Couple question on bill starr protocol

[LondonTiger]

Firstly, I know it;s bad etqieeute to post links outside when the same content exists on this forum, but I tried but couldn't find the article here.. So if you don't know about bill starr's rehab protocol go check it out: http://www.sugdenbarbell.co.uk/forum/bill-starr-rehab-protocol-for-muscle-injuries-5382

Been plauged with an on and off squat injury on my lower back for some time, bouched back from it pretty well. And then injured it several months later due to bad form... Lifting the weights up with bad technique, when I should have just dumped the weights on the pins etc..

So now I've had a backache for a couple of weeks, I can still lift about 80% of my previous weights so it's not killing me, it's more of a localised chronic numbness which is bothering me.

Now, doing bill starr protocol, it's a sigh of relief because it's a good chance for my to go back to perfect form, and I'm told once completed I should be able to add 10kg onto my squat from previous max, so that's good!

Now I'm a bit confused on how to properly execute the protocol.. Supposed to go something like this...

day1
45 x 25 x 3

day2
45 x 25 x 2
55 x 25 x 1

day 3
45 x 25
55 x 25
65 x 25

...basically keep adding 10lbs every day in this pyramid fashion..

for 10 days.. so if everything goes lineraly

day 10

115 x25
125 x25
135 x25

Question is what if in the latter days like day 8-9-10, you can't complete the 25 reps.. Do you stick to the same weight and keep plugging away at it until you finish the 10 days..

Or do you move onto the 15 rep stage as soon as you struggle to complete 25 reps.

Also the 15 rep, 10 rep and 5 rep stages do you do them for 10 days each as well? Or just until you can't do the rep linearly.

[Force Production]

Here's rip post on it: http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=7351

Read it, see if it makes you understand the program better.

And why worry about if you can do the 25 reps or not already?

[LondonTiger]

Thanks for the link, this is what I was actually looking for. I had an old bookmark saved on the old strengthmill website and it doesn't work any more.

Your Q: I actually attempted 20 reps just out of curiosity about 2 months ago.. I did it with 60kg and only managed 15 reps..

To stay on progress with bill starr protocal, by day 10, I should be squatting 65kg for 25 reps.. I like to think that I'm a lot stronger than 2 months ago and I should be able to complete the 10 day with 5kg daily progression. However just planning for what-if scenario.

I'm faily confident I will do it though.. I'm on day for and did 35kg for 25 reps. Doesn't sound like much... But it is fucking intense I've had some tough days on 5x3, but 25 just makes your legs ready to collapse, walking around after makes you feel like they've turned to jelly. In a good way.

[gzt]

The protocol is for new muscle belly injuries. A back injury that is months old probably fails the criteria on several counts.

EDIT: localized chronic numbness? this is not good. Get it check out as soon as your socialist country will let you.

[LondonTiger]

gzt, yes this is an old injury, however it seems to be working well so far and I like doing it as well, so I'm gonna stick at it.

I should probably get it checked out.. because healthcare is free there's ususally 3-4 month waiting list between getting referred by the GP and seeing a back doctor. And the "chronic back numbness" isn't as bad as it sounds.. It's bad in the morning out of bed, and after sitting on a chair for a long time.. However when I go swimming or walking it ususally goes away..

Just completed 25 reps of 30-35-40kg today.. Had to go to the gym as I didn't have the right plates to do 40kg. walking back was a killer..

Felt a lot of blood pumping in my back, and made the numbness worse.. but now it's reduced to a small tickle.. not painful or anything... I guess it might be working

[LondonTiger]

My back is starting to get a lot better now, I'm on day 6, during workouts, especially the last set. The back get's very very numb like I've injected a shot of novacain into my back or something. And there's obviously blood pumping down there because I can feel the pulse internally.

Afterwards once it's recuperated it feels really nice, and right now, I've been sitting on my computer for 2-3 hours and i haven't felt any back pain, and normally I would. So result.

This is what I wrote down on my blog post.



My back tweaked up recently and I decided to do build starr’s rehab protocol. More in here

Today’s lifts were 35kg, 40kg, 45kg for reps of 25, which is day 6 in the protocol. I still have

40kg, 45kg, 50kg @ 25 reps – day 7
45kg, 50kg, 55kg @ 25 reps – day 8
50kg, 55kg, 60kg @ 25 reps – day 9
55kg, 60kg, 65kg @ 25 reps – day 10

The lifts are starting to get tough.




No after day 10, it says to move down to 15 reps.. Here's what I play to do

70kg, 75kg, 80kg @ 15 reps
75kg, 80kg, 85kg @ 15 reps
.. and so forth until I can't carry on, and then I will knock down to 10 reps and finally 5 reps..

Would be nice if any other people whove done bill star protocol to chime in on how they've moved onto the next stage.