I’ve been out of commission for about 2 months. I have a couple of herniated disks (L4-L5) in my lower back and aggravated the injury back in early March. I didn’t listen to my body and made it worse so instead of simply resting for a week or two, I got ansy and ended up being forced to not lift anything significant until this last week.
With that said, I’m am forced to find training strategies that do not or will not exacerbate the injury. So, obviously, lifts with any amount of axial loading are out. Any advice as too what lifts may be safe and effective is welcome.
With that said, I’m using this forum, which is a great idea by the way, to keep track of my journey to a respectable physique while managing my back. My main goal, which is to drop about 20-25 pounds, is spurred by two things: 1.) I want to look better nekked! and 2.) My lower back will benefit.
Listed below are my beginning stats and current workout schedule.
5’11"
227 lbs.
Approx. 22.5% bodyfat (3-site)
Chest: 48"
Arms: 17.5"
Waist: 38"
Thighs: 28"
Hips: 42"
Calves: 17"
Forearms: 14"
Shoulders: 56"
Neck: 16.5"
Current Workout Schedule:
Sunday: 45-60 minutes moderate-intensity Cardio; Abs
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Back, Abs, 15-20 minutes HIIT
Wednesday: Legs, 30 minutes treadmill walking, varying speed and incline
Thursday: Chest, Abs, 15-20 minutes HIIT
Friday: Off
Saturday: Shoulders, Arms, 30-45 minutes moderate-intensity cardio
I’ll basically be taken in approximately 2600 calories per training day and 2200 per non-training day in an 45/35/20 macronutrient breakdown. I’ll be posting progress pics once every two weeks, with weekly weight-in’s.
Hey! I feel your apprehension about lifting after such a back injury. I have a sub-herniation in L4, roto-scoliosis, and a bunch of screwed up muscles in my lower back. I spent 8 years bouncing from doc to doc trying to find out what I could do.
You might want to see a sports doc if you aren’t already. They could help you with a program to start building the strength in your back. I starting lifting weights 5 weeks ago, starting with pretty much the bar, and I included Deadlift in that - I’m now at 175 for my DL, which is something almost all my docs said I’d never be able to do. If anything, it’s made my back feel better, and curbed a LOT of my daily back pain.
I wish you luck!!
darwin 420,
Thanks fot he advice regarding the sports doc. I’ve seen my share of docs, pt’s and chiros but haven’t gone the sports doc route. 175 on the DL with all of that crap going on in your back, huh? Impressive.
Training Log for Saturday, May 3rd.
10 minutes on the elliptical to wake the heck up
Following shoulder warm-up:
Alt. DB Upright Rows: 3 x 12 (35 lbs.), 10, 8
1-arm DB Presses: 3 x 8 (55 lbs.)
DB Lateral Raises: 2 x 12 (20 lbs.), 10, 8 + 2 (used legs a lil’ on the last 2)
E-Z Bar Curls: 3 x 8 (80 lbs.)
Alt. DB Supinating Curls: 2 x 8 (each arm) (25,30 lbs.)
Dips: 2 x max (16, 11)(BW)
BB Skullcrushers: 2 x 10 (65,75 lbs.)
No cardio today; Had to cut my workout short in order to study for finals (I’m a grad student). Felt pretty good overall. Doing the 1-arm DB presses allow me to not worry about my back at all. For some reason, the imbalance doesn’t put any stress in the lower back. Go figure.
I tried to upload a pic but for some reason it’s not showing up. ?
Nutrition and Training 5/4/2008:
Breakfast: 1 1/2 cups High-fiber cereal; 1/4 cup chopped walnuts; 1/4 cup craisins; 1 cup 2% milk
Lunch: 4 oz. grilled chicken; 1 cup wild rice; 1 cup steamed broccoli
Pre-cardio: 2 scoops whey protein; handful of BCAA’s
Cardio: 15 minutes on elliptical (7-8 PES); 10 minutes HIIT w/ jumprope (60/30 sec work-to-rest)
Dinner: Weekly cheat meal
The next few days should be interesting. After taking my last final of the semester tonight, I’m going to Hilton Head, SC for a few days of business training. I hear it’s really a nice place but based on the hotel’s website, I’m not expecting too much in terms of workout space. Sticking to the diet shouldn’t be too hard though. Several MRP’S and protein bars should help. Also, I won’t have internet access while I’m there so I’ll update when I get back.
