Thoracic stretch series hurts

Started the GB unlimited there recently moving over from GMB. Iv been an always will be (God willing very active) Iv a very physicality demanding job and have boxed mist of my life along with mma and grappling. I’m now nearly 40 still in good shape but my low back in in a bad way from all the above with budging discs, SI joint issues slight curve in spine an man it hurts bad at times. I stopped weights an kettlebells moving to Calisthenics a few years ago which is the best I can do now until I found GMB then GB which I am on the unlimited program. The middle split give me the most relief Iv had in 5 years Then a few days later I did the thoracic series day an next day i was/still am sore and stiff in the low back, Any advice is welcome. 

One thing that has worked for me is a static hang off a high bar, arms close enough that they just touch your ears. The trick is to slightly activate abs and deep hip flexors so you're in a hollow-body position. Try it for a minute or so, rest a minute, repeat a few times.

The idea is that activating anterior chain reciprocally inhibits the posterior chain, and allows the back to elongate a little.

This was after lifting a 2-drawer filing cabinet on my own, AND twisting. I've learned a bit since then!

Hey William. probably there are some elements where you are compensating on the lower back rather than the upper back spine. in all the exercises where you can feel an extension of the spine focus on opening your chest and not the lower back.

Yes, what these two said for sure.

I've had similar issues myself, and I have to be very careful with the TB series. While I can push up into a bridge and elevate my feet, I prefer to kick into a handstand and then lower my feet into elevated bridge. That's just one example of adjusting the movement so I'm not stressing my low back. 

Take your time and explore each stretch. If you find specific ones that bother your back, post here to look for adjustments or tips to get into the stretch. Sometimes a simple cue like bracing the core or locking in a PPT before entering the stretch can make a huge difference for me and  whether or not the workout triggers some L3/SI discomfort later.

As a side note, have you gone to a spine specialist? I've just started down that path myself, and am undecided on it so far.

19 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Hey William. probably there are some elements where you are compensating on the lower back rather than the upper back spine. in all the exercises where you can feel an extension of the spine focus on opening your chest and not the lower back.

Thanks man yeah iv been actually trying to concentrate on the upper back but a lot of the stretches like the seal stretch make it hard not to  bend the lumbar. 

20 hours ago, Nick Murray said:

One thing that has worked for me is a static hang off a high bar, arms close enough that they just touch your ears. The trick is to slightly activate abs and deep hip flexors so you're in a hollow-body position. Try it for a minute or so, rest a minute, repeat a few times.

The idea is that activating anterior chain reciprocally inhibits the posterior chain, and allows the back to elongate a little.

This was after lifting a 2-drawer filing cabinet on my own, AND twisting. I've learned a bit since then!

Flexion and rotation was the final straw for my back an how iv ended up in this mess. Dead hangs are a staple of mine but it’s not enough

16 hours ago, Jennifer Marie said:

Yes, what these two said for sure.

I've had similar issues myself, and I have to be very careful with the TB series. While I can push up into a bridge and elevate my feet, I prefer to kick into a handstand and then lower my feet into elevated bridge. That's just one example of adjusting the movement so I'm not stressing my low back. 

Take your time and explore each stretch. If you find specific ones that bother your back, post here to look for adjustments or tips to get into the stretch. Sometimes a simple cue like bracing the core or locking in a PPT before entering the stretch can make a huge difference for me and  whether or not the workout triggers some L3/SI discomfort later.

As a side note, have you gone to a spine specialist? I've just started down that path myself, and am undecided on it so far.

Thanks for the input and I’m going to sound like an idiot here but what is ppt? I’m just starting to think working on my bridge is counter productive. I just don’t seem to be able to bend at the T without bending and agrovating the L. Not one to give up il try and scale the TB stretch series and I’m going to try the handstand into elevated bridge   Also no I haven’t seen a spine specialist just whatever the physio the hospital providdd after my MRI which was useless and designed for a 80 year old. To be honest I just don’t have the cash to get physio/see spine specialists with 2 hungry kids eating me out of house and home. I’m just hoping GB with be my rehab

3 hours ago, William ball said:

Flexion and rotation was the final straw for my back an how iv ended up in this mess. Dead hangs are a staple of mine but it’s not enough

Add weight to your ankles (if you haven't already). 2-3 kg each, to start with. It's not so much the amount of weight, but that your body (mainly back) feels the additional sense of stretch and then responds.

PPT is "posterior pelvic tilt". If you had a tail, you'd be tucking your tail underneath you.

APT is "anterior pelvic tilt". Your lower back extends, and you poke your backside out.

Both terms are referenced from the front of the hips. PPT means the front of the hips tilts backwards. APT means the front of the hips tilts forwards. It's easiest to think of this happening from the boney points at the front of the hips - the ASISs ("anterior superior iliac spine").

William,

As the Thoracic series is currently too demanding, I would recommend exploring the mobility in Fundamentals and the new Restore courses to start improving your thoracic mobility.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks all!! Really appreciate everyone taking the time to help me out 

1 hour ago, Coach Sommer said:

William,

As the Thoracic series is currently too demanding, I would recommend exploring the mobility in Fundamentals and the new Restore courses to start improving your thoracic mobility.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Roger that coach. I’m confident and determined that I can rebuild this back of mine, mostly because I have to to pay the bills  

Thanks troops 

PPT is posterior pelvic tilt. Simple explanation, pull the belly button toward the spine and squeeze your glutes and you should feel your hips tilt. That's PPT.

If core is weak or unengaged, you'll likely tilt the other way, arching your lower back. Squeezing the glutes, locking in the abs, etc, make a big difference (not just here, but in a ton of the GB stuff).

I started GB little over a year ago with some lower back pain, TBS was extremely hard and painfull for me in the beginning.... discovering what PPT means and how it is applied to exercises was a gamechanger for me... I had to step back on some progressions in F1 and relearn my butt to stay squeezed :-), but I'm completely pain free since... 

My thoracic mobility still sucks, progress it's the slowest of all areas I work on, but I'm no longer in pain during stretches or after... 

All great information folks. Thanks so much for the tips. 

I don't know if this is right for you, but I have fixed my middle back pain for good by doing twist holds for a few minutes a day.

You can check this video out to see what it is: