"Crap, I hurt my back again."

[stilleto]

This advice is too good not to have members take notice. it's also a common problem, so i'm leaving it up here for a bit.

situps? That means you have tight hip flexors and posas - situps make it worse, combined with all the sitting you do
Stop doing situps!!

Tight hip flexors, inhibt the glute from firing, so the lower back starts to become over active. Your glutes should feel it when you walk, not your lowr back. I.ve been there before

try this in the morning and after anytime you sit for a while and before training to
lossen up the hip flexors and activate the glutes, which will reelas pressure off your back. The glute should do all the work


do a quad/hip flexor stretch like this at medium intensity

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/images/golf_stretching_quad.gif

after about 20secs, you should feel your hip flexors start to relax. You keep holding the stretch after the 20secs, and the start contracting the glutes at moderate intensity so the upper thigh moves back slightly - hip extension - but you only contract briefly. Relax the contraction, while still holding the stretch, the upper thigh will move back, forward a little, and repeat the contraction 20 times. Then do the other leg


When I've been sitting a while and I do this move, straight after, my lower back feels all relaxed and nice and my glutes take over an do all the work when I stand or bend over. Where I normally might have my lower back feel all tensed and strained. Everyone can benefit from this move as we all sit quite a bit...

Works great before a squat and deadlift session to get the glutes firing

 

[MichaelScott]

come here letto ill give u a massage

 

[coolcolj]

also something I noticed the today and day before - there is a definite connection between the obliques and the lower back. My whole oblique is sore to the touch, trigger points etc, and every time I massage it with my hands or do self myofascial release work with a tennis ball against the wall my lower back feels nice and loose.

 

[Roofus]

I constantly get sore in my upper back right between my shoulder blades. I don't know if I'm pulling a muscle or pinching a nerve. But it is horrifically painful. I'd love to know if anyone knows a common lift that would be causing it similar to the OP and lower back pain.

 

[coolcolj]

I constantly get sore in my upper back right between my shoulder blades. I don't know if I'm pulling a muscle or pinching a nerve. But it is horrifically painful. I'd love to know if anyone knows a common lift that would be causing it similar to the OP and lower back pain.

Sounds like your lower traps. It's probably balled up and tight, along with trigger points

read and apply - anyone who trains needs to be doing this every week!

CoolColJ wrote:
something that need stressing - make sure your doing foam rolling and self myofascial tissue work with tennis/golf ball, or small balls ( yes even a mini BBall pumped tight works great) or other objects like the corner of a bench top...

On your off days to keep scar tissue and adhesion build up to a minimum and keep your fascia nice and loose so your body works properly and is in alignment.
It will greatly reduce damage from jumping and training, and keep jumpers knee at bay.... I speak from personal experience
And allow you to squat way deeper without your lower back tucking under in an oly full squat. Loosen up the glutes with a tennis ball against the wall until all painful trigger points are gone etc

Even shoulder pain too...

Start from the bottom of the feet and work up.

background info
http://laurensfitness.com/2008/03/06/fascia-part-1-an-important-piece-of-the-pain-puzzle/


articles
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=475832
http://laurensfitness.com/2008/02/24/tennis-ball-part-1-a-tool-you-never-knew-you-had/

vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEfs08PvIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7QMW6Qebs

the foam roller helps for the lower body, but if you read the articles, the tennis ball is even better for the upper body and bottom of the foot
Tennis ball against the wall is also awesome for the glutes and hips, TFL etc
All problems start from the foot, so start rolling out the foot arch with a tennis ball or golf ball, if the tennis ball isn't doing much. I also use a hard 21x3 inch cardboard roll, since the foam roller eventually doesn't do much when you get looser. A PVC pipe does the job too.

And I also use small Mini BBalls pumped up tight. I have one the size of a volleyball that works great on the VMO and adductor area. The small size works better there, foam rollers tend to get in the way. Applies enough pressure to bring tears to my eyes!

Anyway you will find trigger points all over your body. Once they go away, you will be so loose, it's not funny! And feel stronger too! The moderate weights at one stage started to feel scary heavy on my back, on squats. I think the CNS was shutting down the muscles because everything was so tight, scar tissue filled and jammed up. Now it feels good.

My upper body got a whole lot stronger and more stable after I started the tissue work. No surprise, because ART does the same kind of thing, but better, and people regain and improve strength.

also foam rolling will work the crap out of your core and upper body support muscles like the serratus anterior
I was so sore in spinal erectors and ribcage msucles at one stage I had to take pain killers to sleep...

 

[Roofus]

Sounds like your lower traps. It's probably balled up and tight, along with trigger points

read and apply - anyone who trains needs to be doing this every week!

