Thanks guys.

PRs are far from my mind right now. I'd be thrilled if I could beat any of my PRs again.

Being able to walk and sit in my office chair are my short term goals right now. (I've been making these posts from my laptop sitting in a recliner with lots of pillows behind my back - basically an unusable work situation)

Trainee guy is going to help me work starting Monday - woot! His 1st task is to drive me to a building inspection, then shoot pictures & take notes while I follow him around on crutches. Then he'll probably sit at my computer and type stuff while I lie on the floor.

I have a hell of a lot of work to do the next couple weeks, so I hope this gets better quickly.

Its funny how quickly priorities can change.

I am looking forward to have a couple people come over to put my reverse hyper together (maybe Yugo & someone else?). That's my second priority - getting well enough to start using that.

Wow really sorry to hear this, Cha. You deserve to get injured less than anyone with all the work you put in. I'll be following your progress as you rehab. Good luck.

just FYI, mike robertson has contested some of the points louie makes about low back rehab with the reverse hyper. google should turn it up.

thanks guys

Colin, I assume this is what you saw:

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/...mber-7th-2009/

cliffs imo:

dont use RH til chiro says to
dont over-extend the back
tilt the top back (glad I bought the ultra supreme version)
dont use a long ROM (or just do static holds as my chiro suggested)
use very light weight
BE CAREFUL!

Fully researching any kind of lower back rehab is always good advice.

yep. I'm considering buying McGill's book. If anyone has good links to good low back rehab articles or other info, please post them here.


If I ever get back into lifting heavy, I like the outline of this program for me, partially because it doesn't involve the ohp: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...imonth_program
Also, basically everything Mike writes is good.

late, but I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. Sucks.

This.

You'll be back in no time though.

Also, +1 to the static holds on the RH, or reverse planks as I've heard them called when not on the RH. ftr, I actually found them to be better lying face down on a swiss ball and holding the rack. I do them every week.

Busto, is that Dorian Yates in your avatar now, lol? Nice back!

GFS - ty... What would you think of doing something like a blast strap row holding the contracted position? That seems kind of like doing a modified reverse plank too, only maybe that's a more advanced progression.

Any exercise feels like a long ways away right now. I hurt myself throwing a klenex into a waste basket this morning when I sort of stretched my right hammie to reach for it.

You saying hold straps while chest is supported by the ball? If so, ya, that would be good. I usually do 3 sets, 30 seconds to a minute or so holds. I've also done them over the end of my couch too, so I'm not that picky or advanced with it, lol.

I was told this is one of the best ways to engage the multifidus. *shrug*

This book was also recommended to me by another athlete: http://www.amazon.ca/Multifidus-Back.../dp/1572242787 , but I haven't gotten it yet so I can't attest to what's in it.

I've read your log for sometime, and major respect for your accomplishments. My assumption from some of your posts, and your handle, makes you 50 or so? Don't you think it might be healthier overall to slow down your aggressive training regimine going forward? Things like just being able to participate in/with family events, to me anyways, are more important than achieving some weight moving record.

I'm 46, and don't recover nearly as well, or fast, as I did 10 years ago, let alone 20. I post this cause I recall a post of yours where you draped chains over your back for squats, then became laid up for a week before you could move again.

Cha definitely isn't 50 imo. But perhaps he started his journey with the muscle adhesions of a 50 year old, . I think you guys are somewhat close in age though, but I'm not a good judge of age. I've just met his daughter a few times, she is in HS, so I'm guessing around your age.

He'll be the first to admit he did a couple of ill-advised things at points - like the chain thing.

I was there when he did his deadlift that caused all this a couple of weeks ago. And, I mean, he knows why it happened, but to be honest, I don't think it was due to him pushing too hard. It wasn't even the highest work set he was shooting for. It was an accident and he wasn't being quite as careful with his pull as one should be with high weights like that.

For someone without the muscle issues he's had for years, there's a good chance it wouldn't then have resulted in a herniated anything. I think the reason he's so frustrated in many ways is b/c he's really enjoyed all the progress he's made, he's gotten to a really good spot body/muscle-wise, and he's pissed at himself for past mistakes.

That being said, it's good to have other motivation than just getting PRs, as at some point, those won't be possible imo.

I'm 46 too.

I was doing dips with chains crossed over my shoulders when I got hurt before. I was pretty clear in my post back then as to what happened and why it happened. The mistake I made was to shrug my shoulders when I was dipping, and that put my shoulder in a bad position. It didnt do anything major and I havent done dips since.

This thing I have now has more to do with my disc being degenerated that anything else. That happened because I used to always slouch in an office chair. That created a problem that festered about a year and a half ago with pain radiating from that disc out to the side of my back. My chiro treated it and I trained it properly with heavy RDLs & heavier DLs, as well as a lot of other heavy stuff, always keeping my back in good position. Yugo can verify the way I always keep my back flat. Since doing all that heavy stuff, all the muscles got a lot stronger, which basically eliminated the issue of that degenerated disc sliding around. Life was good.

