What Maier says.
You could try Front squats or Zerchers it the belt thing is a no go.
Goblet you have chosen is a good option as well.
BUT please take care my friend, you have a lot of years left, taking a few weeks or months off is better than spending the rest of the life in a wheel chair.
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I’ve considered just writing my own basic program where I start at 60% for 15-20 reps, increase up to 70% over the course of a month or two, and then restart. I think that’d be fantastic for hypertrophy and keeping my joints healthy. When I first started training for strength at my old job, one of the trainers there told me that our bodies can train in the 50-70% range indefinitely. It’s not like training in that perfect 80-90% range where you’ll get beat up but you’ll be better suited to display your strength. You have a good point though about the big guys. A combo of doing variations that you can’t go as heavy with, plus doing light sessions frequently definitely helps keep them healthy and injury free.
But like @Frank_C and @mortdk said, I think the problem is just having weight on my back. For whatever reason, the compression forces seem to be doing more of a number on my back and hips than sheer forces are. I started deadlifting with a squat stance, and it’s the perfect middle ground for me. Wide enough so that I don’t have to fold over to get down to the bar, but narrow enough that it’s easy on my hips. I think I could probably continue to deadlift, but I don’t want to risk anything. I think I’ll just stim the problem areas for a while and do my best to make the most of this weird interim time with my training.
Belt squats look like they’d be awesome. The upper body isn’t involved at all and it’s supposedly super easy on your spine; unfortunately, my school gym does not have a machine for it, let alone a belt that I can hook onto something. I’ll have to stick with what I have outlined. Maybe I’ll do some high rep front squats with light weight for a little cardio, lol.
@mortdk I don’t mind taking a few weeks or months off. The entire purpose of me lifting weights is to make myself as good as I can physically. Throwing all that away because I was chasing petty numbers and couldn’t wait to get it fixed first would be the most embarrassing decision I’ve ever made. And even if things don’t work out, and doc says I shouldn’t go above 275-315 for squats, I can still get pretty damn big just repping that stuff. There’s always a way to make it work. I’m not that worried 
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I had this happen, with a physio. He was wrong. I was 16/17 when I got the advice to stop squatting, that I simply couldn’t do it without grinding bone on bone to the point where I’d need a hip replacement by the time I was 30.
Fast forward several years, when I got my act together, found a different physio that identified that I wasn’t properly contracting my abs forcing my hip flexors to take over in stabilizing my lower back. After some ab and glute work, I can ATG squat pain-free.
So, this:
is advice I’d echo.
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I appreciate you and @Frank_C’s input. I’ll need to explain that to my parents. My dad blew out his left knee playing football at a Big 10 university, so I think he’s going to be more inclined to let me/encourage me to get a second opinion. My mom never played sports of any kind at any age, so she really doesn’t get this kind of thing. Which is fine. I love her more than life itself but she doesn’t know shit about lifting weights, let alone injuries and rehab related to lifting weights.
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27 August 2018 - Leg Day Bodyweight: 216.0lbs
30sec plank each way
Prone Hamstring Curls 4x10 3 plates
Leg Extensions 5x20 2 plates
Seated Calf Raises 5x15 2 plates
Sumo Box Squats 2x15 135lbs, Front Squat Box Squats 1x15 135lbs
Goblet Squats 1x25 55lbs
Notes
Whole workout took about 40 minutes. Had to be in and out. I could barely walk after this stuff which was pretty humbling. It isn’t a lot of weight for machines, but I haven’t done these machines in 10+ months so it hit me pretty hard. Even the seated calf raises, which are supposed to be easy AF had me walking slew foot. It was awesome, so to be completely honest, I’m not even mad about having to let my spine deload for a while. Today was a fun workout just chasing pumps and actually getting them
That being said, this is a lot more volume than I’m used to with movements that I never do. So by the time I had to move on to goblet squats, I was fried. I did one set and then called it quits. I’m going to have some nasty nasty nasty DOMS in the coming days. I can’t wait…lol.
Tomorrow is bench day (WOOHOO!) at 6x5 255lbs. I’m going to make sure I hit the gym right at 6:30 or 7, aka my peak performance hours. This is when it really gets fun. I think I’ll take a deload after the 6x6 week and then IDK. I’ll have to figure something out. SGSS or another 6x2 for my bench and OHP? Hypertrophy phase since I’m on leg machines anyways? A cut? The options are infinite and I’m just happy that I’m still healthy enough to get in the gym and have fun.