OK, I’m back. After basically sittin’ on my arse at the beach for 3 days, I decided to go all in.
Beginning Monday, I’ll be trying the new “Warp Speed Fat Loss” program from Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Roussell. Basically, I’m starting Monday because they tell you to. The workouts and meals are setup for training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The plan calls for some kick-arse workouts and a lo-carb, low-cal diet. So, we’ll see what happens. After reading the manual, it sounds like a less drastic V-Diet, only with solid food.
I’ll weigh-in on Monday also and update my specs. I’ll also take another pic and try to upload it agin since my last attempt didn’t work.
I forgot to list my supps. Here’s what I’ll be using:
1.) HOT-ROX Extreme
2.) Carbolin 19
3.) Flameout
4.) Multivitamin
5.) BCAA’s
6.) Z-12
7.) Various flavors of whey protein powders
8.) Spike Tabs
1st Day on WSFL: 223 lbs.; 23% b.f. [Note: Either I’m a total idiot (my wife votes for this choice) or something’s wrong with the pic downloading feature. I’ve still not been able to post my “before” pic!]
Food
Breakfast: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 scoop whey protien powder; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.; 2 tbsp. flax seed meal
Snack: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts
Lunch: 7 oz. grilled chicken breast; 2 cups baby spinach; 2 tbsp. feta cheese; 7 medium calamata olives, 1/2 cup chopped red onion; 2 tsp. each of balsamic vinegar and EVOO
Pre-workout snack: 1 scoop vanilla whey protein; 1 small Fuji apple
Dinner: 10 oz. grilled chicken; 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 3 tsp. EVOO; 3 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1/2 cup blueberries; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.
Workout:
Squats: 4 x 8 w/ 2 sec. rest at the bottom; 90 sec. rest (I’ll do lumberjack or goblet squats becasue of the spine issues.) Used 80 lb. DB’s; felt pretty good; the pause at the bottom began to hurt into the last set.
Circuit A: A1 - Push-up/prone jackknife combo; max sets of 6 for 10 min.; A2 - Rev. Lunge/Cable Row combo; max sets of 6 reps for 10 min. Used 60 lbs. on the lunge/row combo; took a couple of sets before I got the coordination down.
Circuit B: B1 - Squat and Press / Pull-ups (same as circuit A); Used 25 lb. DB’s and BW; this one really hurt, basically cause I weight too dang much and that makes pull-ups a killer!
