posted May 04, 2000 04:04 PM            

Therapy told me to strengthen the abs and back muscles to take the load off of the ruptured disc. I did this and it worked fine, the pain went away and the feeling came back to my left leg.

The doctors told me the same thing, stop squatting, deadlifts, or lifting any weight.

But let me tell you something, it is bullshit. I am now lifting 250 pounds with rock bottom squats for 20 reps. The more deadlifts I do the better my back feels.

My back was not just disc problems, it was also muscle that got damaged in a motor bike accident. I have a ruptured glut that will never heal. A spinal erector muscle on the left side that would knot up and cause the other supporting muscles to spasm. All of this is gone now except for a little pain now and again went I take a bad spill on the snowboard, but nothing like it used to do.

When you get older you tend to stiffen up and grow calcium deposits between the spinal column and you need to stay flexible. That is the most important part of recovery.

These doctors must just be playing it safe, as long as you start off slow and light, work the important muscles, and stay flexible you will do fine. I soon learned that not working your back is the last thing you want to do, sitting on your rump and letting it go hard will screw you up. Surgery is just as bad for you, they cut on a lot of shit when they operate and it can be just as bad as the problem they as trying to cure.

I was born with an extra vertebrae they called a "transitional vertebrae" and it is more prone to damage because is not as stable as normal people and it is more important to me to keep my back and abs tight.

I strongly believe doctors tell you this shit because they don't want to be sued by idiots who attempt to go to the gym and lift 200 lbs right off the bat without any training or therapy.