Also–I checked thibarmy and the SGSS template is protected by a paywall. I don’t feel like paying for it, but I remember the basics, so I may just recreate it as best as I can and run that for my bench and OHP. We’ll see. Like I said…infinite options. God bless y’all, I’ll get around to your logs tomorrow after class. It’s late and I gotta go to bed lol
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I didn’t want a PT that would tell me to not squat or deadlift, so I went to a PT who had a Weightlifting background. Along with his DPT, he was a USAW-1 or 2, coached oly on the weekends, and rehabbed multiple powerlifters.
My PT told me to squat, deadlift, and also to add in good mornings, and bracing/rooting drills.
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The other day SGSS was on an open page. Other Questions ask Jmaier or me I haven’t run it but have planned it
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Matt Fraser had what he thought was a career ending spine injury. He sought out a new and somewhat experimental surgery and it worked. He still squats, deadlifts, etc and he’s the three time defending champ of the CrossFit Games.
Browse the blog. It came out before March this year. I think there was a version that he was selling before the free template. You might’ve found that one.
I just checked my browser bookmark and I can still access the article. Try filtering the blog down to articles and use the key words “muscle gain”.
If you’re on Instagram then I can just send you a direct link.
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@Frank_C just found it. Apparently I had clicked on “Programs” the first time, which are just programs that he’s selling. I found the blog version of SGSS, so when I have some free time tomorrow I’ll probably throw that together for my bench and OHP. Thanks man
How did you go about finding this guy? I feel like most of the PTs who get promotion online are working for corporations/hospital groups.
Dude is an absolute beast. I want to be on whatever he’s on.
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I found my guy because he was an Oly coach at the same gym that my previous PL coach started training at. After my old PL coach got injured, that was his PT and he tagged him on IG. He’s a Clinical Athlete professional, so maybe you can find one in your area from that site.
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Thanks for the reference my man!! it’s awesome that you had that connection
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28 August 2018 - Bench Bodyweight: 215.0lbs
Side Planks 45sec, Bird Dogs x20 each side, arm circles
Barbell Bench 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 6x4 255lbs
DB Bench 65x8, 75x8, 85x8, 100x5 (PR), 75x19
Tricep Extensions 2x20 52.5lbs, 1x20 42.5lbs (45sec rest)
Lat Pulldowns 4x8 145lbs, 3x8 115lbs (<60sec rest)
1 min med ball ab twists 8lbs
Notes
Not a bad workout today. I’m progressing through this phase pretty nicely. 1 PR today–my first time doing the 100lb DBs so anything would’ve been a PR. I would like to think I could do the 100s for a 4x8 if it was my main lift, but idk. Either way, I’m glad those big DBs didn’t pin me right away.
Took ~4 min of rest between each barbell bench working set. My sister was spotting me (she’s getting really good at giving lift offs) and she grabbed the bar as I was locking out my last rep of my second set. By habit, I snapped “don’t touch the fucking bar” as she grabbed it. Oops. I explained to her that that’s possibly my only pet peeve in the gym, but I also explained that it’s my fault because I never told her that, plus it’s easy to get nervous when you’re spotting someone who’s doing more weight than you’re used to. She got it and wasn’t mad at me. I was going to lock it out anyways, and my successive sets were actually easier because I didn’t want to tempt her into grabbing the bar again, so every lockout was hard.
I’m still trying to find some things online to help with my nerve issues. I haven’t had any nerve pain or discomfort for the last 2-3 days which is a good sign. Rolling my glute max and hip flexors before leg day yesterday actually made everything feel really good.
Lat pulldowns gave me a crazy pump. Word to @SOUL_FIGHTER’s log, I tried to get my 8x8 lat pulldown game on. It’s hard. I picked a weight I could’ve done for 15-20 reps, but that 40-60sec rest periods makes it rough. Had to drop the weight and then decided to call it quits. That’s a good set/rep scheme though. Not as stupid as 10x10, but not as boring as the normal 4x8-12 that I normally do.