Intervals: 3 min. warm-up; 6 rounds of 30/90; 3-5 min, cooldown; Used the jumprope for these
WSFL - Day 2
Food:
Breakfast: 2 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Patties(I replaced the Al Fresca chicken sausage with these because the Al Fresca isn’t sold around here, however, based on the amount of food I ended up eating, I should’ve stuck with one. I have a lil’ leeway though sine I’m on the 215-lb Meal Plan.); 2 egg whites; 1 whole omega-3 egg; 1/2 cup each of chopped onion and green bell pepper; 1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Snack: Broke the cardinal rule of being prepared and forgot my snack, luckily I have some MRP’s at the office - 1 Optimum Nutrition Whey Gold Meal
Lunch: 7.5 oz. grilled chicken; 2 cups baby spinach; 1/2 cup chopped tomato; 1 tbsp. each of EVOO and vinegar; 1/2 oz. shredded cheese
Peri-workout: I had my pre-workout snack a lil’ too early yesterday. My stomach was growling during my workout. So today I won’t start drinking the shake until I’m on my way to the gym. - 1 scoop whey protein w/ 20 g BCAA’s
Dinner: 7.5 oz. grilled chicken; 3 cups romaine lettuce; 1/2 cup chopped red onion; 3 tsp. EVOO and vinegar; 2 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
Snack: 1/2 scoop whey protein; 1 cup fat-free greek yogurt; 1/2 cup blueberries (I use the frozen organic and it tastes just like a fruity icecream treat!); 3 tbsp. walnuts
Workout:
Cardio: 5 min. warmup; 3 rounds of 60/120 sec. intervals; 5 min. very low intensity; 20 min. moderate intensity; 3 min. cooldown
WSFL - Day 3
Food:
Breakfast: 4 slices x-tra lean turkey bacon; 1/4 cup salsa; 1 whole omega-3 egg; 3 egg whites; 1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Snack: 2 scoops whey protein; 1 small fuji apple; 18 almonds
Lunch: 7 oz. grilled chicken; 1.5 cups chopped cucumber; 1/2 cup chopped tomato; 2 tsp. EVOO; 2 tbsp. feta cheese
Peri-workout: 1 scoop whey protein; 20g BCAA’s
Dinner: 8 oz. top round steak; 2 cups broccoli; 1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1 small fuji apple; 18 almonds
Workout:
Strength ‘B’: A1 - Incline DB Press, 3x6-8 (80 lbs.), 60 sec. rest; paired w/ A2 - 3 Point DB Row (80 lbs.), 3x6-8,60 sec. rest ( I ended up doing 1-arm DB Rows instead. In able to go heavy enough, I had to use the 80’s and that was just too much stress on my lowerback trying to do 3-ptrs.)
Circuit C: C1 - DB Romanian D.L. (25 lbs.); paired w/ C2 - Swiss Ball Crunch; max sets of 12 for 10 min.
Circuit D: D1 - Stepup (each leg); paired w/ D2 - DB Swing (25 lbs.); max sets of 12 for 10 min.
Interval B: 3 min. warmup; 3 rounds of 120/120 sec.; 3-5 min. cooldown (Jumprope, dang this was a killer!)
[quote]live_to_lift wrote:
darwin 420,
Thanks fot he advice regarding the sports doc. I’ve seen my share of docs, pt’s and chiros but haven’t gone the sports doc route. 175 on the DL with all of that crap going on in your back, huh? Impressive.
[/quote]
Just checking in to see if you’ve made an appointment yet. You’ll probably be surprised at what they can do these days.
I really need to send my doc a thank you card. I haven’t been on my painkillers in over 2 months, and my DL just hit 225 today.
Keep up the good work with your program, too!!
Not yet. I’ve been meaning to though. Thanks for reminding me!
WSFL - Day 4
Food:
Breakfast: 1 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage; 2 whole omega-3 egg; 1/2 cup each of chopped onion and red bell pepper; 1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Snack: 2 pieces string cheese; 2/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 6 almonds
Lunch: 7 oz. grilled chicken breast; 2 cups baby spinach; 2 tbsp. feta cheese; 7 medium calamata olives, 1/2 cup chopped red onion; 2 tsp. each of balsamic vinegar and EVOO
Peri-workout: 1 scoop whey protein w/ 20 g BCAA’s
Dinner: 10 oz. grilled tilapia; 12 asparagus spears; 4 tsp. EVOO
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.; 1/3 cup frozen cherries
Workout:
Cardio: 5 min. warmup; 3 rounds of 60/120 sec. intervals; 5 min. very low intensity; 20 min. moderate intensity; 3 min. cooldown
[quote]live_to_lift wrote:
Not yet. I’ve been meaning to though. Thanks for reminding me![/quote]
Well, get on it! There’s nothing greater than overcoming a back injury. I can’t tell you how awesome it was to dead lift and squat 200 pounds for the first time, after every doctor (except for one) said I’d never be able to do it again.
Good luck!!
