Lower back pain and weakness after MN/PE2

Hi

I have been training foundation for 8 months, and it has been an outstanding experience I have never felt so evenly strong before. Last week however I started to experience back weakness and slight pain in the lower back when bending forward. This occurred the day after a day 4 session (SL/PE1, MN/PE2, SLS/PE3, HS/PE2). It went on for 5 days with little improvement so I went to a naprapathist who managed to alleviate my symptoms.

Now a week later, feeling good, I performed the day 4 session again (lightweight version) and after MN/PE2 I started to feel the same kind of symptoms. The thing is that I do some additional work prior to MN/PE2 in the form of 3x15 s static holds, I suspect that these are the culprit. I also experience some weakness in SLS/PE3.

Anyone with a similar experience? Relevant exercises or stretches? Obviously I will take it easy for a couple of weeks.

Best,

Mattias

- Are you maintaining a flat back or PPT during MN/PE2 or are you allowing the lower back to arch?

- It is also possible that the 15r mastery template is too much volume for you and you may need to begin with the 5r mastery template.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

With my untrained eye I haven't been able to see an arch in my back, I try to actively push my lower back into the floor and compress before I start lifting my legs. I'll post a form check once my back feels better to make sure.

 

Currently my form is not acceptable so I have been doing a maximum of 4x5 reps so far, I have no plans of increasing until my form looks good. Do you think 4x5 is too much at this stage? I haven't felt any pain during the 8 weeks that I have been on MN/PE2 before this, the only thing I have changed in the last two weeks is the addition of 3x15 s static holds (legs in straddle, feet ~30 cm over the ground).

 

Best,

Mattias

I had the same problem as you have, I thought I mastered PE1 completely then found out compression was not good enough. When I tried to correct it I could only do 4 perfect straddle ups in a row, the rest I did not get high enough with legs or upper body or I was lacking compression. So I told myself to make a shot at tuck up mastery again just to fix the compression and then go on with week 1 of PE2, since I also have some motorical difficulties performing the movement correctly.

 

Well, upload a video for us and then we can give you critique.

That sounds like an excellent plan, it is always good to go back to basics when you fail somehow. I spent quite a lot of time in PE1 to get the compression right. A week before the back pain appeared I started to feel stiff in the lower back, so in the warm-up with 2x15 PE1, the reps wasn't as clean as they used to be, but I didn't take notice. It makes much sense to go back and address this and test for mastery again, thanks for your feedback, and the hope that I might be able to resolve this.