Mutchkin Edition – Starting Strength Weekly Report January 29, 2024

tonybanters

I have a friend and I’ll give numbers.

He started an NLP at 5’6″ and 140lbs with starting weights:

• Squat: 135 lbs 3×5
• Bench: 95 lbs 3×5
• Press: 65 lbs 3×5
• Deadlift: 135 1×5

1 month of NLP and eating ~4000 cal per day and missing 0 training days, and getting 7.5-8.5hrs of sleep every night, and resting 6-8 minutes between sets.

• Body weight: 154 lbs
• Squat: 185 lbs 3×5 (stalled at 185 twice)
• Bench: 125 lbs 3×5
• Press: 97.5 lbs 3×5
• Deadlift: 225 lbs 1×5

This gentleman was stalling at squats at 185 every time he got to that weight, on the 4th or 5th rep.

Is it normal to stall this early on the squat at that low of weight given these numbers, and given that he was eating 4000 cals, 200g protein, sleeping 8 hours per night, and resting 6-8 minutes between sets?

This gentleman was also on benzodiazepines every day. Have any of you had experience with lifters taking benzodiazepines, and if so, are they responsible for potentially killing gains on the squat?

Mark Rippetoe

Valium every day??? Why?

tonybanters

He was told by a ‘Board Certified Doctor’ that he needed to take it due to ‘Anxiety’ at age 19.

He is in the process of tapering off of it, but I am just curious if you guys have any experience with any lifters taking benzodiazepines. They are pharmacologically similar to alcohol and I have listened to your episode on alcohol.

Alexander Dargatz

They are not really pharmacologically similar. Ethanol and Diazepam just have some overlap in their effect on the GABA-system.

My question would be what the daily dosage was, schedule, and the duration of the medication. Prescribing benzos for anxiety is not a good idea, though it can be argued that for a short time intervention in a critical situation it is okay. I never prescribe benzos in an outpatient setting, and certainly not for anxiety, which is better treated with behavioral therapy (learning to deal with it).

Higher doses of benzodiazepines can certainly affect your strength gains, mainly via affecting your ability to train hard. Drug effects include reduced drive (not just hip drive, though I’d bet the willingness to get out of the hole is affected, too), drowsiness, reduced alertness, increased frequency/probability of muscle cramps, sleeping disorders (yes) and reduced coordination. With long term medication it gets worse and includes a host of psychiatric symptoms.

On the other hand, if he just took a couple of mg/day for a couple of weeks, his issues are more likely to be related to his primary diagnosis (or other).

Mark Rippetoe

The guy needs TRT, not valium.

MashedTaters

There are no words to express my gratitude for your podcast with Joe Busch, MD, last year. As luck would have it, his clinic (The Busch Center) in Alpharetta, GA, is about 10 mi from me, and this past Tuesday he treated me for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). I cannot say enough about Dr. Busch and his staff. They were wonderful. I’m in recovery mode now – taking lots of drugs and supplements, drinking lots of water, icing, compression socks, catheter in place for two weeks, etc., etc.

I’m now 72, but I started having issues with frequent urination when I was around 54. However, at the time, I did not have the presence of mind to speak to my doctor about it, and therefore, I just lived with it.

Three weeks ago on the morning of July 4, around 1am, I was hit by a freight train, so to speak. I could not urinate; and the days and nights since then, leading up to my treatment with Dr. Busch this week were, hands down, the most miserable days of my life – three trips to the ER (one in an ambulance), one trip to a urologist, three visits with nurse practitioners, and four…FOUR…catheter insertions. To say my urethra was abused and angry does not scratch the surface, and I was given morphine before the fourth insertion – it didn’t really help.

I’m leaving out the details for now, but I welcome any questions and will share any info that might be helpful to others facing this.

Mark Rippetoe

I’ve heard from other people about how much they appreciate Joe and his staff. Glad we could help.

BareSteel

Four insertions – ouch! Can you elaborate on the meds you’re on? Proscar?

MashedTaters

On my first visit to the ER, the ER doc prescribed Flomax.

Sidebar: for this visit, they inserted a Foley catheter, drained, and removed. The catheter should have remained in place per Dr. Busch and every other medical professional I encountered in the next couple weeks.

Eight days later, the Urologist doubled my dose of Flomax.

Eight days later during my first visit with Dr. Busch, he told me to drop the Flomax, use Alfuzosin instead, and alternate Tylenol/Ibuprofen. This combination allowed me to get by without a catheter until I came back for the procedure.

Before/after the procedure, I’m taking Bactrim, Cefdinir, Alfuzosin, Tylenol, AZO, Zinc (100mg), Vitamin C (1000mg), Magnesium (500mg, for constipation).

Hope this helps.