When I made that bad DL a few weeks ago, that did probably irritate the disc, but it was not what herniated it. That was a concentration lapse due to bad judgement and was not due to trying to push myself or use too much weight.

What herniated the disc was when I was stretching the hamstring more than a week after then bad DL. My back was feeling better at the time, but it was possibly more vulnerable due to the bad DL.

My chiropractor agrees with all of what I just wrote. The conversation went like this after he described my situation, "so I had the bad disc, then the bad DL probably irritated the disc, then when I did the hamstring stretch, that's the straw that broke the camel's back?" He said, "yes, that's probably what happened."

Before I stretched the hammie a week ago, I could walk and function basically normally. My hip and low back were a bit tight. After getting off the table after stretching the hammie, I could hardly walk and its been that way since.

This is all basically in my log somewhere, but maybe not as clearly as I'm trying to make it here.

I dont know if I'll go back to trying for any more PRs or not in the future, but I do intend to lift somewhat heavy weights once I'm well enough to. I wont let form errors/concentration lapses ever happen again with regard to my low back.

As far as recovery goes, yeah, age limits that, but the rolling, ART and mobility stuff I do makes me recover/perform better than I did >15 years ago.

Actually what I meant was like doing an inverted row, kind of an upside down plank with blast straps.

What you describe sounds more like something I should be doing long before I attempt inverted rows.

Thanks for everything.

My post wasn't meant in any manner other than an opinion. I try to limit my exposure to anything that could possible lay me up for a few+ days. I've a few friends from back in HS who walk like they're 85, too many years in the rugby mens league. Something about how natural adrenaline blocks all those harmful activities, til the next day.

But I have taken up ultra cycling, just finished a 600km ride through the mountains in 40 hrs. My knees and but are killing me today, but its not like the 400km 2 weeks ago when I had a hard time walking without wincing for a day or so.

Anyhow, enough of a sidetrack, I hope the condition goes the way your chiro sees it, and to a speedy recover.

Thanks cres.

fwiw, I had knee problems a couple years ago. My knees feel better now than they did 15 years ago.... Same thing for my right elbow & wrist.

cres,

it would be way "healthier" overall to take up lifting rather than ultra cycling.

see, I knew that would be the next comment. It's expected in this forum.

There are pluses and minuses to each and every athletic activity. wrt lifting, the question is always what are your goals, yet if they veer away from a lifting program, the H&F regs steer it back to a gym based barbell lifestyle.

I would enjoy a discussion in another thread, to not tard up cha's log, but not if it degenerates to partisan politics again. Goals and activities are of a personal nature, and can't be codified by anothers personal taste.

I think two exercises can be compared objectively in terms of "healthiness". It is a separate consideration as to whether they fit better your goals or preferences though, and I don't think that should be confused.

Yeah, what Aidan said. I don't care if you want to repeatedly punch yourself in the balls*, that's your prerogative.

So the other day I emailed Louie Simmons back and mentioned I had a herniated disc. Here is his reply:

(cha),

I recommend doing full range reverse hypers right now. By going underneath the machine with the feet as far as possible, it opens up the discs and allows fluid into the soft tissue which will rehab your back problem. Walk with ankle weights which creates constant traction and correct pelvic tilt as well. Try an inversion table, this may help but try it before you purchase one.

I don’t want you to push a sled, I want you to walk with a sled behind you connected to your belt. This will stretch the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lumbar region and spinal rectors and also builds strength and forces blood into the surrounding area of your injury for structure integrity. We do this here all the time and it works.

Hope this helps

Louie

That sounds crazy to me (at least as of right now). I printed it out and am going to show my chiropractor later today.

Sorry to hear about the herniated disc. I feel your pain (literally at times ). I'll be interested to see how your rehab goes. Hopefully I can learn something. Good luck and get well.

Thanks Mojo

I showed my chiro what Louie said. He says its obvious Louie doesnt have a medical license because he would get sued for malpractice giving out advice like that I figured that to be the case. He gave me some details that told me Louie is way off base with some of his statements.

I got Stuart McGill's Low Back Disorders book. That seems to suggest a conservative approach to this type of injury, first letting it heal, then gradually increasing exercise, and not adding resistance stuff until its basically healed. My chiro agrees with that approach.

I scheduled an epidural steroid injection for Monday. From everything I've heard, that should help.

I'm also checking with a neurologist that my chiro recommended. Its unlikely I'd need any surgery for this, but this is the guy I'd want if I do.

Man, sounds like you're really on top of this which is encouraging to hear.

pretty sweet that louie responds personally to that sorta stuff.