Question about back squats

dgobbett

A little background:

Reinjured my ankle a few weeks back (first injury was tendon related, this one sprain)

I was regularly squatting 275 (5x5), I'd feel tired and pumped after and the challenge felt right. After my latest setback I took a week off squatting worked with a physiotheripist to condition my ankle. I have been squatting again for a few weeks, I have deloaded to 225, and now it isn't related to my ankle, I am just plain exhausted after pushing out a set of 5, out of breathe which was never an issue for me even being 20lb heavier.

As far as I can tell my form and process hasn't changed, aside from squatting I still kept to my normal routine, which included the standard compound exercises.

Any thoughts ?

Unknown

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jodidari

I think you may need to go even lower. I used to be able to squat 70lbs (10x5) but then one day I started having a pain in my left leg whenever I did anything that required too much bending, too much lateral movements and so on. After a few weeks of low intensity while healing I decided it was time to resume. I had the same issue, although I had reduced to 50lbs. I went real low and started squatting with 5 lbs dumbbells in each hands and worked my way back to the barbell

dgobbett

Not a lot, I regularly workout over my lunch hour 4 days a week with cardio on off days, my calories have dropped a bit due to loss (2200 calories down from 2340) current at 337lbs.

I do have obstructive sleep apnea but I am in treatment, deep sleep per night ranges from 4-6 hours (which is actually pretty good for me)

SonyaCele

did you just lose 20 pounds, that will affect your squat #, and if you have been in a steady deficit for a while, that will also affect your strength. Plus i imagine you are focused on your ankle and exerting mental energy maybe protecting it, and that will also affect your #. Each little thing isn't that much, but added up , it could put that much of a dent in your strength.

SonyaCele

there is one other thing, depending on the injury, there can be almost immediate atrophy of the muscles around it. i'm not sure about a ankle injury, but thats something to look at also.

TR0berts

At this point, I think a form-check vid is in order. You may think your form hasn't changed - or, is at least good - but there may well be something that sticks out.

giantrobot_powerlifting

If your sure your form hasn't changed and the ankle holds well, you may want to keep pushing through until 5x5 225 lbs is relatively effortless again. I just experienced this with my deadlifts after meet tapering and injuries for a couple of months, my old rep ranges seemed impossible. Took awhile, but I am close to my old rep ranges again.

You may need to recapture your groove to rediscover all those other small but crucial cues you are missing. There is something to be said for rep endurance.

dgobbett

Thanks for the advice guys I'll keep at it felt pretty good at 225 today bumped to 245 feeling good too. Gotta drive through that barrier