10 Myths About Lower Back Pain (LBP)

Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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I deadlifted right after talking sum chit to patrolman and my back felt great after. Did volume squats and back was feeling it. Low bar really works that lumbar spine. Feel great now. It’s when I don’t train I get back issues sciatica etc
 

VonMeister

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JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
The only reason to squat heavy is if you are on a training cycle with a 1RM in the future. I think this is where most people who are using strength training as a general physical and health benefit get it wrong.

The only reason to lift heavy is to feel the weight and be mentally trained to grind a heavy repetition...which you will do on the platform. You need to learn how to apply constant force against resistance over time to achieve those goals.

The highest amount of strength stimulus is done at low intensity with high bar speed which means the greatest force production is done early in the set. As the set progresses the intensity goes up, the bar speed slows and the force production is declining. It's much better to train in the sweet spot than grinding out low training stimulus reps for the sake of adding weight to the bar or instagram likes. Save for an absolute beginner....managed intensity plus volume is the only way to achieve sufficient training stress to drive strength progress. This also is a great way to manage fatigue and be fresh for other things.
 

PRCD

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Feb 25, 2020
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The only reason to squat heavy is if you are on a training cycle with a 1RM in the future. I think this is where most people who are using strength training as a general physical and health benefit get it wrong.

The only reason to lift heavy is to feel the weight and be mentally trained to grind a heavy repetition...which you will do on the platform. You need to learn how to apply constant force against resistance over time to achieve those goals.

The highest amount of strength stimulus is done at low intensity with high bar speed which means the greatest force production is done early in the set. As the set progresses the intensity goes up, the bar speed slows and the force production is declining. It's much better to train in the sweet spot than grinding out low training stimulus reps for the sake of adding weight to the bar or instagram likes. Save for an absolute beginner....managed intensity plus volume is the only way to achieve sufficient training stress to drive strength progress. This also is a great way to manage fatigue and be fresh for other things.
Write a book. I'm serious.
 
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One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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The only reason to squat heavy is if you are on a training cycle with a 1RM in the future. I think this is where most people who are using strength training as a general physical and health benefit get it wrong.

The only reason to lift heavy is to feel the weight and be mentally trained to grind a heavy repetition...which you will do on the platform. You need to learn how to apply constant force against resistance over time to achieve those goals.

The highest amount of strength stimulus is done at low intensity with high bar speed which means the greatest force production is done early in the set. As the set progresses the intensity goes up, the bar speed slows and the force production is declining. It's much better to train in the sweet spot than grinding out low training stimulus reps for the sake of adding weight to the bar or instagram likes. Save for an absolute beginner....managed intensity plus volume is the only way to achieve sufficient training stress to drive strength progress. This also is a great way to manage fatigue and be fresh for other things.
So you're basically saying I can push and pull my pussy weights, but at a higher speed for more reps and get the strength dividends? I guess coming from endurance sports, high reps would be a better mental fit for me...

I read somewhere that if you lifted a lighter weight to failure you'll get similar results as going heavy? I'll look for the article so you can rip it apart....;)
 

tacos

Michael Peterson status
Feb 12, 2006
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LB —> SF
The only reason to squat heavy is if you are on a training cycle with a 1RM in the future. I think this is where most people who are using strength training as a general physical and health benefit get it wrong.

The only reason to lift heavy is to feel the weight and be mentally trained to grind a heavy repetition...which you will do on the platform. You need to learn how to apply constant force against resistance over time to achieve those goals.

The highest amount of strength stimulus is done at low intensity with high bar speed which means the greatest force production is done early in the set. As the set progresses the intensity goes up, the bar speed slows and the force production is declining. It's much better to train in the sweet spot than grinding out low training stimulus reps for the sake of adding weight to the bar or instagram likes. Save for an absolute beginner....managed intensity plus volume is the only way to achieve sufficient training stress to drive strength progress. This also is a great way to manage fatigue and be fresh for other things.
great post.

my problem lately has been ego lifting/chasing a 1RM, even going so far as to get my volume lifts up to an arbitrarily decided “respectable” number.... that I do in my alone in my garage and I don’t share with anyone. Stupid, I know.
 
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One-Off

Tom Curren status
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volume work 70-85% of ur 1rm. its still no excuse to lift little girly weights
Again, I think we have different goals. I think you have gone far beyond the strength necessary to surf. I'm not sure what the necessary goal is for me. I don't think I have to deadlift 340 pounds to do a fast pop up- that is my goal right now. Maybe I need to do what PRCD's article on SAID said- if you want to get good at pop ups , do pop ups.

Here's the article about high reps and strength-


note- “It’s also encouraging for older, beat-up guys with joint issues and injuries..."
 
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tacos

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volume work 70-85% of ur 1rm. its still no excuse to lift little girly weights
That’s about 1.5x my body weight for me, which I am able to do decent volume with (like 5x5 at least). Like if I have no strength training goals other than maintaining overall health—what do we consider “good enough”?

obviously stronger is better, etc, but how far and hard does one really need to push it?
I’m just trying to stop ego lifting and chasing an arbitrary 2x body weight deadlift.
 
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PRCD

Tom Curren status
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That’s about 1.5x my body weight for me, which I am able to do decent volume with (like 5x5 at least). Like if I have no strength training goals other than maintaining overall health—what do we consider “good enough”?

obviously stronger is better, etc, but how far and hard does one really need to push it?
I’m just trying to stop ego lifting and chasing an arbitrary 2x body weight deadlift.
Anecdotally, I surf much better now with a much lower 1RM on the squat and DL than I did before. I improved my mobility and came up with better strategies for dealing with chronic pain. I don't think you need to chase 1RM. Strength and conditioning has a huge qualitative and subjective component. How does it make you feel? Better or worse? How does it affect your surfing, sleep, etc?

