Explosive moves and a bad back... - Page 2

William S. · 09-Oct-07, 09:04 AM

Thanks again, one and all.

Dan C · 09-Oct-07, 09:27 AM

When does your back bother you? As in, what movements aggravate it? Have you ever been to the doctor about it? How old are you?

William S. · 09-Oct-07, 10:18 AM

To answer your first question, it bothers me when I sit for long periods of time, in certain kinds of chairs. Sometimes I feel it when lying in bed. I suppose that I "feel" it when I perform bent over rows, or some kinds of ab movements (Knee hugs, planks, swiss ball crunches.) Any hyper-extending makes me aware of it. But it's never pain. It's just a feeling of...tightness? Pressure I suppose.

I have never seen an MD for the problem but I have spoken to two chiropractors about it. I must admit that I find the idea that KB/DB swings can rehabilitate an injured back as a bit of a head scratcher. Is there any evidence of this? Are there any studies published? I'm just wondering. I hope I don't sound ungrateful.

luke.w · 09-Oct-07, 01:23 PM

I believe (well I know) I've dealt with back aches,tighness, pulled muscles since I was like 14 (from lifting 5gals of ink all day long) then sitting too much.

I can honestly say that my back never feels perfect alot of the time (is there such a thing?), but most of the time it feels good and strong, it usually feels best during and a day after a workout, or coming back from 4-5days layoff from weights.
(no shooting pains eithier for me)

Most times it feels achy is my own fault of just pushing myself.

whats differant now than before is NOW even if I have a strain in my back I can still handle lifting things and that will even make my back feel better, as before I would be layed up almost cripple.
I rarley ever pull my back out these days!!!

William S. · 09-Oct-07, 01:44 PM

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. No shooting pains for me either.

luke.w · 09-Oct-07, 01:53 PM

I'm pretty sure i don't have a "bad back".

I don't go to doctors and have never had a desire to see a chiro.

My back usually feels crappy if I don't get good sleep, or lay in bed too long, (a soft mattress tends to do this)

also I've sensed alot of it is in my mind as well, stress, if I get stressed out, my back aches, then I just focas on breathing and keeping my kool.

Dan C · 09-Oct-07, 02:35 PM

If you have a desire to do the o-lifts just because they're fun (and they are), then give it a try. Start real light though, maybe with just a broomstick (Shane Hammond, 1000lb squatter, worked with a broomstick for months before even moving to an empty bar).

If you want to build power and are genuinely concerned about your back, it may be a good idea to look elsewhere.

And yes, swings are a good place to look. 1 - it's an easy to learn exercise with little chance of form deterioration to the point of injury. 2 - it's a submaximal weight also lending to the safety concern. 3 - they will condition your muscles for decelerating weights as well as force production. 4 - they will target an area low in the lumbar region that is not typically trained with most exercises.

09-Oct-07, 06:08 PM

Dan, what do you think about him just doing parts of the O lifts? Rather than focus on the entire lift, work on high pulls, over head squats, etc? This gives some of the great benefits of the lifts without worrying about being very technical. These "parts" have been incorporated in my routine for a while now and my back feels great (I have had two surgeries for herniated discs). But I've also started as light as possible and added weight very, very slowly to build strength in my weakest areas.

And not trying to dis the kb swings. Great exercise, IMO.

Merrida · 09-Oct-07, 09:15 PM

As someone else who has a "bad back," I can share and relate, on 2 levels. One is demonstration (risky) and two is the desire to do it (risky). Depending on what you mean by "bad" -- that has an effect on what you can and probably should not do if you're interested in balistic or plyometric training.

Despite years of training, plyo is very out of my range, and I understand your reluctance AND your curiosity. My attempts have never been all that. Let me know if you come up with something.

hurdle · 10-Oct-07, 07:43 AM

yes, be careful of the lower back when in the deep positions.

try cleans from a hang above the knees, also explosive shrugs are great

William S. · 10-Oct-07, 09:31 AM

I post on other forums and some of the folks there asked me why I wanted to perform Olympic-style lifts. "Just to stroke my ego.", was my honest reply. One of the guys suggested that there are other things I would be happier stroking.

The bottom line is I think that I will focus on swings for now and gauge how I feel from there. If the back seems alright, then I might move on to Oly lifts following the advice given here.

Thanks again.

Dan C · 10-Oct-07, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IronMan

Dan, what do you think about him just doing parts of the O lifts? Rather than focus on the entire lift, work on high pulls, over head squats, etc? This gives some of the great benefits of the lifts without worrying about being very technical. These "parts" have been incorporated in my routine for a while now and my back feels great (I have had two surgeries for herniated discs). But I've also started as light as possible and added weight very, very slowly to build strength in my weakest areas.

And not trying to dis the kb swings. Great exercise, IMO.

I typed out a very detailed reply to this but it got lost somehow. But basically, yes, I think partials are great as far as alternative exercises or as complimentary exercises to the full lifts.

And actually, I believe partial movements are the best way to start an "unsupervised" (read: without a coach) weightlifting program. Think of it like this, you need to learn how to overhead squat before you can perform a snatch. You need to learn how to front squat before you can squat clean.