Lower Back Strain from MN/PE1 / Time for Stretch Courses?

About two weeks ago I strained my lower back doing MN/PE1 (Tuck Ups). After a couple of reps into my third set, I felt this paralyzing jolt of pain in the center of my lower back.  It was extremely painful to walk for the next couple of days.  I was out of commission for about a week.  I have been doing F1 & H1 for over a year.   Eleven months ago I was at 5x15 for MN/PE1 but I did not give myself mastery because I felt I needed more compression and my endurance could have used improvement on the last set.   I feel this latest injury is the result of a lack of consistency with GB training, age, history of previous lower back strain, a little weight gain.

 

1.) Lack of Training Consistency

Part of my problem for the last six months has been consistency.  I would do my F1 & H1 training for a few weeks, then take a few weeks off due to work, life, etc.  This is my fault and I need to fix the consistency part.  Usually after I have a break in training, I scale things back a set or two and a few reps.  When I started MN/PE1 again two weeks ago, I was attempting to do 4x10, which might have been over doing it given my hiatus.  Another issue is my flexibility has declined from the inconsistency in my training.  

 

2. Age

I am now 44 years old and feeling less flexible than ever, although in my prime I was never able to do any of the advanced splits depicted in the Stretch Courses.  

 

3. Previous Lower Back Strain

When I was 19, I strained my lower back using too much weight for bent over barbell rows.  It was a nasty strain and I suffered chronic pain for almost two years.  During those two years I focused on stretching and strength exercises for my lower back.  Eventually the chronic pain went away.  Since then I have not injured myself quite like that again.  Although 2 years ago when I tried getting back into barbell squats I strained my lower back over doing it.  That strain lasted a week. It was while recovering from that injury that prompted me to search out body weight only training for functional strength and mobility.  This is how I discovered Gymnastic Bodies.   Although I am only in the beginner stages of F1 and H1, this has been the best exercise regiment I have ever done and plan to continue for the rest of my life.  I feel this routine is like drinking from the Fountain of Youth.  I never realized how much I was lacking in my former “weights only training.”

 

4.  Weight Gain

The last few months I have not been as disciplined with my diet and need to shed about 10 pounds.

 

I have not done MN/PE1 since my injury two weeks ago.  Instead I have been doing crunches for the time being followed by MN/iM1.  Also, as a warm up, I have been doing arch body holds that seemed to help.  I was wondering if my injury was also a result of no longer doing ABH since SL/PE1 was revised.  I understand that a weak lower back results from a weak core and weak abs.  I have always been a preventive maintenance type of person and now I am wondering if the Stretch Courses would help me avoid future lower back setbacks.   This is the first time I strained my lower back in an exercise without weights.  Should I purchase the complete Stretch Courses? Or will I only need one or two courses of the Stretch Courses?  Thanks.

Hi Mike71,

 

Muscular strain will not be helped by the Stretch Series. Stretch Series is best used to develop new range of motion. Instead, you need to see a therapist with experience in treating it. For any muscular strain, the general protocol is as follows:

 

1. Ice therapy only for the first 24 hours
2. 24-48 hours Lymph Drainage Massage to reduce edema and speed recovery.
3. 72 hours for 3-4 days Lymph Draining + light Therapeutic Massage above and below the strain. 
4. 5-7 days increased pressure Therapeutic Massage on the strain paired with Post Isometric Relaxation stretching.

This is important as a strain is a local pathology that causes a protective reaction. Early intervention is critical to reduce the hematoma, restore mobility and elasticity to the tissue and prevent scar tissue formation. The two week period and history of untreated strains will increase the time to properly resolve this, but if you take the time to completely do so you will face a much much lower chance of re-injury. The greatest mistake students make is to ignore their body. If something isn't right, make fixing it first priority. Training is about doing things correctly, not attempting to rush a desired result. 

 

Strains happen because you ask the muscle to do something it isn't prepared for. Especially with a history of strains where you have weakened the structure through scar tissue development and loss of elasticity. As you noted, MN/PE1 should have been scaled back more. In the future, start week 1. You can always add more later whereas a strain will prevent training it at all.  Find a good therapist and only once the issue is resolved should you worry about training to strengthen the LB.

Thanks for the detailed recovery protocol and clarification of the Stretch Courses.  I will do some research to find a good therapist in my area in the event of future injury (hope to avoid this).  At this point I am pain free again and I am going on week 2 post injury.  With the exception of MN/PE1, I have been doing week 5 for the other F1 elements.  You mentioned, "Training is about doing things correctly, not attempting to rush a desired result."  With that said, is it always best to start week 1 for all elements after a break from training?   I found that I did indeed rush back into my training trying to pick up where I left off as quickly as possible.   My incident is an example of "haste making waste."

Pathology always will change the rules of the game. If there is no history of a previous injury, you can start either at the beginning of the block you were on or the previous block. When you have a muscle or area that has already been compromised, Week 1 is the safe choice for that progression.