Humour me please!

[neilhytholt]

Thanks all.

Think I'll jump on the blog bandwagon with this thread so you chip in when you have a suggestion.

May be a bit sporadic posting of course.

What I want to know is ... how do you keep f-ing up your lower back? Seriously, how does it happen? Just so we know and don't do it to ourselves.

One guy I met who did a desk job for 60+ hours a week had to get periodic shots into his spine to relieve the pain. The doctor prescribed him situps, and crunches, but for some strange reason he never did them.

[Mr Punch]

Here goes.

Wed's a long work day (get up 6, leave house 7, get back 2135)... so basic one-hr workout (at home so no weights).

- Basic lunges 20 each leg.
- Walking lunges 20.
- Hindu squats 20.

- Siu lum tao.
- Chum kiu.
- Biu jee.

(these three at reasonable pace - not really really slow)

- Push-ups (I know, I know, but I've no imagination for other bodyweight upper body stuff right now!): 10 standard, 10 wide, 5 narrow.
- 10 bridges.
- 5 manji steps (basically a low horse stance with arms outstretched, chest pushed out, back curved, stepping slowly with count of ten, dragging rear foot to low squat position not rising and slowly wheeling the arms so one is reaching up straight and the other pushing down straight, then into the next horse stance) - usually do 10 but hadn't the energy after the increased leg work.
- 3 shiko (sumo leg stamping warm-up).

- 8-silk reeling brocade with full extension and relaxation.

Legs already feeling it. It's been too long.

With this kind of workout usually do shadow boxing/bagwork too, but it's too late to make the noise with the bag and I don't want to overtax my back with the chance of jerking it out with the shadow boxing.

[neilhytholt]

Here goes.

Wed's a long work day (get up 6, leave house 7, get back 2135)... so basic one-hr workout (at home so no weights).

- Basic lunges 20 each leg.
- Walking lunges 20.
- Hindu squats 20.

- Siu lum tao.
- Chum kiu.
- Biu jee.

(these three at reasonable pace - not really really slow)

- Push-ups (I know, I know, but I've no imagination for other bodyweight upper body stuff right now!): 10 standard, 10 wide, 5 narrow.
- 10 bridges.
- 5 manji steps (basically a low horse stance with arms outstretched, chest pushed out, back curved, stepping slowly with count of ten, dragging rear foot to low squat position not rising and slowly wheeling the arms so one is reaching up straight and the other pushing down straight, then into the next horse stance) - usually do 10 but hadn't the energy after the increased leg work.
- 3 shiko (sumo leg stamping warm-up).

- 8-silk reeling brocade with full extension and relaxation.

Legs already feeling it. It's been too long.

With this kind of workout usually do shadow boxing/bagwork too, but it's too late to make the noise with the bag and I don't want to overtax my back with the chance of jerking it out with the shadow boxing.

Yeah, you're not doing any ab exercises + I don't know what kind of job do you have, is it either sitting around a desk all day or carting around some heavy things?

Why not any ab exercises?

[Mr Punch]

I'm a teacher, but I do have a lot of time for light exercise during the day, as long as I don't get too sweaty!

I usually do sit ups and various other things, but I'm fighting shy to avoid putting my lower back out again. I think part of the problem may be I have strong abs and a weak lower back.

[neilhytholt]

I'm a teacher, but I do have a lot of time for light exercise during the day, as long as I don't get too sweaty!

I usually do sit ups and various other things, but I'm fighting shy to avoid putting my lower back out again. I think part of the problem may be I have strong abs and a weak lower back.

That's weird. Usually you find people with weak lower backs and they have weak abs.

I don't know what to say, then. Maybe check with a physical therapist type person. (A good one, not the usual idiots running around these days).

[stricker]

mat,

quick suggestion for something to do no kit no space no sweat would be holding planks for core strength. one of the ground coaches at my mma club likes them but i never really trained them i found just normal training (lots of thai kicks + wrestling) and i improved every time we came to do them. i also did them at a systema class i think 5 mins in the basic plank position. found it easy just from the mma training. you can do them for front back sides dont know if theyd help might be worth a try

also swings either kettlebell or dumbell are awesome. for a while i did a bunch every day before leaving for work, helped my posture and a good warm up for the day.

[_William_]

Mat,

I really think the series of Stuart McGill exercises I linked to would be of great help to you.(they are designed specifically for those with low back problems)

Situps are really of little use in low back health because the activation of the illiopsoas(hip flexor) muscles pulls on the lumbar spine.

[Mr Punch]

What I want to know is ... how do you keep f-ing up your lower back? Seriously, how does it happen? Just so we know and don't do it to ourselves.

Long history... thought I'd already said...? Anyway, sorry I hadn't seen this post.

Maybe originally it was from being tackled by a friend of mine on concrete. I landed pretty much on my lower spine with a 105-110 kg friend on top of me. We'd been clowning around (it was New Year's Eve) and were very drunk. We were playfighting (he used to do karate) and I was beatin his ass, and pinned him to a fence, realised there was nothing else to do (for the sake of playfighting restraint) and let him up, when he decided to see if he could make his bulk work. He could! He drove me back like an American footballer and dropped me on my ass.

I could barely get up the next day, and couldn't walk properly for a couple of days, with lasting pain for a couple of weeks. Being younger, bullish and busy, and also not having insurance or enough of a knowledge of Japanese at the time, I didn't go to the docs, and just did various tai chi and chi kung to try and right it.

So, if you want to avoid it try this:

don't be a drunken arse,
go to the docs.

It has since gone at various points, through kung fu, wrestling, coughing, taking off my sock, that kind of thing!

