I'm afraid to go back to lifting b/c I don't want my lower back to bother me again, do you think lifting will make it hurt again?

[Anonymous]

[lightbulb27]

I'd want to understand what is going on w the back before doing heavy weights. Is it injury, is it bad form. White collar desease takes it's toll and things get worse after 30 years... that is... sitting down at work, sitting in car, sitting all the time. Your muscles are jacked... which leads to back pain. Focusing attention on repairing that is a good idea... if that's the issue. Stenosis, injuries, discs... lot of stuff can go wrong, usually, but often years of abuse.

lift within limits, but some stuff I don't do anymore. I never did heavy weights. Just doing lighter weights too much can screw me for days or weeks. I gotta be careful, but focused strength and balance helps.

I focus more on maintenance. check out videos from older guys whom lift and evaluate.. like professional wrestlers and such. It's your life...

if you don't know, get an expert/phys therapist/ sports advisor to advise you.

You dont' want to blow a disc, I know dudes that did that doing hee man stuff like lifting furnature and it's a bad decision. Body doesn't work like it used to when 20 and you're gonna find out around 40 and 50 what it's like to get older.

[Anonymous]

This is a great time to switch to isometric static lifts. With these you can build just as much muscle if you wish. The difference is so small it's barely noticeable Vs dynamic lifts. Not only will you strengthen your lower back, you will build up your tendons and if you over exert or do too much, there is no weight to worry about dropping. You can still injure yourself but it's so unlikely.

Skip to about 2:30 into the video to see some of the lower back exercises he does with the Isochain. Note you can do all traditional barbell lifts on this device and the slight give from the spring and / or strap emulates a live load and feels great!

Some people build their own one because the commercial one is expensive but I think it's worth the price. The commercial one allows you to see what the load is, average and helps with progressive overload monitoring. Some combine it with dynamic weight lifting but I think static lifts are superior, safer and far more sustainable for the body, particularly in the long-term:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oNDT14QCUJ4

You may also want to look into the Pso-rite muscle release tool. I used this to recover from lower back pain which can be caused by a tight psoas muscle. This used to only be reachable by a physiotherapist... not anymore!

[ShesRad80]

get a weight belt to stabilize/support your back, start off with light weights and gradually move up.

[exitseven]

You need to see a doctor to make sure you do not have some spinal abnormality but most likely it is muscular. After it feels better make sure you warm up properly and do some light lifting, paying close attention to your form. Do not over do it.