Doing a full high volume leg workout 2 days before pulling a max DL isn’t a good idea. I think it’s ok to lift a couple days before but it should be a low volume workout. Are you following a program? Typically the week or two before a max test you should be tapering so intensity should be high and volume should be low. A typical taper I did after a 8 week program would be 5 days from testing, do openers for each lift, then 2 to 3 days out just go through warmups for each lift, and then test.

As far as attempts go, those are big jumps and I would prob go 435/465/495 next time

Good luck with it. Nice 475 PR BTW.

Update--

After going to see an ortho it turns out my leg is actually totally fine. It looks like I probably have a herniated disc with associated Sciatica that was causing the leg pain.

So now it's a little bit of wait and see I think. I am going to a back specialist on Friday but I think it is mostly just going to be waiting a few weeks and seeing how it goes. I already feel a lot better. Leg pain mostly gone and the back pain ebbs and flows--usually bad in the morning and then I feel fine by the evening.

Not really sure how to proceed from here

* with caution

thoughts and prayers bro

thanks buddy

Wanted to give a quick update…

So after seeing a back specialist and taking a solid 2 weeks off I slowly started working my way back into lifting. After two weeks of light squatting, I took another week off for a golf trip.

On Tuesday and then again today I was able to get through 2 sets of 8x245 along with the rest of my normal leg day workout

My back feels mostly fine. It doesn’t really hurt when I squat. It still is a little sore when I wake up or when I sit for like an hour and then get up. I haven’t tried deadlifting yet except once I did two reps or 135 just to see how it felt and it was fine.

Probably going to try one to two sets of 135 on Saturday and then try to work my way back up.

Honestly I am pretty surprised how much strength I lost. Only really took 2-4 weeks off and went from being about to do 5 sets of 8x295 to struggling to get through two sets of 8x245. I’m not sure if that is somehow directly related to the injury (not really feeling any pain when I squat) or if it atrophy from taking time off. I can definitely tell that it is specially my left leg that feels weaker which is strange given the pain in my left leg was really just referred nerve pain due to the disc pathology.

But oh well. Assuming I recover at roughly the speed it took me to get where I was in the first place this probably sets me back about 6 months. Hopefully I recover faster though and I’m back to where I was in 3 months. Obviously I need to take it slow though.

And I’m not even really considering deadlift atm. Only squat. I imagine deadlift may be a year before I’m back to attempting 500. We will see

Meanwhile I am still nursing my shoulder injury. I can’t believe how slow it is healing. I am still board pressing 135lbs which is nothing and my shoulder will still be sore anywhere from 1-4 days after doing that.

I am officially starting a new mesocycle today

Hoping to provide ~daily updates like I was doing before assuming there are not set backs

Glad to hear your recovery is going well. Your strength will return soon enough.

ummm....hoping there haven't been setbacks??

Agreed; it's been a while for me but I hope things are progressing.

Sorry I've been lazy about making updates! Things are actually going well.

Let me put in my last week of lifting...

Thursday, 8/26/2021

Main Lifts

Squat -- 2 sets of 8x245

Other Stuff

BFE Squats -- 3 sets of 17.5x10
Lying Hamstring Curl (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 15x8
Standing Calf Raise -- 3 sets of 80x15

Friday, 8/27/2021

Main Lifts

Board Press -- 4 boards 135x8, 3 boards 135x8, 2 boards 135x8
Other Stuff

T-Bar Row -- 3 sets of 65x8
Skull Crushers -- 3 sets of 60x10
Kneeling Lat Pulldown (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 52.5x10
Face Pulls -- 3 sets of 32.5x13

Saturday, 8/28/2021

Main Lifts

Deadlift -- 135x5, 185x5

Monday, 8/30/2021

Main Lifts

Squat -- 2 sets of 8x245

Other Stuff

BFE Squats -- 3 sets of 17.5x10
Lying Hamstring Curl (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 15x8
Standing Calf Raise -- 3 sets of 80x15

Tuesday, 8/31/2021

Main Lifts

Board Press -- 4 boards 135x8, 3 boards 135x8, 2 boards 135x8
Other Stuff

T-Bar Row -- 3 sets of 65x8
Skull Crushers -- 3 sets of 60x10
Seated Lat Pullup (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 52.5x10
Face Pulls -- 3 sets of 32.5x13

Thursday, 9/2/2021

Main Lifts

Squat -- 3 sets of 8x255

Other Stuff

BFE Squats -- 3 sets of 20x11
Lying Hamstring Curl (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 15x9
Standing Calf Raise -- 3 sets of 80x16
Glute Medial Kickbacks -- 3 sets of 12.5x11

Hopefully. I am surprised by how much I lost only taking 2-3 weeks off. I was doing 5 sets of 295x8 easy before I got hurt.

I am guessing something about the injury caused me to lose my strength more than simply the time off.

Anyways, appreciate it!

No set backs as of now.

Believe it or not, my back actually feels better than it ever did before the injury. It may have just been the time off, but before the injury my lower back was constantly hurt. Every lower body session was a lot of pain, I had to sit just right between sets, and it would often be sore the next day.

Right now my back feels great. I am obviously doing lighter weights and rested a while so that could be it. But I am feeling good.

I can still feel some tenderness near my spine if I run or spring, but beyond that things are feeling good. Not really feeling any tightness in the morning anymore.

As I mentioned I am a little frustrated with how much I seem to have lost in my squat. May be a few months before I am back where I was before.

Deadlift I am taking much slower. I can definitely "feel something" in my back when I deadlift even a light weight like 185. I wouldn't call it pain, but its something. So I definitely do not want to push it.

One of the biggest things I noticed is that my left leg specifically seems to be lagging way behind my right leg. The left leg was the one that was experiencing the sciatic nerve pain so I guess somehow that caused it to atrophy more or something. Not sure. Either way I feel good about the progress my back is making.

What I DO NOT feel good about is my shoulder. I find this a very frustrating injury. I hurt it in April and I have taken so much time resting, rehabing, and babying it. I haven't benched in months. And just board pressing 135 will make it hurt a lot sometimes.

I am not really sure how to get over this one. Doctors/PT very vague. Lots of what I have read online is that people who have AC joint issues go years and still feel pain when they bench. Very discouraging.

My shoulder has been a bit off for a few months too. It's gradually improving (I hope). I've been using a Sling Shot to help. It provides some stability to the shoulders during bench and close grip bench.

Does it hurt if you do DB press? What if you do a neutral grip dB press? Have you tried a reverse grip bench? I know it can feel very awkward at first but I do know a couple people with shoulder issues that can’t do normal bench press but can do reverse grip bench and have actually gotten very strong that way

Friday, 9/3/2021

Main Lifts

Took the day off benching of any variety to rest my shoulder which wasn't feeling great.

Other Stuff

T-Bar Row -- 3 sets of 65x9
Skull Crushers -- 3 sets of 60x11
Kneeling Lat Pulldown (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 52.5x11
Face Pulls -- 3 sets of 32.5x13

Saturday, 9/4/2021

Main Lifts

Deadlift -- 225x5, 225x5

Other Stuff

Seated Hamstring Curl -- 3 sets of 11x45
Seated Calf Raise -- 3 sets of 11x70

Monday, 9/6/2021

Main Lifts

Squat -- 3 sets of 8x255

Other Stuff

BFE Squats -- 3 sets of 20x11
Lying Hamstring Curl (unilateral) -- 3 sets of 15x9
Standing Calf Raise -- 3 sets of 80x16