Is that your blog?

So I can say that the tennis ball thing on my traps hurt like shit. But that being said, it gave me more relief than I've had all day. Which is very nice. Hard to do the neck with the ball. From the videos I can see how a foam roller would be much easier. I'll check the storage room at my gym tomorrow to see if they have one.

 

[coolcolj]

I'm just quoting some of my old posts

You can use a small ball against the wall, or fingers, but yeah a foam roller wedges well into the neck. The foam roller is more a general large area device. The smaller the object the more intense and concentrated the release

the more it hurts, means the tighter the muscle/fascia is, and the more knoted up it is. If its really tight the whole thing will hurt, but the more you do it, eventually it won't hurt so much and then you will find specific trigger points within the muscle you can target. Once your all loose, it would hurt much, but I would still do it once a week to keep things in check. These problems develop overtime from "abuse" and training.

 

[chainsaw1]

I found really stretching the hamstrings will loosen up the lower back.

 

[SaiBoT]

hot water bath w epsom salt r terrific for back pain, overall soreness and stiffness done at least 2x week! warm-ups like a little cardio and very LIGHT static and active stretching helping the sinuvial fluids to the it's job. Lack of these and structural strength inbalances are the fastest ticket to back injuries. Checking your ego at gym door is also a good idea.

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD WORKOUT!!!

 

[Island Son]

Thanks Stilleto. The flexors have been contracted and perma-sore for at least 3 months now... too much quad, not enough hams which lead to a strained popliteus when i started running....geez. I'll try this every day for a month, see how it goes.

 

[coolcolj]

Nice free little Self Myofacial release e-book by Mike Robertson
http://www.robertsontrainingsystems.com/Self-Myofascial Release, Purpose, Methods and Techniques.pdf

 

[crxdog]

I've hurt my back

I have farked it doing deadlifts now i have two bulged disks L4 & L5 and two weeks ago i couldn't even walk for a day. Its been terrible ive been out of the gym for two weeks now and i feel like im wasting away! I'm a tall guy close to 6ft 3 so i guess a combination of that, bad technique and 140kg deadlift's YEAH BUDDY ! Have left me out of the game for a little bit.

I have been going to Physiotherapy for a couple of session's but now i know what the problem is i went and saw an Osteopath, money well spent i have noticed a difference already i just hope i can return to the iron very shortly

Do you guys know what i should be doing? Stretching wise?

 

[the small soldier]

hot showers, cold compresses, and deep tissue massage=heaven for sore muscles and joints

 

[rediculus]

If your lower back get's sore quickly when you try running even on treadmills?

 

[Sub-Zero]

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...fting/warm-up-your-hips-agile-8-a-631289.html

more on stretching/warming up the hips

 

[the_alcatraz]

I hurt my back pretty bad a couple of days ago doing deadlifts. i was in bed for three days, through the holidays

 

[1999TL]

I hurt my back pretty bad a couple of days ago doing deadlifts. i was in bed for three days, through the holidays

Fudge. I just came in here b/c I've been debating cutting deads out. When going heavy I feel I arch my back a little. I'm getting scared to hurt my back. It doesn't help that my brother tells me it's not worth the risk.

 

[Sub-Zero]

Fudge. I just came in here b/c I've been debating cutting deads out. When going heavy I feel I arch my back a little. I'm getting scared to hurt my back. It doesn't help that my brother tells me it's not worth the risk.

IMO it depends what your training for...if you are purely for looks, then deads are not necesary in my opinion...especially not heavy deads

 

[1999TL]

I thought it made you more anabolic overall, like squats. I also wanted more explosion in my hops, but squats may be enough?

 

[the_alcatraz]

Fudge. I just came in here b/c I've been debating cutting deads out. When going heavy I feel I arch my back a little. I'm getting scared to hurt my back. It doesn't help that my brother tells me it's not worth the risk.

Deadlifts are worth it IMO.

It was my mistake. I was warming up and there was ice on my shoes from working outside. I didnt pay much attention and just went in to deadlift.

If everything is taken care of, deads can prove to be very effective for your entire body. You will look fuller, better and it will give you width like no other exercise.

 

[1999TL]

Thanks bro. I'll keep at it for awhile. I'm a skinny punk still. no width. 5'9", 180 lbs.

 

[Sub-Zero]

Deadlifts are worth it IMO.

It was my mistake. I was warming up and there was ice on my shoes from working outside. I didnt pay much attention and just went in to deadlift.

