Recurring Muscle pull (lower back)

[HellsMessenger]

Hey guys and gals,

I have had back problems since I was 20 years old (I'm 35 now). When I was 20 I herniated my L4-L5 disc and was off of weight lifting for over 1 year (my doc actually told me I had to quit lifting forever, can you imagine?). Anyhow I had a procedure done where they inject an enzyme into the herniated disc which disolves the disc basically shrinking it down to half it's previous size. The procedure was called a Chymopapaine (sp?) injection. Anyhow to make a long story short the surgery didn't help my back pain at all and actually caused my lower facet joints to wear out quickly, they call this degeneritive osteoarthritis. So anyhow I was able to improve my back pain greatly by using a homemade traction device and was able to get back to lifting again by the time I was 22.

I still have frequent stiffness and soreness in my back due to the osteoarthritis, but no more disc or nerve pain. The problem I have had though for the last 2 years is very frequent muscle pulls in the lower back area. They always seem to occur on days when my back is stiff prior to lifting. I will stretch out my back for about 10-15 minutes or so prior to my workout but regardless if my form gets even a tad off I will pull the same damn muscle and be out for 2 weeks. I swear I must have pulled this same muscle at least 10 times in the last two years. I seem to pull it doing dead lifts, or squats, and today I actually pulled it doing hack squats. I just relaxed my abs for a second at the top of the lift and felt a sharp pain in my lower spine.

Has anyone else had problems like this with pulling the same muscle over and over? I have tried doing lower back strentgthing exercises like hyper extensions but these cause me to be very stiff and sore the next two days and that is what usually causes me to pull the muscle again. And I know everyone is going to say stretch more, but I stretch thoroughly before the workout, to the point where I can hold my fingers under the soles of my feet. Those damn muscles are just tightinging back up on me during the exercise.

Because hyperextensions really cause me a lot of pain and soreness for a few days following my workout, I am thinking I should avoid these. Deadlifts however seem to reduce my back pain, as long as I am careful and don't pull that same muscle again. The muscle I keep pullin seems to go from my lower spine to my left hip area.

Any tips guys? Any lower back exercises I should try? Anything good stretches to try out?

I think I am going to have my new doctor take a look at my back to see if the degeneration is getting worse.

Thanks for any input.

 

[sorerotators]

Are you doing your deadlifts full range (off the floor)?
If you are want might want to switch to rack pulls. With a sumo stance (this is optional but it'll take alot of the strain out of your lower back). Set the pins a couple inches below your knees. You will see alot of improvement in a short time in your lower back strenght. And this exercise has put ALOT of thickness all through my back. Over time you can start working the pins lower. Just work your way up in weight slowly and use good form.

I think i saw a pic of B Fold doing rack pulls. And look at some of the pics of his erectors. Huge. Hopefully he'll reply also and give some tips.

I had lower back problems alot also. I'm tall (6'6). Since doing heavy rack pulls i've hardly had any back pain at all.

Also if you are using a lifting belt lose it. Useless you are maxing out on something, only use it for over head lifts maybe.
I used to always strain my lower back just BELOW the belt when i first started lifting. The belt makes your muscles below it have to work alot harder and take most of the strain. This has also helped ALOT.

Good luck. Sore.

 

[HellsMessenger]

Thank Sore,

I had the same problem with the weight belt causing me to pull my back muscles just below the beltline. I no longer use a belt and it has helped somewhat. I do do deadlifts off the ground, I do not use the sumo stance but maybe I'll give it a try. Right now I feel like my back is made of glass. I can't believe I pulled a muscle on the hack squat machine. This is getting rediculous. How many reps do you do with your rack pulls?

 

[sorerotators]

I like to go heavy. My working sets don't hardly ever go over 5 reps for rack pulls. I find form really starts to go bad after 5 or so and your more prone to strain something.
Also dont do to many sets. I usually only do 3-4 working sets.

Just make sure you dont over do it, or use to much weight the first couple weeks or so.

