[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
rawda wrote:
TrainerinDC wrote:
The main causes of lower back pain are lack of flexibility, not proper muscle balance, or the discs in the back grinding against one another (this one normally comes with age or injuries)
The quicker fixes for this can include a new mattress, making sure your lower back, abs, and hamstrings are balanced and flexible, and being conscious of the stresses placed on the lower back. The back is a very complex thing, because it is capable of great strength, but it does not take much at all to really injure it.
Hope this helps a little.
lack of strength is the main cause of injuries and back pain. look at the general public. they’re told out of date information about kinesiology that tells them to “lift with their legs, not their backs.” hello, you use your back all the time in every day life, it’s one of your strongest groups of muscles in your body, and the stronger they are, the more they protect the joints in your back.
in addition, overstretching predisposes many to injuries, not only in the back, but all over the body. search some of the articles on here about warming up instead of stretching before training/competition. stretching before actually weakens you.
I saw from your profile that you’re new here, so i suggest searching the archives, because you’re going to learn a lot about the things that you’ve unfortunately been misinformed about. it’s doubly ufortunate that you’ve been misinformed, because you’re also apparently a trainer, and you’re going to spread the misinformation unless you get re-educated.
Good Luck!
Where do you get off telling me im improperly educated when I have a four year degree and over 10 years experience in the field? Not to mention an ACSM certification and clients that have competed in fitness, figure and bodybuilding shows across the country? Secondly you’re calling me wrong when you are paraphrasing me? What do you think muscular balance is? Its lack of strength in one area and too much in another. Thirdly where in my post here, or anywhere else did I say even one word about stretching before a workout? And even if I did, how does that make my statement incorrect? Flexibility, or lack thereof is a reason for lower back pain. You inability to comprehend my statement is in no way shape or form grounds to call me out and question my education, profession or ability.
[/quote]
And the winner is…TrainerinDC! By knockout!
Seriously though,
Rawda, the whole “lift with your legs not with your back” is technically still true. People just misinterpret it. I love the looks of horror you can get in a regular gym while doing straight leg DL. Think about it, whenever doing any “back” lift (DL, Romanian DL, straight-leg DL, bent over rows, good mornings, etc.), ideally your lower back should never greatly flex and then extend (exception maybe being something like back hyper extensions, which of course aren’t heavily loaded). The lower back, and the whole spine in general, should stay at as constant an S-curve arch as possible. Your back remains in a constant position and your hips/legs (glutes, hams, etc.) are what’s lifting the weight. So technically, you never “lift with your back”, you “lift with your legs”. Your back is just the lever arm that transmits the force from your powerful legs/hips up through your upper body and arms to the weight in your hands. The massive strength required in your back is the strength required to keep your spine as rigid as possible. Does that seem like a reasonable explanation to most of you? Don’t worry, my life philosophies won’t be shattered or offended if you disagree.
I am a bit confused about stretching though. I know what works fine for me of course, and I know the prevailing winds on this site blow against passive stretching. I also understand all the studies detailing the inhibitory effect of passive stretching on muscles. I have even seen first-hand demonstration of that inhibitory concept. But I still think it definitely has a place in a full warm-up.
I have just seen too many people pull and pop muscles and tendons due to inadequate warm-ups (mainly talking about athletic activities). In my opinion(not formally educated on the topic, just lots of quality observation and experience), passive stretching seems to be designed to inhibit any overactive muscles or unbalanced systems PRIOR to a DYNAMIC stretching warm-up so that these overactive muscles can be re-set to their proper tensions prior to activity.
I can see weightlifting without a lot of passive stretching if you don’t have any overactive muscles. But there is no way one can effectively sprint, play basketball, soccer, etc. without a warm-up that raises temperature/blood flow, passively stretches, and then dynamically prepares a muscle for explosive and flexible activity properly. Guarentee you won’t find one world-class sprinter who doesn’t passively stretch sometime before running.
B.T.W., anyone know just how long a passive stretch can inhibit a muscle? Like if your stretching out your hips and lower back passively, how long would someone have to wait before they should dive into their deadlifts or squats safely.