Which exercise is best for back pain?

[dan]

I always feel like deadlifts are a high risk activity for someone with a dodgy lower back like me. (Ibruprofen gel is a godsend, often) Am I wrong? Should I be doing light ones? I do plenty of squats, swim, cycle and run a lot already Ta.

I never used to deadlift because I was scared of it, but its a great exercise and since i've been doing it I definitely feel better / stronger. Its quite useful for me as i'm regularly moving engines about and not having to worry about putting my back out lifting one is a good feeling.

[dan]

Depends on what people class as heavy

It’s very very very normally not weight but technique. I’d warm up with 100kg and just be slow and smooth.

Dave!

2x bodyweight is about right.

Yep that’s getting there.

3 x 3 at 210, not gone for a PB but it would embarrassingly need to be 260 now

Dave!

I've never really understood the folks that go to the gym and do 3 reps of an exercise, unless you're training to be a power lifter it makes no sense to me. They're also usually the nob ends that insist on moaning and groaning and then dropping the bar from waist height for maximum attention, if you can't put it down don't pick the fucker up. Drives me up the wall but I am turning into a very grumpy old man.

I do 5 sets of 8, start with a warm up set with 1 plate a side, then go 2 plates and work up to 150 - 160kg for the last set depending how I feel. Bodyweight 83 kilos so almost at 2x, might get there if I can stay consistent but working 7 days a week makes that tricky.

Always feel better afterwards though, would recommend.

[Gavster]

I always feel like deadlifts are a high risk activity for someone with a dodgy lower back like me. (Ibruprofen gel is a godsend, often) Am I wrong? Should I be doing light ones? I do plenty of squats, swim, cycle and run a lot already Ta.

Do you do any weights at all?

I've always been a cardio dolphin, with a bit if weight training here and there, however this year I've gone back into weights for the last 8 weeks doing a solid 3 sessions a week and it's amazed me how it's removed pretty much all of my bodies little aches and pains. Also building and retaining muscle over our fourties is incredibly important for healthy ageing and longevity, it's very much supported by science too.

I've always worked on the principle that strengthening an area of the body by building muscle around the skelteton/joints will always help support it and therefore reduce pain. The only thing is that deadlifts (and back squats to a lesser extent) do put a lot of pressure on the lower back so would need to be done starting light and building slowly, on the advice of someone professional and with perfect form.

[V8Granite]

I always feel like deadlifts are a high risk activity for someone with a dodgy lower back like me. (Ibruprofen gel is a godsend, often) Am I wrong? Should I be doing light ones? I do plenty of squats, swim, cycle and run a lot already Ta.

I never used to deadlift because I was scared of it, but its a great exercise and since i've been doing it I definitely feel better / stronger. Its quite useful for me as i'm regularly moving engines about and not having to worry about putting my back out lifting one is a good feeling.

Exactly this reason, it’s why builders, removal etc are so strong. It’s not necessarily their back which is stronger but it’s all the supporting muscles. It means when you have to do a weird lift like picking something up and twisting with it, all those small muscles keep it controlled so you don’t hurt yourself.

Shrugs, power cleans, lat pull downs needs to be strong so you keep a straight back, shoulders, neck and upper back in a line and then you go up in weight from there. It’s great for core strength too.

Loads of info out there on how to do it properly.

Do a box jump, where you put your legs for the best jump that’s where they need to be for a deadlift.
Hands slughtky wider than shoulders.
Pull the bar up in a straight line.
Dip your arse just as you lift and keep the shoulders back.

It’s the king of lifts imo.

Most of the stuff we do is lifting off the floor, twisting, pulling towards us.

Dave!

[Gavster]

Nonso is worth a follow for inspiration, he's an absolute beast who lifted 400kg at 19 years old without straps

[speedingfine]

Yes, but not regularly enough. Circuit training class on Mondays, obviously not lifting heavy there, then weights every other day (ish ). I'm trying to build the weight up, it's been very slow progress, despite upping protein for the last 8 or 9 months. Not quite ready for creatine yet, just not going often enough.

[V8Granite]

2x bodyweight is about right.

Yep that’s getting there.

3 x 3 at 210, not gone for a PB but it would embarrassingly need to be 260 now

Dave!

I've never really understood the folks that go to the gym and do 3 reps of an exercise, unless you're training to be a power lifter it makes no sense to me. They're also usually the nob ends that insist on moaning and groaning and then dropping the bar from waist height for maximum attention, if you can't put it down don't pick the fucker up. Drives me up the wall but I am turning into a very grumpy old man.

I do 5 sets of 8, start with a warm up set with 1 plate a side, then go 2 plates and work up to 150 - 160kg for the last set depending how I feel. Bodyweight 83 kilos so almost at 2x, might get there if I can stay consistent but working 7 days a week makes that tricky.

Always feel better afterwards though, would recommend.

I don’t get stronger unless I lift heavy.

Normal routine would be….

10/12 at 100kg, just get in the groove a bit.

10/12 at 140, focus on the squeeze, shoulders right back, arms tucked back etc.