For most people, it's an adjunct to improve longevity and quality of life.
 
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Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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ya i think 1xbw bp, 1.5xbw squat, and 2xbw dl are moderately strong numbers to shoot for for 5rm. i don't do 1rm. i hit all those numbers except for the pesky dl. stuck at like 1.8xbw for 5rm lol. maybe next year. i'm fkn weak. like 14 year old girl numbers on the bar sigh.
 
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Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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in da hood next to paradise
That’s about 1.5x my body weight for me, which I am able to do decent volume with (like 5x5 at least). Like if I have no strength training goals other than maintaining overall health—what do we consider “good enough”?

obviously stronger is better, etc, but how far and hard does one really need to push it?
I’m just trying to stop ego lifting and chasing an arbitrary 2x body weight deadlift.
the metric for me are the girls at my gym. i can only beat them on the bp. squat and dl are beyond what i can achieve. most are mid to high 300's on squat and dl. fml.
 
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enframed

Tom Curren status
Apr 11, 2006
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Del Boca Vista, Phase III
My buddy texted me 3 days ago and said he has these low back spasms and couldnt even walk. I showed him the sit cross lean stretch. Sit Indian style and lean forward and put your arms out on floor in front of you. If your hips are tight chances are good you can't get your forearms on the floor. Hold this stretch 2 minutes. Don't exceed 7/10 on pain scale. Do 4 of these stretches 3 times a day. Once your hips open up those muscles that are in spasm will release. What do you have to lose by trying this?

My buddy went surfing this morning. 2 days of stretching.
This sounds like good advice. Having tight hips is a huge issue for me and I have been having LBP for the past couple weeks,. never had anything like it before. I sit in a car a lot and definitely need to stretch more. There's a series of yoga floor poses (you are not standing) designed to open hips, easily done at home.


Now if only I could remember to do these daily...
 
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One-Off

Tom Curren status
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This sounds like good advice. Having tight hips is a huge issue for me and I have been having LBP for the past couple weeks,. never had anything like it before. I sit in a car a lot and definitely need to stretch more. There's a series of yoga floor poses (you are not standing) designed to open hips, easily done at home.


Now if only I could remember to do these daily...
Ruh Roh o_O
 

VonMeister

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This sounds like good advice. Having tight hips is a huge issue for me and I have been having LBP for the past couple weeks,. never had anything like it before. I sit in a car a lot and definitely need to stretch more. There's a series of yoga floor poses (you are not standing) designed to open hips, easily done at home.


Now if only I could remember to do these daily...
Unless you want to be a porn star I guarantee your hips are flexible enough to do whatever you need them to do.
 
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VonMeister

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So you're basically saying I can push and pull my pussy weights, but at a higher speed for more reps and get the strength dividends? I guess coming from endurance sports, high reps would be a better mental fit for me...

I read somewhere that if you lifted a lighter weight to failure you'll get similar results as going heavy? I'll look for the article so you can rip it apart....;)
If someone wanted to get strong I wouldn't program anything above 5-6 reps for the main lifts. Once a person reached the intermediate phase there is a time and place for 8-10 reps of the main lifts as an assistance to the main lifts....or if they wanted to run a hypertrophy block I would program some higher rep work but I would never have someone squatting or deadlifting anything greater than 12 rep sets.

To get strong you need to apply adequate stress to drive a strength adaptation. What we're looking for is the cheapest and easiest way to provide this training stimuli. Cheap and easy meaning time commitment and fatigue. I wouldn't recommend lifting 20 pounds a thousand times but doing so would make you stronger....but the time commitment would be huge. I very generally would have you lift something at around 75% for 1-2 sets of five, then back off to something around 70% for 3-4 sets of 5. This can be done in 20-30 minutes and will be at an intensity that allows you to apply maximum force production for all full sets and seeing progress week to week for a fairly long period of time. As you moved forward in your training and wanted to shoot for maximum strength we could begin to add a initial double or single at around 90-93% intensity, drop it down to around 85-86% for a set of 4-5, and then drop it for a couple of back off sets at around 75-78% and add in some overload work during the training week as well....but this would be a pure strength building program.
 
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grapedrink

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Unless you want to be a porn star I guarantee your hips are flexible enough to do whatever you need them to do.
i do some hip stretches for lumbar pain that is more to one side, which tells me that it's likely hip related. It's certainly an improvement compared to how it felt before. I don't think it's a placebo because I'd gladly not waste my time with them if they weren't working.

That said, I'm not sure why they work. Maybe flexibility has nothing to do with it. Could be improved blood flow, or maybe something as simple as better movement patterns because the stretches make me more conscious of that throughout the day.
 
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VonMeister

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i do some hip stretches for lumbar pain that is more to one side, which tells me that it's likely hip related. It's certainly an improvement compared to how it felt before. I don't think it's a placebo because I'd gladly not waste my time with them if they weren't working.

That said, I'm not sure why they work. Maybe flexibility has nothing to do with it. Could be improved blood flow, or maybe something as simple as better movement patterns because the stretches make me more conscious of that throughout the day.
Moving around makes your lower back feel better. You can spin in circles and get the same result. There is a mental aspect to stretching. It feels good...which makes it placebo.
 
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