My office is starting a pseudo-Biggest Loser competition. I know, I know…weight loss is different than fat loss but I’m going to try and win anyway, I could use the extra bucks! Depending on how many particpate, that could mean up to $1,000! It begins Monday and will be 8 weeks long which is perfect since I’ll be into my second week of WSFL.
Update: Well, using the same rational that got most of the fatasses in my office in their present state, the organizers of the competition are waiting until June 1st to start it. The stated reason being so that “everyone could enjoy thei Memorial Day Weekend”. Freakin’ losers!!! That’s exactly why I’m gonna win this damn thing. Only thing is that the weight I’ll lose before then won’t count towards my end numbers. Luckily I talked them into going by bodyfat lost instead of total weight in order to be fair. There are a couple of women with nice figures who are “skinny-soft” and simply need to firm up and there’s a few land whales around here who could take home the cash if they simply park further away from th front door in the mornings. They did extend the competition to last for the duration of the summer, June-August, so that will ensure that more than half are screwed. They’ll either give up or not be able to drop much.
WSFL - Day 5
Food:
Breakfast: 2 Omega-3 eggs; 1/2 cup each of chopped onion and red bell pepper; 1 oz. cheddar cheese
Snack: 12 almonds 1 scoop whey protein
Lunch: 7 oz. grilled chicken; 2 cups broccoli; 3 tsp. EVOO; 1 tsp. butter
Peri-workout: 1 scoop whey protein; 1 small orange
Dinner: 7 oz. grilled chicken; 1 cup cooked spaghetti squash; 3 tsp. EVOO; 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1/2 cup frozen blueberries; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.
Workout:
Strength ‘C’: Deadlift - 4x6-8; 2 sec. pause at the bottom; 60 sec. rest (135 lbs; felt pretty good)
Circuit A: A1 - Push-up/prone jackknife combo; max sets of 6 for 10 min.; A2 - Rev. Lunge/Cable Row combo (50 lbs.); max sets of 6 reps for 10 min.
Circuit B: B1 - Squat and Press (25,20 lbs.)/ Pull-ups (-60lbs.) (same as circuit A)
Intervals: 3 min. warm-up; 6 rounds of 30/90; 3-5 min, cooldown (elliptical)
WSFL: Days 6 & 7
Day 6 Food:
Breakfast: 1 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage; 2 whole omega-3 egg; 1/2 cup each of chopped onion and red bell pepper; 1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Peri-workout: 1 scoop whey protein
Lunch: 6 oz. baksed tureky breast; 1 cup green beans; 1 small cesear salad
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.; 1/3 cup frozen cherries
Dinner: Today is my birthday and I enjoyed myself a little but didn’t go overboard; 1 slice Veggie Lovers pizza, thin crust; large spinach salad; 20 oz. Diet Dr Pepper
Workout:
Cardio: 5 min. warmup; 3 rounds of 60/120 sec. intervals; 5 min. very low intensity; 20 min. moderate intensity; 3 min. cooldown (elliptical)
Day 7
Food:
Breakfast: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 scoop whey protien powder; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.; 2 tbsp. flax seed meal
Snack: 3 oz. pkg. Oberta Beef Jerky
Lunch: 2/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 3 tbsp. chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup frozen cherries; 1 scoop whey protein; ice (blended into shake)
Snack: 2.5 scoops whey protein; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.
Dinner: 6 oz. grilled chicken; 2 cups baby spinach; 2 tsp. each EVOO, vinegar; 1/3 cup chopped red onion, 6 kalamata olives, 3 tbsp. goat cheese
Workout:
N/A
WSFL - WEEK 2/Day 8
Weight: 221 lbs. (-2 lbs.)
Bodyfat: 22% (-1%)
I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t lose at least 3 lbs. but I guess my birthday meal did more damage than I thought it would. Anyway, I was a bit suprised that I was never really hungry or tired like I’ve been on previous lo-carb plans. The workouts were good and I enjoyed going to the gym 6 days for the week. Going every day kept fitness on my mind so it was easy to stay on track.
