Hi. I am a 33 year old male and fitness has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I am a ACE certified personal trainer and a Licensed Massotherapist. I want to be of help whenever I can. I see so many people that are completely clueless or misguided when it comes to fitness. I just want to be able to offer some valuable info. to those that really want to improve their physical fitness. I see to many trainers that don't practice what they preach and am dumbfounded as to how someone could have a trainer that is out of shape themselves. I believe personal experience counts for more than any certification out there. With that being said I have roughly 20 years of weight training experience that helps me advise people on what is wrong with their current program. I think my greatest accomplishment has been helping my wife transform herself from a slightly overweight woman into a fitness competitor. She will be competing in a figure competition next month and hopes to eventually get her PRO card. My wife was one of the misguided when we met, but had the drive and determination, and I was able to guide her in the right direction. She is 35 years old now and looks better than ever. I always say I helped guide her, but will never take credit for her accomplishments because it was ultimately her that did the work and disciplined herself. If you are willing to put forth the effort then I am more than happy to help. Always remember it isn't easy and requires a commitment by YOU.
New Here and want to help
- Thread starter ChrisReddinger
- Start date
Hi Chris maybe then you could give me some basic advice. I have an old back injury, a prolapsed L5/S1 disc (always the first one that goes I am told, the first cotton reel in the stack so to speak).
I have been up and down with this over the years. When I have been able to keep my back and legs strong I have had months at a time virtually pain free. At the moment though I am back to square one with it due to having had some other health problems for a year which meant I could not excercise.
What I want to do is squat. I am careful and do it on a Smith machine where I can be perfectly symetrical (other wise my body twists up badly and tries to compensate using different muscles on different sides of the body.)
I have found over the years that my spine will take a certain amount of compression as long as my spine is straight but I risk injury with any kind of rowing or bending.
But I have had trainers tell me that I should not even be going near squats and should stick to leg pressing.
What do you think? Am I doing more harm than good trying to squat? (not doing anything at the moment)
vodkafan
I have been up and down with this over the years. When I have been able to keep my back and legs strong I have had months at a time virtually pain free. At the moment though I am back to square one with it due to having had some other health problems for a year which meant I could not excercise.
What I want to do is squat. I am careful and do it on a Smith machine where I can be perfectly symetrical (other wise my body twists up badly and tries to compensate using different muscles on different sides of the body.)
I have found over the years that my spine will take a certain amount of compression as long as my spine is straight but I risk injury with any kind of rowing or bending.
But I have had trainers tell me that I should not even be going near squats and should stick to leg pressing.
What do you think? Am I doing more harm than good trying to squat? (not doing anything at the moment)
vodkafan
I think you may be doing more harm to good if you suffer from any muscular imbalances in your lower back. I think you should spend some time trying to strengthen your lower back muscles(the piriformis), this way it will help with stabilizing your spine. A great way to do this is through stiff legged dead lifts, kettlebell swings, or even go to some physical therapy. You just want to be sure that your back can handle the same load that your quads can when it comes to squatting, especially if you have a collapsed disk. You also want to make sure that you are breathing properly, especialyl during squats, you should be taking a deep breathe into your stomach; creating a lot of inter-abdominal pressure, this will actually help prevent as much of a compression of your spine when you squat. Hope this helps!
Thanks sup.
Hear what you are saying about strengthening lower back but dead lifts or bending of any kind is out. Even good mornings with barbell only or power cleans are impossible.
One of the reasons I like to squat is that it has a subsidiary effect on the lower back muscles and helps to tie them with my hips and legs (or so I'm told)
The only way I can work my lower back muscles directly is floor excercises like the plank or some excercises on the swiss ball.
Any suggestions how I should proceed?
Hear what you are saying about strengthening lower back but dead lifts or bending of any kind is out. Even good mornings with barbell only or power cleans are impossible.
One of the reasons I like to squat is that it has a subsidiary effect on the lower back muscles and helps to tie them with my hips and legs (or so I'm told)
The only way I can work my lower back muscles directly is floor excercises like the plank or some excercises on the swiss ball.
Any suggestions how I should proceed?
Back injuries are really a pain in the ass, but I would definitely recommend that you keep trying to strengthen your lower back as much as possible by whatever means necessary. Have you been told by your doctor not to bend, or does it just cause you too much pain? I know a lot of people(one of my old instructors included) who had problems with collapsed disks, and benefited greatly from kettlebell training, since it incredibly strengthens your lower back muscles. But everybody is different and I'm not a doctor, but if you are able to try some kettlebell swings then it might help you out. Let me know if this helps at all, I'd be happy to give you some links to some great tutorials to get you started if you feel you are able. Good Luck!
Thanks again sup.
Yes it is pain! most of the time I feel as if I am "cut in half" at the waist, that is exactly the feeling. If I am inactive I suffer badly from sciatica in my left leg. I usually have to walk 4 or 5 miles daily at least to make that go away. So to fit that in my working day I often walk to work and back which totals 14 miles. Often that is not enough and I squat with one of my kids on my back to work my legs a bit. So you see my legs are quite strong.
I can swim 100 lengths easy too and I can do press ups and pull ups (I have a bar at home).
But any form of bending over pretty much does me in very quickly. Even pushing a baby stroller can do me in within minutes if the handles are low and I have to bend over.
So it is a very specific problem.
I don't know what kettlebells are or how to use them. So anything you think might help would be appreciated.
Yes it is pain! most of the time I feel as if I am "cut in half" at the waist, that is exactly the feeling. If I am inactive I suffer badly from sciatica in my left leg. I usually have to walk 4 or 5 miles daily at least to make that go away. So to fit that in my working day I often walk to work and back which totals 14 miles. Often that is not enough and I squat with one of my kids on my back to work my legs a bit. So you see my legs are quite strong.
I can swim 100 lengths easy too and I can do press ups and pull ups (I have a bar at home).
But any form of bending over pretty much does me in very quickly. Even pushing a baby stroller can do me in within minutes if the handles are low and I have to bend over.
So it is a very specific problem.
I don't know what kettlebells are or how to use them. So anything you think might help would be appreciated.
Yeah this is a very common problem, I have worked with two clients in the past who suffered from sciatic nerve problems. One was like yourself, the nerve was being pinched by his collapsed disks, and the others nerve was being pinched because his lower back muscles were too tight. A lot of stretching helped the second guy out a lot, and as for the first I had him do a lot of kettlebell swings, good mornings, etc, and that helped him out a lot,but he didn't have as much pain when he bent over as you as describing.
As for when you bend over or hindge at the hips, are you doing so with proper form? Far too often people hindge at the hips and then round their back instead of keeping it arched, this would definitely cause lot of pain if you have collapsed disks. You want to make sure that when you bend over you are keeping your back flat, or arched, but never rounded, and you push your butt back. A flat back should be such that if you were to place a straight pole or broom stick on your back that it would make contact iwth the back of your head, your upper back, and your tail bone, meaning that all three of these points of contact are completely in line. This is actually a good drill to perform, I would recommend holding a broomstick or any sort of light weight straight object on your back with one hand, and then start to bend over(hinge at the hips) and try not to lose any of those three points of contact(back of your cranium, upper back, and tailbone) with the broomstick. The hand you are holding the broomstick with should be positioned over your lower back, but above your tailbone.This is a good diagnostic as to whether or not you are bending over with proper form.
As for when you bend over or hindge at the hips, are you doing so with proper form? Far too often people hindge at the hips and then round their back instead of keeping it arched, this would definitely cause lot of pain if you have collapsed disks. You want to make sure that when you bend over you are keeping your back flat, or arched, but never rounded, and you push your butt back. A flat back should be such that if you were to place a straight pole or broom stick on your back that it would make contact iwth the back of your head, your upper back, and your tail bone, meaning that all three of these points of contact are completely in line. This is actually a good drill to perform, I would recommend holding a broomstick or any sort of light weight straight object on your back with one hand, and then start to bend over(hinge at the hips) and try not to lose any of those three points of contact(back of your cranium, upper back, and tailbone) with the broomstick. The hand you are holding the broomstick with should be positioned over your lower back, but above your tailbone.This is a good diagnostic as to whether or not you are bending over with proper form.
You are best off to stay away from any heavy squatting. You should still do squats with no weight or very light. Just do as many reps as you can. Lie face down on the floor with your arms stretched overhead and lift your right arm and left leg simutaneously and vice versa. This will help strengthen your lower back. Stretch everyday. Better safe than sorry. If you injure it again it is only going to set you back and make recovery that much harder.
