Rocsteady wrote:120 bench is great with that, I can really feel my back at 80 lately.
Do you know how you initially slipped your discs btw?
Tbf that 120kg bench press was 2 years ago now. I usually bench alone so can't risk doing 1RM too often. Pre lockdown I was doing 100kg 5x5.
Back in 2008 to 2011, I was squatting more or less 3x a week and by 2011 I was easily squatting 150kg 3x5. I was also doing Powercleans which I think is what did it since its a much more aggressive movement. I think the bar landed unevenly on me and created a jolt that went through my spine. That would have been around November 2011.
I remember a dull ache and it kept coming and going when I'd take a week off the gym to let it heal and then return etc. Eventually I quit the gym around February 2012 as the pain wasn't going away. Pain was more noticeable when sitting and not really something I noticed when walking or standing.
Didn't particularly notice it much at this stage since was only doing walking, no proper exercise. Spent a few months working in the USA in a somewhat physical role (swim teacher for autistic children) and had no issues from memory. Visited family and joined the young cousins at one of those awesome trampoline parks. Miiiiistake. Woke up the next day feeling like an old man.
Gradually went away but when I thought it was better, I went swimming thinking that wouldn't hurt but I must have done something weird because the next day I woke up with sciatica from my spine down to my left foot.
Took about 2 and a half years before I decided to try swimming again. Had no issues and then went 3x a week. Lost all the weight I gained. Then 2016 summer, returned to the gym. Very minor dull ache on squats that happened when I went slightly heavy so just binned that off but no issues with upper body stuff. No issues for 4 years until last month where I had no spotter and strawberry floated up the final rep causing a bit of mild pain since then.