Another thing i do Hells is i will do my pulldowns/pullups first before anything. This strecthes you out nice and warms up your entire back without fatigueing your lower back.

By the way sorry to here about your back. That sounds pretty screwed up. Hope you got some malpractice money out of it.

Sore.

 

[sorerotators]

Hells, i should have asked this at the beginning, but what are your goals? Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, just all around fitness?

This will give us a better idea of what you should be doing and avoiding.

Doh! My Bad.

 

[HellsMessenger]

Sore,

My goals are bodybuilding. I am not looking to impress anyone with my lifts but I would like to impress with my physique. I figured after sustaining a serious back injury powerlifting would be out of the question. I was doing deads and cleans for the last few months but I had to lay off when the back troubles resurfaced.

 

[b fold the truth]

http://www.testosterone.net/articles/194dead.html

http://www.elitefitnesssystems.com/documents/trainingfortheback.htm

Read both of these. I realize that they are toned towards powerlifters...but they can help you also.

What does your total routine look like?

What exercises have hurt you in the past?

What have you done to improve your back and ab region?

B True

 

[sorerotators]

Ok Hells, If your goal is bodybuilding, i would lay off the full range deads and heavy jerking movements for now.

When you do deads off the floor you are stretching your lower back alot THEN you are applying almost maximum (if not maximum) contraction. Its very hard on the back.

With a rack, you get a little stretch, and are able to get maximum contraction. With much heavier weight.

The bulk of my deadlifting is done in a rack. But now i'm able to do full DLs and even DLs on a 4 inch block now.

This is just my experience with lower back pain, and there are alot of other exercises for the lower back. But the rack work worked the best for me. It strengthened my lower back very fast.

As a rule, until your back gets stronger. I would avoid exercises that first stretch it then contract it. But do your stretching exercises like you have been.

Hope this helps some. Sore

 

[HellsMessenger]

Here is my current routine. I work out 3 x per week and I have 4 different workout days which I do in sequence, I try to keep my rep range around 8-10 for each set, I do 3 heavy sets and my last set i drop the weight 20% and proceed without resting:

Day1 (Legs)

4 sets squats (245)
4 standing calf raise
4 hack squat at 230
4 seated calf raise
4 hamstring curl

Day2 (Chest/Shoulder)

4 flat bench (225)
4 DB Military Press
4 DB Incline BP
4 Chest Fly's
4 Shoulder lateral raise
3 Abs

Day3 (Back/Ham)

4 DeadLift (275)
4 seated Calf Raise
4 Pull Ups/Chins
4 standing calf raise
4 Cable Rows

Day4 (Arms)

4 Barbell Curl
4 Head Butts
4 Dumbell Curls
4 Trcep Cables
4 Misc Bicep
4 Misc Tricep
3 Abs

I also do wind sprints twice a week for aerobic. My weight is currently 180, I am 5'10".

I initially hurt my back when I was 20 doing hyperextensions on the Roman chair with a 35 lb plate behind my head. This is what casued my bulging disc. I have had this recurring muscle pull happen during deadlifts 3x, squats 2x, bent over rows 1x, hack squats 1 x. I think some of these muscle pulls were caused by wearing a weight belt too tight. I don't use a belt anymore. I also noticed that if I round my back even just a little bit during a lift I pull the muscle instantly. This is what happened on the hack squat, I just relaxed my abs at the top of my last rep on the fourth set and I felt the old knife in the back.

I notice that hyperextensions and squats seem to cause me a lot of soreness in my back for the following days, deads don't seem to be as bad. The depth of my squats has a big impact on soreness, if I go real deep I will be much more sore the next couple of days.

 

[b fold the truth]

Strengthen your hams with:
good mornings
box squats
band curls
rev hypers
glute ham raises

Strengthen your abs with:
full range sit ups
standing ab pull downs

Strengthen your back with:
rev hypers

Try using Icy Hot on the area 10 minutes before you lift.

Read both of the articles I posted..in detail.

B True