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Suntzu
06-30-2003, 09:57 AM
After this recently past experience with bask spasms… I have decided to take steps to agressively deal with this imbalance… so… MORE DL's…

I'm gonna go with experimenting on making DL's my focal lift for the next however many weeks leading up to the Kuoshu… so it would seem that I will try and improve on my max DL#… thus improving my lower back strength in the process… correct?…

at the same time maintain and improve my muscular endurance/strength endurance by using hi-rep supp exercise… KB… hi rep bar C&J's… BWE's etc...

to the educated folks I ask… plus/minuses to this kind of set up… how many day do I actually DO DL's to get the best recovery… do I do other weighted exercises during the same workout… or do them on off days?….

whatcha think…

fa_jing
06-30-2003, 11:52 AM
I used to have lower back problems, serious enough to keep me out of athletics for a couple years - now I just have upper back issues :( But anyway, I've learned some stuff. 1st of all, doesn't your KB work hit the lower back a little? Anyway I recommend horse stance, wrestler's bridge, holding the bottom position of a Good Morning with no weight, while pushing out with your hands to your front 21 times to create more resistance - stretching, especially Yoga stretches that twist your spine. As for the deadlift or stiff-legged deadlift, I haven' practiced these, but I think it is very important that you tighten your abs, push out like you are making your tummy big, this connects your upper and lower body and will protect your lower back muscles. Do not breath out fully with the lift, just let out a hiss to decompress - do not want to let all of the air out as you would lose you intra-abdominal pressure.

Most of all I'd probably recommend Iron Bridge practice, that's got to hit your lower back more than anything else - I like this and the wrestler's bridge as static contraction exercises for the back, because when you release the tension after completion, your muscles relax alot more than before you started. I think 2 minutes in Iron Bridge and 3 minutes in Wrestler's bridge are what you want to work up to as a minimum.

fa_jing
06-30-2003, 11:55 AM
P.S. I usually practice the Wrestler's Bridge every morning after I wake up, because I find that when I sleep my back tightens up and I often sleep in a bad postion. Practicing the bridging helps me get out the kinks in the morning and keep a good posture. I usually follow it with some ab work.

Suntzu
06-30-2003, 11:57 AM
I haven' practiced these, but I think it is very important that you tighten your abs, push out like you are making your tummy big, this connects your upper and lower body and will protect your lower back muscles. if you are correct, than when I have done them… I did them wrong…thanks for the info…

not familiar w/iron bridge…

Jowbacca
06-30-2003, 12:36 PM
iron bridge is like an upside down pushup, where your pack arches and your belly sticks up in the air.

you can also do iron bridge pushups, which helps as well.

i think back problems can be caused by an imbalance between abs and back.
You may want to do those good mornings on the hyper extension chair whenever you do abs, in addition to the strength training with the weights.

I've been on this kick lately to center all my weight workouts around compound lifts:
squat, deadlift, dips (or bench), and pull/chin ups (or bent/seated rows). But if you wanna focus on deadlift, you could probably even do it almost everyday if you did 3 sets of 5, working for pure strength.

fa_jing
06-30-2003, 01:00 PM
OK, actually what Jowbacca referred to as Iron Bridge, I think of as "gymnastic bridging" - also a good exercise. But what I'm recommending is something else, as can be seen in the "Iron Shirt Qigong" book by Master Mantak Chia - you can browse it in Borders just to check out the exercise - also can be seen in the first "Drunken Master" movie with Jackie Chan - the old one. This is the exercise: Roll up or fold a towel and put it on a chair. That's where your head and neck go. Your feet go on another chair one body-length away. You make yourself like a board, rigid across the two chairs. Touch the floor with your hands while getting into postion, then pick them up and fold your arms across your chest. Tighten your abs a little, it will help. You are now being supported only by your head, neck, and heels.

Suntzu
06-30-2003, 02:08 PM
OOOOKAAAAYYY...future post… Suntzu concussed by crappy chair that he brought from a crappy store…

for real sounds interesting… gonna have to work up to that one…I can only hold the wrestlers bridge but for a few minutes…

Jow>>> my weighted workouts revolve around the big 3 too… well… 2 of 'em for the most part… part of my question is due to laziness… I seldom do DL's for the simple fact it a pain to keep moving the bar to the floor… to the rack… to the floor… see… I'm a lazy bum at heart... so i decided to try and leave the bar on the floor for a while and work exclucively on the DL as my focus lift...

Suntzu
06-30-2003, 02:10 PM
OOOOKAAAAYYY...future post… Suntzu concussed by crappy chair that he brought from a crappy store…

for real sounds interesting

Jowbacca
07-02-2003, 10:59 AM
Yah, leaving it on the floor's easier... especially if you're just working with 45 pound plates (not smaller).

On a related topic, my deadlift has died. Was struggling with 2 plates... dunno if it's cuz i'm starvin.... may just be outta practise.