Last week was the toughest week of my life honestly. A combo of all my friends leaving, school starting with hard classes, and realizing how financially fucked I am plus a little girl drama just grinded me down to a nub. After talking about it with 3 of my favorite people and a little introspection, I was able to come to conclusions to solve all of my problems. Not immediately, but plans of action to tackle everything that’s going on within the next year. I forget who said it in my log, but someone advised me to front-load my pain. Gotta get it all out of the way as soon as possible. Do those hard classes, spend time away from friends, work those jobs as much as possible, and get those bad relationships out of the way early and learn from them. Amen to all that. I’m just going through that weird phase that I think every man goes through where it’s tough to deal with everything all at once for the first time. I’m sure every single one of you guys can think back to a time when your mental health and sanity took a slight (or not so slight) dip. But you’re all still here and so am I. Let us continue the grind
I hope you’re all having a good week so far. This week has been pretty good to me so far. Rest day tomorrow, with another leg and back day on Thursday. I’m going to trade in leg extensions for leg press, and save some fuel for goblet squats. Maybe I’ll fuck around and do 10x10 goblet squats with as much weight as possible 
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Awesome
Glad your week is better man, you can do this.
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thanks dog. Got 2 exams in the morning but even that isn’t ruining my mood. I’m happy right now
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I’ve had this happen a lot, growing up in a small town. There is an upside: you’ll become really adept at making new friends! And, there are more couches in the world that you can crash on when you go traveling!
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Well done my man! Nice grind
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I’m not going to dive into so your social stuff but I wanted to encourage you to read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and/or Financial Peace.
Learning how to manage your money early in life is a game changer.
The motto is essentially, “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”
It means living a financial life that’s the opposite of most Americans. Save and budget now so you can relax and enjoy your money later (instead of spending now, paying later, and never being in a position to relax and enjoy life).
My wife and I were doing great until I broke the rules and bought a house with a personal loan. Now I owe more than it’s worth. It’s been under construction since November, and it’s draining our bank accounts. It was supposed to be a rental house that was renovated and available by March.
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This is something I understand, which is why it weighs on me so heavily. Especially as someone who is almost 21 years old and who still makes less than $15/hr. I realize that in this economy, and the world in general where everything is constantly increasing in price, money is king. Biggie said it best, “Cash rules everything around me.” He’s not wrong! But on a serious note, there are a lot of things in my life already that I understood at 16-17 years old that other people my age won’t understand until they’re looking to buy a car or a house at 23-24. I knew I was going to a community college because I couldn’t afford to go into debt. I knew I didn’t have a cell phone until long after I was 18 because I didn’t have a job and couldn’t afford it. I knew I was going to have to work 2 jobs while going to school full-time because I need money. I’ve never spent money that I didn’t have–although if I’d had a credit card when I was 15, I probably would have.
I used to despise my parents for it, because they rarely bought me anything “extra” when I was younger. We have never had cable, I was the last one of my friends to get a gaming console, the last kid to get a cell phone (18.5 years old lol), and I never got caught up in fad toys or activities because I knew my parents wouldn’t pay for it. And when I did get those things, it came out of my pocket from whatever money I had from moving jobs or dog sitting.
Looking back, I’m really glad my parents made me pay for most of the extra shit myself and I’ve told them that. My mom explained to me that they could have bought me things, and on occasion they did, like any parent, but they chose not to most of the time so that I would learn. Financial sense is a skill that your parents ingrain into you when you’re growing up, similar to fitness habits or dietary habits. Of course you can change once you’re older, but what you’re exposed to when you’re young is usually going to be your default, and what you revert to when you’re older.
So long story short, I do understand that living beyond one’s means isn’t the greatest thing to do. I have my parents to thank for that. I feel bad for kids who said “fuck it!! I’m going to [insert $50,000/year school here]!! I can’t WAIT to party!” because 1) they’re going to have ungodly amounts of debt to start their adult lives, and 2) they aren’t going to be very well-equipped to deal with it.
I’m sorry to hear that, dude. I can definitely see why you did it though. Owning real estate is a key to being wealthy in every civilization ever. Thankfully though, with time, you will make a good return. That’s the important thing.
Thanks boss For whatever reason, this 6x2 works wonders on my bench rep strength. I think I’ll attempt a 225lb & 255lb amrap after I do the 6x6 and deload. I’ll also probably test my OHP max because I feel like I got gipped with 180.
