Thanks in advance for anyone who reads through this and can offer a suggestion.
For the last week my low back has been sore, and it has been concerning me because the soreness has not subsided much. It will be sore, but when I am on my feet for 5+ minutes, it really seems to aggravate it and the pain gets worse.
Prior to this, and currently, I have been doing mobility work and foam rolling everyday, and also static stretching every other day with the exercises listed in the “Hardcore Stretching” article by Mike Robertson.
I did this workout on Monday last week, and ever since then my back has been sore.
Here is the workout.
Good Mornings:
135x2x5
225x2x5
315x3x1
375x5 reps
405x5 reps (done below 45 degrees with sumo stance)
Power squat:
Worked up to 7 plates on each side with 2 reps with sumo stance
Hip work (wide outs with band doubled above knees) 1x5 with purple band 1x10 with green
180 degree hyper extension 3x10 with 25 above head
Core work 4x10-12 side bends with cable worked up to 160x10 on each side
I had a ME squat on Friday last week, but my back was so sore it hurt to squat anything above 70% my 1RM. I didn’t push this for fear of injury and took it easy. I have also been using the reverse hyper ever day (with light weight) since the soreness to try to get some blood moving and alleviate the pain.
I know my flexibility isn’t that great, and I think this may be contributing to something. Is there anything else I can do about this? What would you guys recommend?
I have had the same problem from back spasms in high school. Occasionally my back gets really irritated and sore when lifting, almost to the point of tears, especially after goodmornings, lunges, or squats.
Yoga helps and also getting trigger point massage once every two weeks. That is what works for me anyway, if the pain continues beyond every once in awhile I would lay off or see a specialist.
Well, the obvious is that you overdid things a bit with your last workout, but I bet you knew that I’ve just started really getting into yoga, and although I feel really good and my hips are starting to open up, my lower back has been hurting just a little. My amateur theory is that I’m not used to stabilizing my lumbar spine with my pelvis in its proper position i.e. using my tight hips to keep my lower back from moving. Kinda like taking a step back to taking two forward.
If that makes any sense to you, I’d guess you’d back off of Westside for a bit while you work on flexibility. I think the best advice tho would be ask the experts, Cressey and Robertson. I think they would respond the fastest to your question in the MM thread as it is MM related.
[quote]HoratioSandoval wrote:
Well, the obvious is that you overdid things a bit with your last workout, but I bet you knew that I’ve just started really getting into yoga, and although I feel really good and my hips are starting to open up, my lower back has been hurting just a little. My amateur theory is that I’m not used to stabilizing my lumbar spine with my pelvis in its proper position i.e. using my tight hips to keep my lower back from moving. Kinda like taking a step back to taking two forward.
If that makes any sense to you, I’d guess you’d back off of Westside for a bit while you work on flexibility. I think the best advice tho would be ask the experts, Cressey and Robertson. I think they would respond the fastest to your question in the MM thread as it is MM related.[/quote]
I have though about doing yoga in the past, as I hear it is great fro flexibility.
I hesitate to say anything because my numbers are so much lower, but I notice that my back will tighten up after what I’d call heavy deadlifts.
If I don’t stretch it out and flex the abs to counter the pelvic tilt this causes, my back will continue to be aggravated about it. I’ll often do a bit of ab work after heavy back work for this reason.
Is it right down the middle like where your spine is or along the sides. If it’s your spine it could be a bulging disc which I got once by arching too hard on pulldowns. I ask because usually muscles don’t stay sore that long if it’s just doms. I’m sure you knew that to.
Is it right down the middle like where your spine is or along the sides. If it’s your spine it could be a bulging disc which I got once by arching too hard on pulldowns. I ask because usually muscles don’t stay sore that long if it’s just doms. I’m sure you knew that to.[/quote]
It is not down the middle, but rather it, the pain, is along the sides.
For me it’s an issue of overly tight hip flexors. I have a good ART provider, this helps. Learn the various ways to stretch them. I just got the magnificent mobility video, not sure what I think of it yet.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
I’m not sure I follow. It sounds like you’re saying the pain is both in the middle of your lower back and along side your spine.[/quote]
Nope, just along the sides where the spinal erector muscles are.
[quote]Spike9726 wrote:
For me it’s an issue of overly tight hip flexors. I have a good ART provider, this helps. Learn the various ways to stretch them. I just got the magnificent mobility video, not sure what I think of it yet. [/quote]
Where do I find a good ART provider, and where do I learn the various ways to stretch them?
I have had lower back spasm type attacks occasionally since adolescence. Havn’t had them in a while but yesterday during my third set of squats it hit just as I was coming up.
I went to a chiropractor friend of mine (havn’t been to a chiropractor in over 3 years prior to that). He did some heat treatment followed by electric impulses (kind of like a TENS unit if you know what that is, but more intense). Then he adjusted me.
I walked out feeling MUCH better (considering when I walked in I couldn’t bend more than 6" forward). That evening it was sore as hell again, but I was able to make it to the gym today, do upper body work (mostly seated to stabilize my back). However after my workout my back felt even better.
I’m going in again this afternoon for another of the same treatment. It worked for me, snake oil or not, its the results that count, right?
I the same about 2 years ago, back always got sore after and during deadlifts and was tight etc - thought it was muscular and just ignored it. Was doinggood morning and something happened - can’t pinpoint it really as it wasnt sore at the time. Rested for five days whilst on holiday but couldn’t get comfortable when sitting, went back to the gym and trained for about 4 days and had to stop as when I got outa bed in the morning It was really painful as I straightened up.
Had to rest it for three months with no improvement - to cut a long story short I was out the gym for abut11months with a disk protrusion between L4 and L5. Doctors fed me a pile of crap about “rest” being the only thing for it - bullshit - it only started to get better when I went to see an osteopath 6months down the line.
A minor injury when not sorted out leads to another injury which leads to another - all of a sudden the are a whole lot of structural problems in the spine so it loses its flexibility and bang - busted disk - I lost 20kgs and was out the gym for about 13 months - moral of the story seek professional advice at the first sign of back injury - I have to go to the osteo every month now - but at least Im lifting again and have put back 15kg - you only have one back - look after it as much as you can - once its fucked - its fucked - no going back
I’ve just started really getting into yoga, and although I feel really good and my hips are starting to open up, my lower back has been hurting just a little. My amateur theory is that I’m not used to stabilizing my lumbar spine with my pelvis in its proper position i.e. using my tight hips to keep my lower back from moving. Kinda like taking a step back to taking two forward.