If everything is taken care of, deads can prove to be very effective for your entire body. You will look fuller, better and it will give you width like no other exercise.

that being said, i think when you get into a habbit of falling in love with deadlifting heavy, one tends to sacrifice form, very slowly, over time, for weight. leading to impropper muscle firing. i believe it was Nathan who discussed the problems of having inflexible hips, a weak abdomen, and weak glutes, and deadlifting.

you begin to deadlift heavy, and force your body into awful posture (which is what i have done to myself).

if you deadlift, make sure your using flawless form, and feeling the squeeze. my suggestion for people who are afraid of injuring themselves, is to never deadlift more than they can "comfortably" shrug while their ass is clenched...

 

[desmond]

Should many of us be doing glute activation exercises or hip flexer stretches to ensure the glutes are firing? I can never feel my glutes in the negative of a squat, and was surprised to find today that the partial squat (first time I did it) was felt more in my glutes than the ATG squat

 

[Sub-Zero]

Should many of us be doing glute activation exercises or hip flexer stretches to ensure the glutes are firing? I can never feel my glutes in the negative of a squat, and was surprised to find today that the partial squat (first time I did it) was felt more in my glutes than the ATG squat

good idea. im going to give these a shot:

How to Optimize Posterior Chain Power: Glute Activation | StrongLifts.com

 

[desmond]

good idea. im going to give these a shot:

How to Optimize Posterior Chain Power: Glute Activation | StrongLifts.com

I stumbled on the exact same link and was going to also give it a shot. Be interesting to see whether it increase squat numbers too.

I don't feel my glutes at all in the negative part of the squat - is this strange???? They only seem to do anything in the positive.

Also trying some of those exercises I realised I had poor glute activation.

There is also this:

T-Nation.com | Get Your Butt In Gear! - Part 1
T-Nation.com | Get Your Butt In Gear! - Part 2
T-Nation.com | Glute Training for Dudes

 

[1999TL]

Not to steer too off-topic, but I actually dont want anymore glute activation. After squats, my ass and legs are always sore. That's fine and dandy, but all my jeans feel like Nut huggers. I'd rather my ass not grow anymore, to be honest.

 

[desmond]

When a muscle doesn't grow it grows in a less desirable shape, is it possible that it or a part of the muscle isn't activated.

E.g., relative to my size, my quads are developed in the inner part above the knee, but not developed on the outer (more attractive side). Is this genetics, or really just that for whatever reason I haven't learned to use that part of the muscle well - like people with lazy glutes.

Similarly my upper chest wide is great (again relative to my overall side), but not upper middle. I don't feel exercises there either. Is this again something that could be improved by activation?

Should we flex/squeeze our target muscles to awaken them b4 doing the exercise in general?

By analogy, as stretching loosens, weakens and deactivates muscles, could we use this to deactivate potential synergists - e.g. bisceps on back exercises, shoulders on bench, to diminish the role of the synergist and more greatly employ our target

 

[Home Gym Expert]

Back problems that I have had all can be traced back to using bad form. The knee bone is connected to the thigh bone and so on. If my neck is kinked its because shoulder press was uneven or I turned my neck.

Same goes for squats, I have subconsciously favored my left leg due to a bad ankle break a few years ago. This resulted in all kinds of problems because I over developed other areas. led to physical therapy. Once you can see the problem it is correctable. But until then its frustrating as hell.

 

[gkp041455]

I constantly get sore in my upper back right between my shoulder blades. I don't know if I'm pulling a muscle or pinching a nerve. But it is horrifically painful. I'd love to know if anyone knows a common lift that would be causing it similar to the OP and lower back pain.

Go to a chiropractor for an adjustment.

George Pragovich
Cancer Recovery and Fitness Specialist
Trainer of Personal Trainers
[email protected]

 

[rugger75]

Yes, see a Chiropractor. All your muscles are connected to bones, so if the bones are misaligned it will pull the muscles tight...tight muscles will pull the bones out of align. You can massage until your hands fall off, but if the structural problem isn't corrected than the problem will keep coming back.
After doing all the work on muscles, make sure to take care of your structure also (joints, back, etc.)
I'm a Chiropractor and I see some bodybuilders in my office all the time. They all report they lift better and more pain free when lined up. Think of it this way: if you doing are doing deadlifts or squats and you already have your pelvis out of line (let's say the right side of the pelvis is higher than the other) than you are going to get alot of muscle, joint, ligament and tendon wear and tear. If this keeps up over time then your joint will develop arthritis, you'll have chronic pain, etc.

Please keep this in mind, the longer you wait to fix something, the longer it takes to get it fixed. As I said on her before, Franco Columbo was a Chiropractor and Arnold would often get adjusted by him. If the best of the best did it, I think it would be good for all of us!
Hope this helps some of you bros!

 

[needtogetaas]

Skeletal-balm