How I fixed my back problems per HG's request

[mrodock]

Matt
You are definitely a goal setter & must be a time management expert...it's awesome what you are doing. How do you manage your time between working, going to school & studying, working out, eating and sleeping, and slipping in golf lessons.

Can you elaborate a little and share your program on how you solved your back problems by making your hips more mobile and learning to activate your glutes.

Thanks for any help.

HG

To be honest I haven't had the energy to play much golf this summer so I'm only doing what I feel I can concentrate on and do well.

During the summers I work full-time but I don't have school (have to start studying for the GRE though) and I don't have kids so realistically I have a lot more free time than many people on the forum. I did spend as much time on fitness during this last semester though while I worked 20 hours a week and had my most rigorous semester but I wasn't trying to gain weight which seems really draining.

I don't generally think I manage my time that well, as I am often scrambling to get things done toward the last minute. I try to manage my energy though, I try to do things when I feel like doing them. I think having compelling goals is more important than anything, and holding yourself to a higher standard which I am working on doing myself.

The single best exercise I did for fixing my back was the goblet squat:

-I actually can do down quite a bit further than the guy demonstrating it now. You get the knees doing out and you want the elbows inside of the knees, which helps open up the inner thigh musculature and the hip flexors. Also I worked on overhead squats:

By squatting deep with both of these lifts I was able to really contract my glutes and also improve my hip mobility. I did the overhead squats with a dowel and the goblet squats without a weight. If you have trouble doing the overhead squats I would suggest purchasing this book and follow Gray's protocol: http://www.amazon.com/Athletic-Body-.../dp/0736042288.

In order to activate my glutes I did the following:

I was too lordotic (too much low back curvature) so while I was standing throughout the day I would squeeze my glutes really hard in order to decrease the lordosis. Following this program I greatly reduced my lordosis, but if you happen to have the other problem, posterior pelvic tilt (flat lower back, which is less common) then these exercises might not suit you so well and I would recommend other exercises.

(lift your toes off the ground to increase glute activation) I did this exercise for 3 reps with 2 feet until I could comfortably hold it for 2 minutes then I moved on to:

(when I could do 45 pounds on each leg for 3 sets of 15 I moved on to the exercise program you see in the on page 3 of the fight or flight thread). After 8 weeks on that program my back is better than ever.

I also did the following ab exercises:

(until I could hold on both sides for 2 minutes)

(I did this until I could hold for 2 minutes)

For all endurance exercises I would do 3 sets of holds and rest for 1 minute between sets.

Anything else let me know.

Matt

[hg]

Matt

Thanks for the in-depth response...love those UTube references....I am going to work on these exercises to get my back in better shape. I do some stretching every morning but I need to step up and do more like the ones you have suggested.

HG

[mrodock]

I would eliminate the stretching in the morning. The back is most prone to injury right after waking up in the morning due to the increased fluid in the back which dissipates in the first 2 hours after waking. Static stretching can help, but mostly for the hips. The low back, in general needs stability much more than mobility. You want mobility around the lower back: hips and thoracic spine. There is one lower back muscle that I would recommend stretching, the quadratus lumborum. However, I have used a foam roller on the QL and that seems to work better than stretching. I would go to a book store and toward the end of Mark Verstegen's Core Performance Golf book he outlines how to do this. Also I would recommend using the foam roller on the IT band, it is difficult to stretch and responds well to the foam roller:

. As far as thoracic spine mobility is concerned the overhead squats that I mentioned before will help, also using a foam roller will be useful:

. You can use the foam roller on the front of the thighs, inner thighs, hamstrings, butt, etc. If you get bored with this stuff I have more.

I think the single most important exercise for me was the goblet squat, followed by the overhead squat. Everything else you are willing to do is icing on the cake. I would test your core stability and see how far you are from holding the three bridges for 2 minutes.

Matt

[hg]

Thanks again Matt...I have read the same thing about the spine and stretching in the AM... I keep the AM stretching to mostly those with a flat back.

I had to look up the QL muscle to see where that one was...I will need to get a foam roller. You have given me much to start up a good lower back program...thanks for the information....I am going to save your posts for future reference. I will definitely start doing the squat exercises..I am pretty tight in all those hip/lower back muscles...it has come with age and too much sitting at the office. ( and on the couch at home in front of the tube...damn golf channel)

HG

[mrodock]

One more thing. This article has helped me immensely with my back pain:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1444035

[12 piece bucket]

One more thing. This article has helped me immensely with my back pain:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1444035

What in the world just happened?

Is the pain in your forearm now?

[mrodock]

What in the world just happened?

Is the pain in your forearm now?

Forearms are fine, thanks for asking!