake generation at it again.