HST with Injured back

[noland0]

Hi all,

About 2 months ago i was diagnosed with a bulging disc in the lower back (well 3 discs are out of placement actually) and this has restricted me from doing any of my HST stuff. Prior to the injury - which was caused from b-ball - i had completed 2 workouts and was loving it.

I am now on a pilates (or core strengthening program,  

) for recovery to get my core rock solid and my back to what it was before (hopefully). However I am still eager as ever to get back on the weights. I won't yet cause i still has some serious pilates to complete but when i come back does anybody have some suggestions as to what modifications i should apply to HST so i can restrict the back from involving itself in my exercises.


Thanks to all

 

[Brixtonian]

Hi,

By coincidence, I also had a slipped/prolapsed disc back in May of this year....
Had pain for a week, which I thought was just a trapped nerve, so didnt bother to see a doctor. Took time off work and cut the gym completely, and it slowly felt much better by the end of the week.

Then went off on holiday to Orlando for two weeks of being dragged around watching hoardes off screaming kids and huge mice singing and dancing all day.
8+ hours of walking non-stop... that and crap food!
Yeah my feet ached like never before, but the back seemed fine.

Came home (I'm in UK) and went straight back to the gym, before I went back to work, and just one set of donkey calf raises (affects the sciatic nerve) set it all off again.
Agony once more...

So, saw the doc this time, and had a course of physio, painkillers, and those pilates exercises, for about four weeks, before I couldnt fight the 'gym bug' anymore...

So, now I'm back in the gym. Basic 'vanilla' routine from the Fausto's excellent 'simplify and win' thread.
I'm avoiding 'weight-bearing' exercises like squats and deadlifts. Nothing that puts pressure on the spine.

I do leg press (prefer squats, but this will have to do for now)
Incline benches, seated rows, dips and pull ups (these two allow stretching of the spine, which is helpful)
I also avoid the donkey calf raises, as thats what triggered it all off before, and am just doing seated calf raises at the moment, but my physio reckons that standing would be ok too...

I then finish off with the various pilates and stretches.
I also try and work my core while doing things like incline bench, seated rows and dips - 'clenching' basically...

I ran all this passed my physio before I started training again, and she was happy with it.

So, my advice - having been in your position - is to keep it simple. Avoid any weight-bearing exercise.
Keep on the pilates and core stuff, and some cardio helps...

If you want my exact routine, thats ok, just pm me..

And of course, STOP if anything feels wrong or starts to hurt!

Good luck

Brix