Tight back when lifting

[JennieR]

Or doing cardio. This has been happening for awhile now. It doesn't happen everytime I do lifting/cardio but it happens enough. If I'm doing any lower body work, let's say LP, by the time I get done with them, the middle of my back hurts. I notice my back will hurt too when I'm doing cardio. Especailly any kind of knee repeaters. I try and really keep the leg that's on the step still, and focuse on the quad that's working. Am I suppose to be feeling tightness (in my back) doing this? And if this is wrong, how do I correct it?

Jennie

~Straighten out, fly right~

Cathe Friedrich

 

[kathryn]

Just a guess: but perhaps some of your back muscles need to get strengthened (sounds maybe like spnial erectors? Again, just a guess).

Make high-repetition Supermans (supermen?) and prone arm and leg raises (basically "1/2 superman moves") part of your routine 2-3 times a week to work on endurance in this area (kettlebell swings would help as well, if you have a kettlebell. If not, the Supermans and arm-leg raises will work).

 

[JennieR]

Kathryn, the tightness is in the middle of my back. Do you think doing Supermans will help with the tightness in this area?

Jennie

~Straighten out, fly right~

Cathe Friedrich

 

[Sunshine 1528]

Have pulled my lower back (reinjury) a few times in the past few months. Takes a long time to heal and I can definitely feel how the tightness in my lower back muscles affects all of my workout routines.

Actually reinjured it once (it was feeling pretty good) by warming up for Bootcamp x(

My advice is to try to get the muscles to heal with cold if they are aching, heat if they are just tight, and as Kathryn suggested, strengthening your lower back.

I can so feel my lower back during much of my workouts right now and know that as soon as I do, I need to stretch and go easier or just find another way to do the exercise.

Healing is the first step and strengthening is next. IMO :7

Good luck with your back :+

 

[taprice]

Hi,

I would definitely take it easy until you are back to what you consider normal. After herniating discs in the lower back, which started with tight muscles, it is not worth it to push it. I learned that tight muscles pull bones/joints out of alignment and then they are further/unnecesarily strained when you lift. Have you tried some yoga? I agree healing with gentle stretching and then strengthening.

Tracy

 

[kathryn]

>Kathryn, the tightness is in the middle of my back. Do you
>think doing Supermans will help with the tightness in this
>area?

Is it on both sides of the spine? That's where the spinal erectors are, and they are worked during Supermans. Doing high-rep Supermans will help improve the strength-endurance of those muscles, and could mean they wouldn't tense up as much (or as quickly) when you do other moves. Be sure to do a stretch for the muscles after working them.

Another thing you might try is foam rolling. You could do it before you do a workout that causes this problem (foam rolling is sometimes used as a preparation for stretching, to release any muscle knots/trigger points), and again afterwards. Just make sure to roll over the muscle, and not over the spine itself: lie on the roller at a bit of an angle, so as you roll up and down, you're massaging the muscles on one side of the spine. Then change the angle and get the other side.

 

[kathryn]

Another thought: this would be a good thing to take up with a chiropractor. If there's a misalignment that is causing or contributing to the problem, a few adjustments might help.

 

[JennieR]

Thanks for all your advice everyone. I really appreciate it.

Jennie

~Straighten out, fly right~

Cathe Friedrich