Ha! Yeah, I guess that’s true. I’ve never had the need to go out and make friends until recently. I’ve played sports since I was 6 years old, so I’ve always just been friends with kids on my teams (3 of my 5 best friends were on teams with me for years). I had the same friend group all throughout high school, and we’re all still super tight today which is frickin awesome to me. I’ve slowly been coming out of my shell the last few years at community college. It’s tough because many people there are either there for 4-5 years or just one semester, so a lot of them aren’t looking to make friends. They’re just there while they figure out their next move. Thankfully my little sister and I are pretty close and she’s going to school with me now, but it is nice to have conversations with cute girls and cool guys in my classes. I definitely took it for granted in high school when I would always know 50%+ of the people in every class!!
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30 August 2018 - Legs Bodyweight: 215.8lbs
Side Planks, soft tissue glute work, banded knee clams
Prone Hamstring Curls 3x12 3 plates
High Bar Squat 1x3 bar (ouch)
Single Leg Squats 3x10 40lbs each hand
DB Lateral Raise 3x20 10lbs
Lat Pulldown 8x8 115lbs (30 sec rest, done in 5.5 minutes)
Leg Press 1x8 for 3 plates, 4 plates, 5 plates
Calf Raises 4x12 3 second pause at the bottom, 5 second hold at the top (ouch in a good way)
Pallof Press 3x10 27.5lbs
Bird Dogs 1x10 each side
Prone Leg Raises w/ 10lb DB 1x15
Notes
I was pretty frustrated today. I tried to squat high bar and my left hip flexor was fucking SCREAMING. Not good. So I looked up good glute exercises, and fate would have it that it’s my least favorite (because it’s hard because I’m deficient in these areas) exercise: single leg squats. So I picked a weight, 40lbs, that I thought I could man handle. False. My glutes felt torched, of course, because they’re so damn weak.
So this leads me to believe that my glutes are the root of all evil–for my training purposes only. Don’t send nukes my way just quite yet. Hip flexor pain: often caused by a stance that is too wide, as well as weak glutes (the antagonistic muscle group to hip flexors apparently). I believe that in my case, the problem is my glutes and other small muscles in my hips. Additionally, weak glutes can often be the source of back injuries, since the back has to compensate for what the glutes cannot do.
So, for the time being, I’m going to be doing purely rehab exercises. I know I keep changing my set up, but this is something that I should have done months ago if I had done enough research and been honest with myself. I need stronger glutes to squat more, to deadlift more, and to stay healthy. I need a stronger core to do the aforementioned items. I need flexible hips to do the aforementioned items. These aren’t things that I can look at and say “dually noted” and continue on with my training as if nothing happened, which is what I’ve been doing for the last few months. I’ve been an absolute idiot, and I’m ashamed that I’ve ever given anyone advice on how to do things in the gym. I’m not that smart. I’ve dug myself into a 4 month hole which could take a year to get out of. I have no idea. But it stops now.
Forgive me for this sudden spur of self disdain. I had a dark epiphany in the gym today. Not the good kind where you realize you need to invest in this, or purchase/sell that, or talk to this person, or marry that girl. Like, a bad one. Like, I fucked myself up with my own hardheadedness and stupidity. So not only am I/was I disgusted with myself, but I’m also embarrassed that it took me this long to realize it. I’ve known for literal years that my glutes are weak. There’s a reason why my squat max was 275 while my bench max was 285, and it’s not because I just needed knee sleeves and a belt. It’s because I had a weak ass.
I’m already tired of writing. Part of me wants to quit weightlifting altogether and part of me wants to come back from this and squat 500lbs in a year or two. I know which side will win in the end, because I can’t really be taken away from the weights. That’s all. I have a 4 day weekend where all I need to do is get drunk tomorrow and then study anatomy for the next 3 days.
I’ll figure out what I’m doing moving forward tomorrow. Quads are no longer a priority. I need to make the most of the limited training economy that I have. Core and glutes (might as well throw rear delts in there too, since I’m probably going to hurt my fuckin back now with my luck) are the sole purpose for me going to the gym on non-bench or OHP days. You guys will be seeing a lot of boring, healthy, functional workouts with no PRs on the lower body lifts from me for a while. oh well. health comes first.
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Weak glutes and weak abs were the sources of my hip flexor pain. You’ll bring them up to snuff soon enough! Do you squat with flat shoes or weightlifting shoes with a toe-drop?
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