Food:
Breakfast: 2 oz. x-tra lean ground beef; 1/3 cup each onion and tomato; 1/2 cup feta cheese; 2 omega-3 eggs (I was supposed to used 3 eggwhites but they’re getting really expensive. So, I cut back from 4 to 2 oz. on the beef. Dang! This is my new favorite breakfast!)
Snack: ON Whey Gold Meal
Lunch: 10 oz. x-tra lean ground beef; 2 cups broccoli; 2 tbsp. lite soy sauce
Snack: 1.5 scoop whey protein powder; 1 small fuji apple; 18 almonds
Pre-workout: 20g BCAA’s
Dinner: 8oz. tilapia; 1 cup steamed green beans; 1/2 cup yogurt
Workout:
Squats: 4 x 8 w/ 2 sec. rest at the bottom; 90 sec. rest (I’ll do lumberjack or goblet squats becasue of the spine issues.); Used 80 lbs. again (I was more than pissed at the gym today. Although most of the moves I do utilize free weights, a couple of jackasses kept taking over the spaces I was using. A typical Monday. I finally had to ask them to stop and it almost got testy. I simply ignored the “puffing up” and went back to work.)
Circuit C: C1 - DB Romanian D.L. (25lbs.); paired w/ C2 - Swiss Ball Crunch; max sets of 12 for 10 min.
Circuit D: D1 - Stepup (each leg); paired w/ D2 - DB Swing (30 lbs.); max sets of 12 for 10 min.
Intervals ‘A’: 3 min. warm-up; 6 rounds of 30/90; 3-5 min, cooldown; Used elliptical
WSFL - Day 9
Food:
Breakfast: I ate the same breakfast as yesterday, it was that dang good!
Snack: 2 scoops whey protein; 1 small fuji apple; 18 almonds
Lunch: 1 can albacore tuna; 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce; 1/3 cup chopped onion; 1 cup chopped cucumber (I’m supposed to use celery but didn’t buy any during my grocery shopping on Sunday.);2 tbsp. Smart Balance Omega-3 mayo
Snack: 2 pieces string cheese; 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 6 almonds
Pre-workout: 20g BCAA’s
Dinner: 10 oz. grilled tilapia; 1.25 cup green beans; 4 tbsp. chopped walnuts
Workout:
Cardio - 5 min. warm-up; 4 rounds of 60/120 sec. intervals; 5 min. very low intensity; 20 min. moderate intensity, 3 min. cooldown
WSFL - Day 10
Food:
Breakfast: 2 scoops whey protein; 1 small fuji apple; 4 tbsp. chopped pecans
Snack: None; got stuck in a meeting and couldn’t excuse myself to eat. Well, I guess I could’ve but would now be looking for another job!)
Lunch: 6 oz. grilled chicken; 4 strips turkey bacon, 1 sliced tomatoe; 1 tbsp. mayo, 2 tbsp. avocado; 3 tbsp. shredded parmasean cheese (dang, this was good!)
Snack: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1/2 scoop whey protein; 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts
Dinner: 7oz. grilled chicken tossed with 1/2 cup sauteed onion and 2/3 cup green bell pepper
Snack: 1.5 scoops whey protein; 1 tbsp. natural p.b.; 1/3 cup frozen cherries
Workout:
Strength ‘B’: A1 - Incline DB Press, 3x6-8 (80 lbs.), 60 sec. rest; paired w/ A2 - 1-arm DB Row (80 lbs.), 3x6-8,60 sec. rest (got all 8 reps on every set today; plan on using 85’s next time)
Circuit A: A1 - Push-up/prone jackknife combo; max sets of 6 for 10 min.; A2 - Rev. Lunge/Cable Row combo; max sets of 6 reps for 10 min.
Circuit B: B1 - Squat and Press / Pull-ups (same as circuit A) (Used 25 lbs. for squat/press and -70 lbs. for pull-ups; after doing Strength A, my arms were fried!)
Interval B: 3 min. warmup; 3 rounds of 120/120 sec.; 3-5 min. cooldown (Used treadmill)