180 for 5 or whatever feels comfortable, this is to see if it’s in me that day as I normally do deadlift during a back day.

Then 3 working sets at 210, I may go more on my last set but I’m pretty much out of energy by my 3rd set.

If you’re trying to get stronger then you can’t pyramid up from 100 as you’ll have nothing left by your last set, it doesn’t mean you can’t lift it, it means you’re muscles are too tired.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

Yes, but not regularly enough. Circuit training class on Mondays, obviously not lifting heavy there, then weights every other day (ish ). I'm trying to build the weight up, it's been very slow progress, despite upping protein for the last 8 or 9 months. Not quite ready for creatine yet, just not going often enough.

Creatine in everyday life is no bad thing at all. It’s one of the very few supliments with zero negatives.

A big deadlift day would see me out for a week at least till I could do them again. When going light I could be doing them again in 3 days.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

Nonso is worth a follow for inspiration, he's an absolute beast who lifted 400kg at 19 years old without straps

No idea how his tendons have kept pace with his strength

Dave!

[Beany]

I slept in a weird position a week ago and my neck and arm have been killing me since.

Getting old is a scam, they've played us all for fools, etc.

[Ascender]

@Gavster @V8Granite Now that my running is going in the right direction, I want to work on upper body strength - just to build a reasonable level of muscle and improve overall strength to help with whatever fitness stuff I do, help burn fat etc etc.

I'm home-gym based so have access to a reasonable selection of weights and space to do core...

This is all kind of alien to me though and there's so much info out there. Is there a good single source of what could constitute a decent weights plan for someone like me? Something I can do a few times a week to keep things going in the right direction?

[V8Granite]

Power cleans.
Overhead press.
Bent over rows.
Farmers walk.

Lots of YouTube videos. I quite like the old people doing functional strength, being in a kneeling position and jumping to your feet, pistol squats, overhead press and squat etc. being strong is all well and good but doing it with balance and full mobility is so much more important as you age.

My flexibility and mobility sucks and it’s getting to be a problem.

Dave!

[Gavster]

It's a minefield and everyone has an opinion about what's best. This time around I've simply picked a routine that covered off a decent amount of muscle groups and had a few compound exercises too. It's generally focussed on all-round strength and aesthetics and has made fast progress on my chest, lats, shoulders. With running you would benefit from adding in something that's unilateral and requires more balance too, such as a Bulgarian split squat. Deadlifts and squats in general are great for runners.


RPE 8.5 - 9 (i.e. not working to failure)
Same weight on all working sets
Aim to add 2.5kgs or 1-2 reps per week
2-3 mins between sets

Day 1
Lat pull down (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Dumbbell incline bench press 30° (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Seated 45° incline curl (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Lateral raises (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Shrugs (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)

Day 2
Barbell back squat (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Bent over row (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Dumbbell overhead press (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Deficit pushups (2-3 sets to failure)
(I add in Russian twists and briefcase carries holding a plate on it's edge to increase grip strength too)

Day 3
Deadlift (2 sets of 5 reps)
Leg extensions (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Leg curl (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)
Standing calf raises (4 sets of 5-8 reps)
Bench press (2-3 sets of 5-8 reps)

[Ascender]

Yes, I keep meaning to go to a local pilates/yoga class with Mrs Mike... and work on core, mobility alongside strength. I've been working on just squatting recently without any weights as I've been so tight and inflexible that I couldn't even do that for years.

[Gavster]

Also 100% yes to what Dave said about creatine, there's basically no downside to taking it, and possibly more upsides than simply building muscle, they think it could be linked to helping your brain too.

[Ascender]

Thanks @Gavster for sharing. I'll get something together and then try to stick to it.

I have been thinking about creatine and protein powder recently, although we have moved to a diet mainly based around protein now and cutting the carbs down.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Thanks @Gavster for sharing. I'll get something together and then try to stick to it.

I have been thinking about creatine and protein powder recently, although we have moved to a diet mainly based around protein now and cutting the carbs down.

ISTR one of the Van Tulleken brothers demonstrating that protein supplements were largely ineffective in people that were eating well.

[Ascender]

I did wonder about how much protein you could have to be healthy through diet and then if you need supplements on top!

[Swervin_Mervin]

I did wonder about how much protein you could have to be healthy through diet and then if you need supplements on top!

I can't find the vid but seem to recall it involved him ingesting a protein shake that had a type of dye in it that they could then track after he'd done some exercise. I'm sure the conclusion was it was basically just making expensive piss and that most healthy UK adults are already eating more than enough protein.

[V8Granite]

Thanks @Gavster for sharing. I'll get something together and then try to stick to it.

I have been thinking about creatine and protein powder recently, although we have moved to a diet mainly based around protein now and cutting the carbs down.

Eggs eggs eggs, we not only noticed a marked difference in our kids at school with their concentration, they are cheap and incredibly healthy. Easy to add with meals, have as snacks and drink f you have the space, very very cheap to make your own.

Dave!