Working out with a bad back.

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Punch

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There's a pretty good article here.

How to Train Like a Bad Ass - Even with a Bad Back | T Nation

One thing i'd like to mention is not all back injuries are created equal. You have to find what works for your specific needs. You may need less resistance. You may need more stability.

Example: my lower back is fucked, so any sit ups are going to murder me. An alternative i found that works for me is flutter kicks.

Also, swimming, swimming, swimming. This cannot be overstated. Swim your ass off whenever possible. This is universal. That pain relief from the weightless feeling will allow you to push it like salt n pepa. Just don't hurt yourself.

Good luck homies!
 

Tuc Ouiner

Posting Machine
May 19, 2016
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What do you think of the glute-ham raise machine that Louie(Westside) makes. Pricetag is ridiculous, but it's more of a compound movement than the hyper extention. Kickbacks as well as balancois exercises on the barre are reasonable alternatives also. But yeah, can't beat swimming.
 
P

Punch

Guest
I meant to ask. What are flutter kicks? Is the link's "spine supported crunch?"
I get on my back with a small support for my pelvis (foam block for physical therapy), raise my heels about 6 inches, and alternate lifting them a short distance. I fully engage my core, i mentally force my back to relax, and do as much as i can before discomfort turns to pain. It's not easy, and it's not for everyone. Like i said, no two back injuries are the same.
 
P

Punch

Guest
What do you think of the glute-ham raise machine that Louie(Westside) makes. Pricetag is ridiculous, but it's more of a compound movement than the hyper extention. Kickbacks as well as balancois exercises on the barre are reasonable alternatives also. But yeah, can't beat swimming.
Standing kickbacks i've done, but just like with anything you have to find your personal range of motion. I've done them back slightly, engaged my core to hold the position a few seconds, and return to a standing position.

Side note: A lot of the exercises you do with a fucked up back you have to do slowly. A good full workout will take me a long time compared to most.
 

Tuc Ouiner

Posting Machine
May 19, 2016
1,816
1,467
Do you remember iron boots from the 1950s? They were more popular with the York(Hoffman- Strength and Health set) Basically an iron boot that is strapped to your foot with canvas-like straps-- some models had a dumbell bar that you could put plates on. The reason I ask is this: Hanging from a chin up bar with one iron boot and doing slow/ controlled knee raises could possibly be an alternate exercise for you. An ankle wt could also work. I think that trying to find compound (rather than isolation) movements to help your recovery is more beneficial in the long run. Although, these exercises work the opposing muscle groups more directly, they help your targeted muscle groups(back/glutes/ham tie/in) Kinda like the Bench Press and Barbell Row complement each other. I know you probably know all this, but sometimes it helps when other people articulate it in a different way. I also think hand stand stuff against the wall and if you could get someone to hold your legs while you walk around a bit on your hands-- could be beneficial. Anyway, good luck.
 
P

Punch

Guest
Do you remember iron boots from the 1950s? They were more popular with the York(Hoffman- Strength and Health set) Basically an iron boot that is strapped to your foot with canvas-like straps-- some models had a dumbell bar that you could put plates on. The reason I ask is this: Hanging from a chin up bar with one iron boot and doing slow/ controlled knee raises could possibly be an alternate exercise for you. An ankle wt could also work. I think that trying to find compound (rather than isolation) movements to help your recovery is more beneficial in the long run. Although, these exercises work the opposing muscle groups more directly, they help your targeted muscle groups(back/glutes/ham tie/in) Kinda like the Bench Press and Barbell Row complement each other. I know you probably know all this, but sometimes it helps when other people articulate it in a different way. I also think hand stand stuff against the wall and if you could get someone to hold your legs while you walk around a bit on your hands-- could be beneficial. Anyway, good luck.
Spinal compression and spinal decompression are excruciating for me, but good looking out homie. They make high speed inversion tables now, and i tried one. I screamed. Can't lie.
 

Leigh

Engineer
Pro Fighter
Jan 26, 2015
10,925
21,293
I herniated a disc in my back a few years ago being an idiot with deadlifts. Turned into sciatica and crippled me. Ever since, my back would stiffen up and I lost a lot of mobility.

After a few months, I read a book by Dr John Sarno, that said back pain was a mental thing. A lot of it was fluff and bollocks (IMHO) but I did realise that my back injury was healed and the muscles were just spasming out of habit. The pain was real but the injury was not. So I ignored the pain and trained through it. Now I can wrestle, workout, do whatever I like again. My back feels tight if I stand for too long but aside from that, I'm pretty much pain free.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that everyone with back pain is in the same boat, just that it worked for me.
 
P

Punch

Guest
I herniated a disc in my back a few years ago being an idiot with deadlifts. Turned into sciatica and crippled me. Ever since, my back would stiffen up and I lost a lot of mobility.

After a few months, I read a book by Dr John Sarno, that said back pain was a mental thing. A lot of it was fluff and bollocks (IMHO) but I did realise that my back injury was healed and the muscles were just spasming out of habit. The pain was real but the injury was not. So I ignored the pain and trained through it. Now I can wrestle, workout, do whatever I like again. My back feels tight if I stand for too long but aside from that, I'm pretty much pain free.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that everyone with back pain is in the same boat, just that it worked for me.
That's hardcore. Your back was freaking out because it was used to feeaking out? Crazy shit. Bodies are weird.
 

Leigh

Engineer
Pro Fighter
Jan 26, 2015
10,925
21,293
That's hardcore. Your back was freaking out because it was used to feeaking out? Crazy shit. Bodies are weird.
Yeah, the muscles tensed up to protect the injury and once the injury was healed, they continued to tense up when I moved my back. It was horrible but didn't take long to fix once I decided to address it. I just started wrestling through it and it was fine.
 
P

Punch

Guest
Yeah, the muscles tensed up to protect the injury and once the injury was healed, they continued to tense up when I moved my back. It was horrible but didn't take long to fix once I decided to address it. I just started wrestling through it and it was fine.
Ah, yes. Splinting. Ok i'm tracking now. The orthopedic surgeon told me about that.
 
P

Punch

Guest
I haven't heard that term. Google just returns a load of results for using an actual splint.
The way he described it was that the muscles will stiffen up to protect the injured area, acting like a natural splint.
 

gangsterkathryn

저승사자
Oct 20, 2015
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That happens when I aggravate the injury, but each time that happens, I lose even more feeling and my foot and leg.