Thanks sub I will try that diagnostic to be sure. I suspect I will find I am rounding out because my back at the moment does not seem to have much strength in it. It has not always been that way. I feel that I need to get my lowerback to a plateau point where it is strong enough to support itself and then I can safely do other ecxercises again.
Does this sound reasonable?
Hi Chris. Point taken. But "heavy" is relative. With all the walking my legs are quite strong and doing free squats with no weight doesn't work the muscles at all. Would you call "heavy" anything over body weight? I weigh 75 kg
and would be happy just squatting say 50 kg to stop my legs wasting away. Would that be reasonable? Especially if I concentrate on form and perform them slowly?
Yes this sounds very reasonable, let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions. Good luck and this all helps!
Hello I am new here. I am not an expert by any means. I was just curious if you have considered spinal decompression. I have 3 friends who had similar back issues who have had this done and they are able to do things they never thought they would be able to. Not a doctor just wondering if you had heard of it.
I don't know what that is or what it involves. My GP just wants to give me painkillers and says rest. Years ago after the injury first happened I was referred to a specialist, who sent me to a rehabilation centre for a month. There it was 6 hours of excercise a day, physiotherapy, lectures and education about our backs. All tailored to our individual needs. Everything the GP was saying NOT to do we were doing. I came out of there a new man . And kept my back out of trouble for over a decade. That's why I don't trust pillpushing doctors much. Surgery would be my last resort.
Thanks for you offer of assistance.....
Hi Chris
Thanks for your offer to help out strangers. I've been working with two personal trainers for about seven months. I work with them four times a week and lost 65 lbs as a result of my hard work and their expert assistance. I feel great and plan to continue my workouts as I have another 30 - 40 lbs to loose. I plan to keep working with my personal trainers but need to cut back from four days a week to two days and ulitmately one day. Cost is the only reason that I want to cut back on my personal trainers. I'm struggling trying to afford the $400 monthly fees. I recently joined LA Fitness and plan to design a workout routine for myself. I'm good with the cardio stuff but need a little help with the weight lifting. I know that I need to work on various regions of the body at least twice weekly but there are so many exercises and so many difference muscles and regions that I'm getting overwelmed. The only excerise which I seem to have figured out is core. Any suggestions on how to design a plan for myself and take personal ownership for my routines?? Thanks a million, L
Hi Chris
Thanks for your offer to help out strangers. I've been working with two personal trainers for about seven months. I work with them four times a week and lost 65 lbs as a result of my hard work and their expert assistance. I feel great and plan to continue my workouts as I have another 30 - 40 lbs to loose. I plan to keep working with my personal trainers but need to cut back from four days a week to two days and ulitmately one day. Cost is the only reason that I want to cut back on my personal trainers. I'm struggling trying to afford the $400 monthly fees. I recently joined LA Fitness and plan to design a workout routine for myself. I'm good with the cardio stuff but need a little help with the weight lifting. I know that I need to work on various regions of the body at least twice weekly but there are so many exercises and so many difference muscles and regions that I'm getting overwelmed. The only excerise which I seem to have figured out is core. Any suggestions on how to design a plan for myself and take personal ownership for my routines?? Thanks a million, L
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Hi Chris,
My sisters wedding is comming up this summer i have been working out for a year consistently and i have the last 15 pounds that i want to loose... they just are not coming off. I work out 4 times a week 2 hours each time i am at the gym i usually do an hour cardio and finish off with weights. I have really large arms.... Man arms i call them i cant seem to thin them down, i even got rid of the bottom fat on my arm but they still look fat. Granted when i flex people are shocked at the muscle mass i hate them how can i make them thin and toned instead of muscular?? HELP!!!
My sisters wedding is comming up this summer i have been working out for a year consistently and i have the last 15 pounds that i want to loose... they just are not coming off. I work out 4 times a week 2 hours each time i am at the gym i usually do an hour cardio and finish off with weights. I have really large arms.... Man arms i call them i cant seem to thin them down, i even got rid of the bottom fat on my arm but they still look fat. Granted when i flex people are shocked at the muscle mass i hate them how can i make them thin and toned instead of muscular?? HELP!!!