Ironpumper
Posts: 129
Joined: 12/22/2003
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As many of you know over the past month I have been struggling with lower back pain. As soon as it started I did not want to risk injury so I took a complete week off, went back it still hurt so I took another week off. Basically, I did that routine for 5 weeks. There is no other way to describe lower back pain than an incredible pain in the ass! It makes you feel like you are too weak to support your upper body mass and every position feels uncomfortable. I am posting this thread to share with you guys the mistakes I made that contributed to them (so you can learn from them and not learn the hard way like I had to) and the things I did that worked for me to get rid of the pain.
Prevention of Lower Back Pain
I know some of this is going to seem redundant because it is said many times. However, like me, some of you might dismiss this stuff as "Oh only the old men have to worry about this stuff...I am young it won't affect me". WRONG!
1) Work every part of your body.
When I first began lifting I only worked my upper body. (Excluding lower back and rarely doing Abs) I then incorporated legs but still neglected lower back and abs. While your body grows you need a strong core to aid you in doing your exercises (such as deadlifts, squats and military presses) Also as your body grows you need the strong core to support that growth.
2) Watch the weight the carefully
Sure my legs can handle squatting 280 pounds eight times, but my back and core could not-- which i believe was a main factor in my injury. In all exercises, but especially major compoud exercises that it is easy to go heavy (Squats, deadlifts, and Bench Pressing) use weight that every muscle that is being worked can safely handle. By doing squats with the right weight from the beginning and slowling bringing it up your core and lower back strength develops along with your legs.
3) Cardio and stretching before working out is essential
I always believed doing one or two warm up sets and no cardio before a workout was ok. However since I have returned from my injury I do a brisk jog for 5 minutes then do a thorough stetch before every workout. (Focusing on the hamstrings and lower back to keep the back loose) Even when I am working my chest and triceps I still stretch EVERY muscle group because every muscle is used as a stabilizer and can be injured even though it is not being directly targeted. End you work out with a stetch as well so your muscles don't tighten up
*You will be amazed at the difference this makes in your workour. If you were like me then at the end of every workout your lower back feels tight and sore. Proper stretching before and obvious will work wonders on that.
--I also have been stretching every morning when I wake and every night before I go to bed. Stretching four times daily will counteract the stiffness from sittng in a desk all day. Even though this seems rather obvious I thought I would reinforce the importance of it through my own personal story.
< Message edited by Ironpumper -- 5/28/2004 11:06:49 PM >
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Guide To Relieving Lower Back Pain - 
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