040 : 026 Back Injury mitigation
The deeper I dive into back pain mitigation, the more noticeable it is that most of the "bullet-proof" back pain management programs available are bullshit. The most obvious "red flag" is when back pain is referenced as low back weakness. While in a roundabout way, this could be true, it implies that we can directly strengthen the lower back in the same manner we would strengthen any lagging body part, but this is incorrect. While we can target the superficial muscles of the spine, such as your lats or rhomboids, the deep working musculature of the spine does not have a way to contract the way a lat does consciously. The deep musculature of the spine needs to be trained indirectly so that the stimulus we create sends sensory input into the central nervous system for those muscles to contract/work. A good example of this and one of the movements listed below is a bent-over row. Having the spine in a disadvantageous position (parallel to the floor) creates an environment for the muscles of the spine to begin working.
Work:
McGill Big 3
- Curl up 10x per leg
- Bird Dog 10x total reps
- Side Plank Raises 10 per side
x 2-3 sets
+
3-4 sets for Quality
75ft Suitcase Carry per side
*maintain an upright posture
75ft Bear Crawl
*maintain tension throughout core and hips; don't let hips swivel as you move
12-15 Bent over Barbell Rows
*keep it on the lighter side and use a :03 up / :03 down, tempo per rep
rest 2-minutes btw sets
+
Immediately after finishing your last set, complete a 20-30min brisk walk.
Flow:
For the McGill Big 3, click HERE for a tutorial by Brian Carroll. As for the movements that follow the Big 3 warmup, complete each movement with as much intention as possible to make each movement challenging. Don't just blow through the suitcase carry without paying attention to posture, how you're walking, and if your core is engaged. Same idea with the bear crawl: focus on quality movement, not just racing up and down the gym floor to get them over with. Use an appropriate load for the bent-over rows so that the weight is challenging but doesn't pull you out of position. Your torso should not really be moving up or down at all, so if you need a bit of body english to move the load, it's too heavy for what we are aiming to accomplish.
I assume anyone doing these sessions either has current back issues or has experienced some in the past. So leave your ego at home and focus on good-quality movement or excessive loading.
