Thought I'd introdce myself real quick and give you a bit of backround about me and why I'm here. I'll try and make it as short as possible. 
I'm 34 years old, 5ft 6in and weight roughly 164lbs. I also started "exercising" August 2011 (roughly 5 months). Being plagued with 2 herniated discs (L4/L5 and L5/S1) and being told by 3 doctors I'd probably need surgery to fix it and also, that I'd need to change my career path, I set out to beat the odds and prove them wrong. I have done everything in the book to try and relieve the nerve pain (and even spasms associated with it) from different forms of physiotherapy to epidurals etc, but nothing gave me relief for more than 2 weeks at a time for 2 years straight. It was a constant battle, but surgery for me would have to be a last resort so I said I'd try and build up my body to see if it would help any.
I started out in August only able to do 10 push-ups from my knees.
. It was tough, but I pushed through it. I workout from home and over the past 5 months I've built up quite a bit of equipment to use (pull-up bar, olympic bar with about 250lbs of free weights, dumbell bars, a bench that can adjust from about 15 degree decline up to about a 45 degree incline, something to do dips on, a weight belt, and a Tower 200 by Jake that I used in the beginning, but now only use for some resistance cardio work). From August to about mid November I did basically whatever. Worked out 5 days a week and my only rule was not to hit the same muscle within a 48 hour period. That was it. The worse part about it was I didn't do any pull-ups to this point, no dips, no deadlifts, no military presses, no bent over barbel rows and no squats! Yup! Real newbie!
. After joining and browsing 2 forums, I learned about these exercises and how important they are and started tackling them. Up to this point, I didn't have one issue with my back for the first time in 2 years so I was happy and motivated. Started out real low on all of those lifts because of my back. Deadlifts began at about 20lbs or so. Fast forward to the end of December and I was able to deadlift 130lbs for 10 reps. At this point I irritated my discs and got my first spasm in almost 5 months. It was my fault as I jumped 40 lbs in one week on the deadlift (live and learn). Took a week off to rest, had to get 2 injections and now I'm back together again somewhat. I've been off and on with different workout routines trying my own (dumb), then trying some bouncing around the net and for some reason, I keep coming back to this forum (specifically the HST program) as it really interested me. I'd come on here and read the routine and layout a few times a week. I know it in and out...It's crazy, but still never tried it yet. After my workout tonight using all pro's beginner's routine from bodybuilding.com that I have been messing with recently to see if I'd like it, I felt a bit bored. The theory behind it is great, but it doesn't seem as exciting as the HST program seems like it will be. I like the idea of being able to use an ABA, BAB sort of routine (if you wanted) as well as have 3 different rep ranges you can workout with each cycle. I think that is what I really need as I want to build muscle and strength at the same time so here I am ready to dive in and give it a shot.
Well that's it all in a nut shell. Since I irritated my discs, if I squat, deadlift or do bent over bb rows with too much weight, I feel a tingle in my hip. I've had to drop the weight by atleast half of what I had been doing because of this to avoid the "tingle" so I will be starting this program with really light weight in a few exercises which raises a few small questions...
With all that I have going against me, would you guys recommend anything in particular I should maybe do or not do or would you say just start with a light weight doing those particular exercises that irritate my back a bit and just progress with it slowly? I can hit any exercise full force except squats, deadlifts and bent over bb rows...
Thanks in advance for any feedback and also, thanks for looking those that made it this far through the thread.
I'm 34 years old, 5ft 6in and weight roughly 164lbs. I also started "exercising" August 2011 (roughly 5 months). Being plagued with 2 herniated discs (L4/L5 and L5/S1) and being told by 3 doctors I'd probably need surgery to fix it and also, that I'd need to change my career path, I set out to beat the odds and prove them wrong. I have done everything in the book to try and relieve the nerve pain (and even spasms associated with it) from different forms of physiotherapy to epidurals etc, but nothing gave me relief for more than 2 weeks at a time for 2 years straight. It was a constant battle, but surgery for me would have to be a last resort so I said I'd try and build up my body to see if it would help any.
I started out in August only able to do 10 push-ups from my knees.
. It was tough, but I pushed through it. I workout from home and over the past 5 months I've built up quite a bit of equipment to use (pull-up bar, olympic bar with about 250lbs of free weights, dumbell bars, a bench that can adjust from about 15 degree decline up to about a 45 degree incline, something to do dips on, a weight belt, and a Tower 200 by Jake that I used in the beginning, but now only use for some resistance cardio work). From August to about mid November I did basically whatever. Worked out 5 days a week and my only rule was not to hit the same muscle within a 48 hour period. That was it. The worse part about it was I didn't do any pull-ups to this point, no dips, no deadlifts, no military presses, no bent over barbel rows and no squats! Yup! Real newbie!. After joining and browsing 2 forums, I learned about these exercises and how important they are and started tackling them. Up to this point, I didn't have one issue with my back for the first time in 2 years so I was happy and motivated. Started out real low on all of those lifts because of my back. Deadlifts began at about 20lbs or so. Fast forward to the end of December and I was able to deadlift 130lbs for 10 reps. At this point I irritated my discs and got my first spasm in almost 5 months. It was my fault as I jumped 40 lbs in one week on the deadlift (live and learn). Took a week off to rest, had to get 2 injections and now I'm back together again somewhat. I've been off and on with different workout routines trying my own (dumb), then trying some bouncing around the net and for some reason, I keep coming back to this forum (specifically the HST program) as it really interested me. I'd come on here and read the routine and layout a few times a week. I know it in and out...It's crazy, but still never tried it yet. After my workout tonight using all pro's beginner's routine from bodybuilding.com that I have been messing with recently to see if I'd like it, I felt a bit bored. The theory behind it is great, but it doesn't seem as exciting as the HST program seems like it will be. I like the idea of being able to use an ABA, BAB sort of routine (if you wanted) as well as have 3 different rep ranges you can workout with each cycle. I think that is what I really need as I want to build muscle and strength at the same time so here I am ready to dive in and give it a shot.Well that's it all in a nut shell. Since I irritated my discs, if I squat, deadlift or do bent over bb rows with too much weight, I feel a tingle in my hip. I've had to drop the weight by atleast half of what I had been doing because of this to avoid the "tingle" so I will be starting this program with really light weight in a few exercises which raises a few small questions...
With all that I have going against me, would you guys recommend anything in particular I should maybe do or not do or would you say just start with a light weight doing those particular exercises that irritate my back a bit and just progress with it slowly? I can hit any exercise full force except squats, deadlifts and bent over bb rows...
Thanks in advance for any feedback and also, thanks for looking those that made it this far through the thread.
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. The sad part about it all was I was very athletic growing up. I was on the track team every year from primary school throughout highschool. I played golf, tennis, swam and most of all bowled. On average I would bowl roughly 50 games a week and was the Bahamas National champion 3 years in a row. Longest ever in Bahamian history. After I bulged my first disc about 6 years ago, a lot of the activity cut down. When I herniated two of them 2 years ago, everything stopped and life changed a lot. I have a wife and 2 children (a 5yr old and a 2 yr old) and for the past 2 years it been just a constant battle with my back. It's good to finally be able to go outside and play with the kids for a change. I was so restricted before.