I have been to the docs and they are useless. Xrays showed no prob, and if it persists after my latest regime, I'm going straight to get an MRI and to visit the K1/Pride doc down in Chiba (long way but my pro-fighter friend swears by him). Generally the docs here have no sports/trauma knowledge and none of the gyms even have trainers, unless they're VIP gyms.

My anma (blind masseur) is a wizard tho with acupuncture and massage.

[Mr Punch]

That's weird. Usually you find people with weak lower backs and they have weak abs.

I don't know what to say, then. Maybe check with a physical therapist type person. (A good one, not the usual idiots running around these days).

Dunno, the way I'd always seen it is a lot of people have an imbalance in opposing muscle groups even if they're not aware of it.

Physical therapy would be a great idea, but I live in Japan, and there's no chance of that unless you're a (rich) pro.

[Mr Punch]

Stricker, so what is 'the basic plank position'?!

[Mr Punch]

William, thanks for the link, I hadn't checked it for some reason, but tried the exercises yesterday and they're marvelous! I think they're just what I need to do every day, and add to the beginning and end of my other workouts.

And, yeah, I don't do sit ups when my back's going through one of it weak periods or feels remotely damaged again, and wanted to find something that would work my abs without straining my lumar region... maybe McGill's curl-ups are another piece of the puzzle. I'd seen and done them before, but had kind of let them go again, and the emphasis on the 'abdominal shield' is new to me.

[Mr Punch]

Thu is another busy day. My back felt good, so did a little light bagwork and the wc forms.

Then went to the anma, but this time my back felt worse after (sometimes this happens, usually when I have to go back to work after the massage instead of relaxing/sleeping/stretching etc), so in the evening after my night job, I just went to bed early.

Fri, back was weak, and had another very busy day (Fri's usually easy), so just did ten regular pushups and the forms.

Yesterday, unusually busy again but made myself the time to try those exercises William linked too. Great stuff.

Today's the main training day... Tomorrow or Tue should be able to start at the gym... back later.

[Mr Punch]

Sun (yesterday).

Started early after breakfast had a chance to go down, with McGill's back exercises.

In case you haven't read the article they are:

cat/camel yoga pose
curl ups
bird dog yoga pose
side bridges

Then did SLT, CK and BG.

Then to the park for some WC. Keeping it light (no sparring, no strong lap saus, no hard chi sau) while my back is still ropey.

SLT (with a bit of application from second section double fak etc)

Huen bo as applied in sweeping, entering, and low-mid roundhouse kicks, with and without hooks/elbows. Very light application work (was feeling it in my back anyway) and a couple of light reps of light mid roundhouses with thai pads.

Too bloody humid in the park and the mozzies are already out in full force, so retired to my balcony for some very light bagwork (turning punches and low-mid kicks - still can't really whack the bag cos the jerking goes straight through my lower spine... I know a well connected strike shouldn't particularly stop there and should come all the way from the feet, but of course there's still some major 'traffic' going through the problem area, so I still have to keep it light).

Light pushing and punching partner to check stance.

Also some light chi sau on the balcony.

Focussing on keeping our arms low to relax our shoulders and get a better connection to our stances rather than on any specific techs. Started with rolling to changeover in response to pressure, then the exercise beginning with L(ik?!) which involves your partner letting his pressure go briefly so you should automatically find an opening... wtf's that called again!?

Then some light free rolling.

Went well. Kept relaxed. Not too much pressure on my spine.

Then ate and went shopping (lots of walking! - probably good for my back too!).

Evening: 30 walking lunges (no weights - already feeling stronger in legs, no burn at all)
10 slow tackle drills (usually do more and faster but still wary of back and couldn't use my kitchen... the tatami in my bedroom are evil for mat-burn, liek a mincing machine!)
10 reg push-ups, 10 wide and 10 narrow.

Finished with the back routine again.

[Mr Punch]

Found some time at work to do slt, ck, bg, and ten manji steps taking 8ish seconds in each transition and stance.

After work finally made it to the gym!

5 kg DB DLs x 15.

Long, deep lunges with 6 kg DBs x 5 each side.

5kg squats on Smith machine.

10 kg trap bar DLs x 15.

6 kg walking lunges x 15 each side.

35kg oblique machine thingies x 12 each side twice.

15 kg Smith machine DLs x 5.

35 kg with some leg pushy machine thing (supposedly works same as squats without the strain on your back) x 15 with a high leg position for gluts, x 15 with a lower leg position for quads, x 15 with a low leg position for calves.

20 min run (3 + km).

So now I know what the exercises should look and feel like.

Started slowly, and gonna work it up slowly from here... there was nothing really taxing in that lot but my legs are feeling it, so I'll be back with a progress (pain!) report tomorrow. Mostly concentrating on back and legs today, and will next be able to go back to the gym probably Friday, when I'll work upper body a bit I should think.

No idea what to go for reps or weights TBH (I know these weights are way light, but obviously concerned about form first as total newb, for the sake of my back rehab) , so as usual I throw myself at your mercies for any suggestions!

I'll be doing my stretches, a couple of push-ups and McGill's core back work again tonight before bed to make sure I don't wake up like a board.

[Mr Punch]

Finished up last night with 10 reg pushups, 10 wide, 10 narrow, and 10 scapula, a load of leg stretches and those back exercises.

Couple of questions:

1) I noticed on a few other blogs people do their sets of the same exercise back to back, as opposed to doing one exercise and then doing another then coming back to the first like I did. What's the advantage?

2) People complain about machines. That oblique thingy I used yesterday seemed to be the only way I could do that... how would I be able to replicate that with weights and does it matter (ie. is there a problem with using machines)?

3) Sups? Drinking basic protein shake with its multivits and mins etc. Is there something I should be looking for in a protein shake? What other sups are useful? Andrew, you take aspirin... why?