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Abs training with a bulging disc

normalkev

New member
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Nov 9, 2022
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Hey all,

I've aggrivated a lower back bulging disc injury from 9 years ago so I've basically bad to stop working like I typically do and started rehab. I've been told I should not do situps anymore as they will make my back worse. I'm essentially just doing core exercises (mcgill big 3 and others) and stretching tight muscles in my hips and hamstrings. My plan is to get back into the gym next week and only do machines that are pin loaded and the cable machine. I'll basically do enough sets to try and maintain what I have.

Any suggestions on working Abs without flexing the spine. I've been doing Weighted situps with an ab mat until now. It offers lumbar support but I'm not sure about doing that movement. I can think of alternatives with minimal spinal stress for most things except Abs.
 
Cable crunches with holding the rope from the upper pully on your knees. I have back issues and dont feel any stress with these.
 
There is a lot of movements that train abs without having you flex the spine. Deadbug, bird dog. 3 month KB pull , pallof press. i think those r some of the names. you can make all these challenging by utilizing different variations
 
Just a quick note about McGill. He's not anti-stretching but he cautions against too much stretching and especially the hamstrings. He went over this recently in a video I saw. In regards to hamstring stretching and how people overdo it thinking their hams are tight when in fact it's not the case. He posed the question, "do you have tight hamstrings or do you have a tight sciatic nerve?" He suggests a neurodynamic test for this (I believe it was the Straight Leg Test but he might have called it something else). TripplePPP can probably talk more about this.
 
There is a lot of movements that train abs without having you flex the spine. Deadbug, bird dog. 3 month KB pull , pallof press. i think those r some of the names. you can make all these challenging by utilizing different variations
Thanks, I've started doing pallof press and lots of bird dogs per macgill big 3 for core stability. Would you recommend any that target the rectus abdominal muscles specifically?
 
Just a quick note about McGill. He's not anti-stretching but he cautions against too much stretching and especially the hamstrings. He went over this recently in a video I saw. In regards to hamstring stretching and how people overdo it thinking their hams are tight when in fact it's not the case. He posed the question, "do you have tight hamstrings or do you have a tight sciatic nerve?" He suggests a neurodynamic test for this (I believe it was the Straight Leg Test but he might have called it something else). TripplePPP can probably talk more about this.
Thanks, I appreciate the response. I plan on getting evaluated by a macgill master clinician in the upcoming weeks. The PT I saw last week only focused my rehab on stretching and no core stability which seems like a red flag for me.
 
I do all my abs standing or hanging legs..most powerlifters do this..and almost always because our spines are fucked
 
L sits, vaccumes, planks. I do more MMA type core training than actual ab training like someone thinking they are going to grow the ABs. Imo how they look is gentic. Keep low body fat, train the core to prevent distension and poor posture
 
When you do a crunch or sit up you are flexing your spine forward and its like biting a huge cheese burger and the shit pushes out the back. In this case the disc material gets pushed into the nerve area aggravating it. There is something called the McKenzie method or something like this and they focus on a lot of lumbar extension movement, basically the opposite position of a crunch and this puts the pressure on the opposite side of the vertebrae end plates squeezing the anterior back anteriorly in the spine and off the nerve.

I like the idea of working on anti rotation movements such as staticky holding resistance and gaining strength trying to stay still. An example would be to grab a cable at waist height face lateral from the cable and step a few steps away and just resist the cable pulling you while you remain still. Planks do similar but can also aggravate if your strength is not there yet so starting on elbows and knees is a way to reduce the resistance. Then I would progress to doing abdomen exercises with movement. Give that disc some time to cool down and also icing the back after working out helps to reduce the repercussion of inflammation on the nerve while still allowing your to keep the stimulation of the abs.
 
Just a quick note about McGill. He's not anti-stretching but he cautions against too much stretching and especially the hamstrings. He went over this recently in a video I saw. In regards to hamstring stretching and how people overdo it thinking their hams are tight when in fact it's not the case. He posed the question, "do you have tight hamstrings or do you have a tight sciatic nerve?" He suggests a neurodynamic test for this (I believe it was the Straight Leg Test but he might have called it something else). TripplePPP can probably talk more about this.
LLS, yeah, that can be true. If the sciatic nerve is pissed off and you try to stretch the hams with a straight leg you are also putting an irritated nerve on tension which can piss it off further. A straight leg raise while lying on your back is a test you can do on a person to see if they have an irritated nerve.

From what I understand bending the knee a bit and pulling the leg back in similar fashion can stretch the hamstring while allowing the nerve to not be on tension. Also instead of pulling your toes to your nose, you dorsiflex your foot like stepping on the gas and this again gives slack on the sciatic nerve with the hamstring stretch. Again, tilting your head like looking into the sky does similar as well while looking down at your feet puts tension on the nerve chain. Hope this wasn't too confusing.
 
My last MRI i had after a car doing 60 mphish slammed into my truck will i was sitting on the highway at a light showed all my disc that were MRI'ed were bulged and half were herniated as well as some other things. Some of the spine problems have been an issue for decades. I just do what i want as long as i don't have sharp stabbing pains in my spine. I have to assume the less range of motion i allow my spine to move the weaker it will get as time goes by and may open me up to other injuries. But we all live with the choices we choose for our selves.
 
LLS, yeah, that can be true. If the sciatic nerve is pissed off and you try to stretch the hams with a straight leg you are also putting an irritated nerve on tension which can piss it off further. A straight leg raise while lying on your back is a test you can do on a person to see if they have an irritated nerve.

From what I understand bending the knee a bit and pulling the leg back in similar fashion can stretch the hamstring while allowing the nerve to not be on tension. Also instead of pulling your toes to your nose, you dorsiflex your foot like stepping on the gas and this again gives slack on the sciatic nerve with the hamstring stretch. Again, tilting your head like looking into the sky does similar as well while looking down at your feet puts tension on the nerve chain. Hope this wasn't too confusing.
Thank you! My PT said I have tight hamstrings and has me laying on my back lifting one leg up at a time with a bent knee and I actively move my leg to stretch it out. Does not seem to aggrivate my nerve. I apprentice your advice.
 
My last MRI i had after a car doing 60 mphish slammed into my truck will i was sitting on the highway at a light showed all my disc that were MRI'ed were bulged and half were herniated as well as some other things. Some of the spine problems have been an issue for decades. I just do what i want as long as i don't have sharp stabbing pains in my spine. I have to assume the less range of motion i allow my spine to move the weaker it will get as time goes by and may open me up to other injuries. But we all live with the choices we choose for our selves.
Wow...that sucks. Sorry to hear about the disc problems. Sounds like it was probably a rough rehab.
 
Wow...that sucks. Sorry to hear about the disc problems. Sounds like it was probably a rough rehab.
I was back in the gym 2 days after the accident. Spine was a little sore so i lifted light total body machine workouts for a few weeks and just went from there. Was a few months before i was squatting 3 plates but i was not really trying to push things. Plus the gym was closed for covid some of those months so i had to train at home with my dumbbells. I had only been squatting 4 plates and change before the accident. But i try to give myself a break as i am on old man in my 60's. My spine surgery 10 years ago took longer to come back from. I don't wait till i feel good to start my recovery. Seems many do that and don't really ever recover from what i have seen in my life time.
 

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