Back issues.

Hi,

I do 4 day foundation + 2 handstand, but I just bought F2 and H1 ten days ago, so I  haven't really tested it that much.

I have had an MRI scan, and it showed a herniated disc in my lower back. Which was the reason I started gst training in the first place.

The first week was totally painless, but this monday I went back to work, which means sitting behind a desk all day, and the last two days of training has been quite difficult. Stall bar reverse leg lift and hanging leg lift has been the most problematic. I guess the combination of sitting behind the desk and working out is causing the pain.

Anyone has any tips on how to combat this?

This is where I'm at in F2:

 FL/PE8 - 4x4reps

SPL/PE7 - Mastery, but I'm working on the mobility part of PE8

HBP/PE7 - 4x4reps

RC/PE9 - 4x4 reps

SL/PE9 - 4x4reps

MN/PE7 - 4x2 reps

SLS/SE5 4 x 2 reps

Christian

One thing, i would applaud you for trying to work through your issue.  the red flags with back pain assuming you've already had imaging, which you have, are neurologic changes in your legs or perineum.  so any numbness, weakness, bowel/bladder changes will warrant more aggressive looking into by your doctor.  that being said, anywhere from 30-90% of people have disc disease on random MRI's of asymptomatic patients, so it is not in itself a major issue for most people, in fact a lot of times we find it is not even the disc that is causing the pain, but the soft tissues around the back.  The recommendations for exercises would depend on a lot of factors.  Since leg raises bother you i'm guessing you have a posterior disc bulge and essentially are giving yourself a "straight leg raise test"that is positive.  So it may be of benefit to use hollow body holds for your core strengthening, hanging l-sit holds or even 90/90 L-sit holds if they do not bother you for your manna progressions.  for now i would avoid the painful progresssions.  focus on your hamstring strength and mobility.  the natural leg curls would be particularly good if they do not hurt you.  You'll just have to train around the pain until the inflammation goes away and you can gradually add back exercises.  Good luck to you.

MT Nordic said:

One thing, i would applaud you for trying to work through your issue.  the red flags with back pain assuming you've already had imaging, which you have, are neurologic changes in your legs or perineum.  so any numbness, weakness, bowel/bladder changes will warrant more aggressive looking into by your doctor.  that being said, anywhere from 30-90% of people have disc disease on random MRI's of asymptomatic patients, so it is not in itself a major issue for most people, in fact a lot of times we find it is not even the disc that is causing the pain, but the soft tissues around the back.  The recommendations for exercises would depend on a lot of factors.  Since leg raises bother you i'm guessing you have a posterior disc bulge and essentially are giving yourself a "straight leg raise test"that is positive.  So it may be of benefit to use hollow body holds for your core strengthening, hanging l-sit holds or even 90/90 L-sit holds if they do not bother you for your manna progressions.  for now i would avoid the painful progresssions.  focus on your hamstring strength and mobility.  the natural leg curls would be particularly good if they do not hurt you.  You'll just have to train around the pain until the inflammation goes away and you can gradually add back exercises.  Good luck to you.

That was not the answer I wanted, but probably the one I needed. Thank you very much. 

Christian

Am I right in assuming at the end of F1 that you were pain free? In the last 10 days since getting F2 you have increased a lot of new exercises and progressed a lot. I think this is the main problem is the quick progression rather than one or two particular exercises. Since you have a disc injury I would progress more slowly so that your back can slowly adjust. By doing this you should be able to keep progressing pain free.

I would go back to the level where you were exercising pain free and slowly progress. I have a long standing back injury and I usually spend some time in each exercise to make sure my body is ready to progress. It can be frustrating, but this is what needs to be done. Most of us are not teenagers and we have a lot of imbalances to overcome. So take it slowly and enjoy the journey.

The fact you can perform F1 with a disc injury is already an amazing accomplishment. Keep up the great work.

Mark Collins said:

Am I right in assuming at the end of F1 that you were pain free? In the last 10 days since getting F2 you have increased a lot of new exercises and progressed a lot. I think this is the main problem is the quick progression rather than one or two particular exercises. Since you have a disc injury I would progress more slowly so that your back can slowly adjust. By doing this you should be able to keep progressing pain free.

I would go back to the level where you were exercising pain free and slowly progress. I have a long standing back injury and I usually spend some time in each exercise to make sure my body is ready to progress. It can be frustrating, but this is what needs to be done. Most of us are not teenagers and we have a lot of imbalances to overcome. So take it slowly and enjoy the journey.

The fact you can perform F1 with a disc injury is already an amazing accomplishment. Keep up the great work.

You're probably right. Taking a step back and being extra patient seems like the smart thing to do here. And yes, I can perform F1 pain free.

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this, Mark. It's greatly appreciated.

Christian