Lower back pain

Hi, my problem catched me after some time of being pain free.

 

Short storyabout how it started : I started program Stronglifts 5x5 about year and
half ago.For those who doesnt know, its a program where you squat,
deadlift, benchpress,press and row multiple times per week and you add
weight every training.This was the time when my lower back pain started
(i think the heavy deadlifts was the culprit) to develop.I went to
orthopedist and he told me that i have loose SI joint and i will most
propably have problems with lower back for the rest of my life.He didn't
sent me to X-ray to check if i dont have hernia or bulging disc but
he's the specialist here.So after this i stopped barbell training and
felt in love with gymnastics (that was about june 2012) and found this
great forum.I builded my routine similarily to Killroys template and the
only direct core excercise that i was doing for several months was
L-sit.My pain went away and i was pain free untill now.I bought F1 as
soon as it came out and started right away.I really really love it but i
started to develop lower back pain again just by doing FL/PE1 and
SL/PE1.I myself can't believe that these 2 static holds can cause me
pain but im telling you the truth.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

The last thing i would mention is that i started at week 5 and since i
wasn't doing direct core work before, these two elements (FL/PE1 and
SL/PE1) was very hard for me and i was literally going through the
failure - i mean i was holding the position even tho my muscles failed
and on normal ocasion i would stopped but i was holding for the
prescribed time...Could this have something to do with my back pain?

When does it hurt: during the workout, right after the workout, later in the day, next day?

 

I would say choosing to start at week 5 was short sighted. If you are pushing yourself to failure already then what happens when you have the volume increased further? Starting at week 1 is an ego hit for sure, but it means you are much more likely to be working within your body's limits rather than running up against them.

 

- Chris

after workout is ok, 1 day after workout i feel that i pushed it too hard but no constant pain, 2 days later is pain at its worst and 3 days after workout is almost painless again

I would start over again at week 1 and see how it goes. Give yourself a few days to get pain free and then resume your training at that lower intensity level. That you don't notice the pain until the next day is a good thing. Hopefully the lower intensity level will allow you to recover enough in between sessions so that the pain, if it does still happen, is gone by the next session. If that is still not the case then I would adjust the schedule to one that allows that level of recovery. Trying to train while in pain will usually just exacerbate the issue.

 

I know with my back injury it has been a constant struggle, but a lot also really depends on the type of pain you feel. For me, my back ends up locked in a lean to the right with a slight twist as well. There is a very little pain unless I try to straighten my posture, it is also the most pronounced in the morning and loosens up over the course of the day, usually being perfectly fine by late afternoon. My current state doesn't seem related to the workout in general as it can happen even if I haven't had a workout ... but I do take care not to push it too far during my sessions regardless. All of the above I have learned over time by pushing too far on occasion, being in horrible pain later and learning from it by observing what is happening. Still learning and working towards full recovery.

 

I feel like F1 is definitely shoring up my weakness in that area and making things better but I did start at the very beginning and am really making an effort to keep my effort moderate. Watching my boys in gymnastics training really drives home the moderate effort aspect.

 

- Chris

thank you very much  i will follow your advice

Sounds like you may still have restrictions in your soft tissue near the SI joint.

 

If you can, you may want to see if you can get some ART in the area to help out, but make sure you insist that they start off easy. You need to determine how much is ok, but sharing your experiences with the practitioner will help them a lot in figuring out what they need to do for you.

 

Other than that, start off easy and build up slow, as suggested.

what is ART Joshua?

ART = Active Release Technique ... http://www.activerelease.com/

 

- Chris
 

Bingo.

 

It's very hard to know what your issues are, but you probably need to do some specific rehab for the area. Spending time with very easy versions of the arch, and repetitively lifting into the arch hold and back down, slowly (2-3s up, same down) may help you. Over time, you will probably be able to progress this into arch ups, though you will probably need to take your time easing into the full ROM. Only do what does not cause problems for you.

 

If you feel like there is progress from week to week, for example less soreness, you're doing the right thing and should eventually reach the point where that level of work no longer causes symptoms. Then you'll add a rep or two and do the same thing.

 

Of course you can also try this with the static holds, but if you can't seem to make that work then I would do the reps suggested above, and allow a moment of relaxation between reps (literally just a moment, not more than 1 second)

 

You will have to move slowly on this, in terms of progress, but progress should be possible. You will need to determine what that means for your body, and that will require experimentation.

 

It is possible that ART is not appropriate for your situation, but someone like a chiropractor will probably know best. There are other options available, like Graston, so feel free to ask the health care providers about them (or search Google for your own answers). Your health care provider will know what is appropriate for you and what is not. Trust their judgement, particularly if they are known for working with athletes. If not, getting a second opinion from someone who makes their money fixing athletes is a good idea.