Joy recently locked in an incredible 98-pound Press PR at Starting Strength Boston. Coaches noticed the breakthrough came down to eliminating a slow, labor-intensive setup that bled mechanical efficiency, committing instead to an aggressive model of execution and driving the barbell from the jump to standard. It proves that progress isn't just a matter of adding muscle, but of ruthlessly executing the model on every single rep. [photo courtesy of Max Sucee]
cyy
Hi Rip.
I'm 39yo, 5'10", 192lb.
6 years ago I did an MRI on my spine for something unrelated, and as a result they found I had moderate to severe stenosis in C4-C7. I was asymptomatic, and continue to be to this day. I have no related pain and no related neurological symptoms. Last week I did a new MRI just as a followup since it's been 6 years and the radiology report came back even worse than last time (and it was already bad before....). Apparently there is already some very mild pressure being exerted on my spinal cord (although they said that 6 years ago too).
I've read everything you've written and said on back surgery, so I can save you the trouble of telling me the awful statistics and outlook. Here's my question. Most of the awful statistics appear to be about lumbar surgery, but does the same apply to cervical? I read somewhere a long time ago (I think) that you did cervical surgery to relieve stenosis and were quite happy with it? Should I try to fight off the surgery for as long as possible like you recommend with lumbar surgery? I know that once I have neurological symptoms (which I have none today) I'm basically out of options, but is there anything I can do today to prevent this from getting worse? The doctors just keep telling me there's absolutely nothing I can do. Could a chiropractor help? With the way things are progressing in my neck, would you ever consider that I do surgery prophylactically (i.e., why wait til something goes horribly wrong)? Would greatly appreciate any input you might have. Thanks!
Also, don't know if it's relevant, but my 1 rep PRs are Squat 315, Deadlift 410, Bench 227.5, Press 150.
Mark Rippetoe
If you are asymptomatic, you would be crazy as hell to let them cut on your neck. Mine was necessary, and I've had no trouble with it, but "necessary" means bad pain, and there is no guarantee that you will have the same outcome. Especially when it is not necessary.
A good chiropractor may be able to put some beneficial traction on your neck. Good ones are useful, but hard to find.
Leo M
I anesthetized several thousands of people for cervical and lumbar surgery over my career. I performed cervical, thoracic and lumbar pain injections on many. No reputable surgeon would ever consider operating on somebody with no symptoms. I strongly advise you try to forget your MRI looks abnormal and ignore the issue. Don't get any more cervical MRIs nor CTs unless you need them for another problem.
Yes, lots of people who have cervical spine surgery have bad outcomes, and are worse postop than they were preop.
Scott701
Hi Rip, I'm doing the vanilla NLP (again after several years of not training) and am wondering what you think of the following method of quantifying chin-ups more precisely.
I am 6'3", 235lbs with a 39" waist. I am eating to gain weight and intend to be 275 by this time next year. I have noticed that bodyweight can fluctuate day-to-day which makes quantification of chin-ups rather imprecise.
My solution: use a weight belt to get "me" up to 250 and weigh-in on a bathroom scale (the same one each time) after S-P-DL on A-Day. (I can do about 1-2 reps of these right now). Perform the reps I can and then add eccentric efforts through 12 reps. Repeat weigh-in after S-B-PC on B-Day, but add reps to the first sets every time and increase the time and control of each eccentric. I would never go above or below 12 reps, but I would continue to increase the density of the first sets until I get to 12x1 @ 255lbs. Then I would add weight and repeat the process for as long as I can.
Thoughts: I realize this may take several weeks/months, and my bodyweight will be changing this whole time. My solution accounts for this with the weigh-in and the removing/adding of weight to achieve the exact weight of 255. (I have fractional plates.) Eating to get big will probably put 1 pound a week on my frame, so 255 will give me ~20weeks to reach 12x1.
Theoretically, I think this could be applied to anyone that can do one dead-hang chin-up at ~110% bodyweight.
Does this seem reasonable?
It's an assistance exercise. One of the aspects of an assistance exercise is that it doesn't train like the primary exercises. Stop worrying about it and try to PR something about your chins every couple of weeks.
Ok. Thanks Rip. You just saved me a lot of pain and suffering. Lunch is on me.
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