Anyone else had to deal with a ruptured disc?

[Trey22]

I ruptured my L5 disc 2 yrs ago. I refused surgery due to the statistical chance that I'd end up the same or worse. My pain level was a 9 out of 10 and I contemplated shooting myself (kidding of course). I couldn't even drive to work or sit down and have dinner w/ my wife.

After intense therapy, I'm at about 90%, and being that I didn't do much exercise for so long, I gained some weight (I'm 5'8", was at 175lbs).

The past 4 months or so, I've tried to ride my bike to work twice a week (8 miles roundtrip), and have been hitting the gym 3 times a week. I had to take a month off due to golfer's elbow. I even play basketball about once a week. Currently at 162lbs. At my lightest, I hit 157lbs, but have added some muscle since then.

So now, I'm about as lean as I'd like to get and want to improve my strength and of course bulk up.

Right now, I hit chest & tri's on on Monday, shoulders on Wednesday, back & bi's on Friday. I do legs and abs twice a week. I have 4 exercises for each muscle group, standard 3 sets of 10. Take BCAA's, glutamine, protein, glucosamine, a basic multi-vit.

One area I need some direction on is how to bulk up. More sets, lower reps, higher weight?

Also I've seen some discussion on total body vs muscle group workouts???

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I haven't had to deal with a ruptured disc, but I can help you with the bulking. The way you bulk is through overload, which is done best by low rep sets (sets between 4-6 reps) and using heavy weights that make your muscles FAIL between those reps. You can pretty much hit all the compound (and some isolation) movements like this and eat a lot and you'll bulk up Hit up bodybuilding.com for a plethora of ways. I would try to keep isolation exercise to a minimum, esp. if you're going for overall strength, but you'll have to do some to bulk evenly. Other than that, any other questions?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
I haven't had to deal with a ruptured disc, but I can help you with the bulking. The way you bulk is through overload, which is done best by low rep sets (sets between 4-6 reps) and using heavy weights that make your muscles FAIL between those reps. You can pretty much hit all the compound (and some isolation) movements like this and eat a lot and you'll bulk up Hit up bodybuilding.com for a plethora of ways. I would try to keep isolation exercise to a minimum, esp. if you're going for overall strength, but you'll have to do some to bulk evenly. Other than that, any other questions?

Well if he has a ruptured disc I suggest he forget about Squats, Good Mornings and the like that will put pressure on his lower back as it will only aggrevate his injury.

 

[Koing]

I don't have a ruptured disc but I have a bulged L4. I have had an MRI (not that they are that accurate in reality). The Dr's also offered surgery to me but I avoided it due to the fact that the younger Dr seemed far too keen on operating on me to get experience. I can understand if he doesn't operate how can he get real experience. Coupled with the fact that my coach (40yrs) experience has never seen a lifter get back to where they were, let alone lift more.

Does it hurt when you cough or sneeze?

I was injured and rehabbing for 9months. Took me ages to get back together

Do lots of incline sit ups with weights and hyper extensions for your back. You need to make your abs and back as strong as possible. This has helped me out a lot.

I'm a weightlifter so I pound the squats and OLifts (heavy on the back). Take it easy and don't over do it. Add 5kg a week or so and start from the beginning.

Can you do squats? Start with lighter weights and build up the reps. Don't go too heavy. You know how your back feels you go heavy so becareful. My back will never be 100% but I have hit PB's post injury and I am still doing so.

I had a relapse on my injury about 3 weeks ago and it sucked balls. I thought it was a big relapse but it doesn't seem to be and I'm lifting again now after some rest and rehab. I'm about 80% of where I was pre injury.

I'm not sure how a ruptured disc is when compared to a bulged disc. I do know the pain was unbearable when I coughed or sneezed.

As for bulking, do squats and deadlifts WITHIN REASON. DO NOT PUSH IT TOO HARD. Take it easier. Go for more reps but don't over do it as the more reps you do the more tired you get and this could lead to a big injury. By the same token don't go too heavy as the chance something may happen at heavier weight is big also. So it is a hard line to walk.

Unless your naturally quite big it is had to put on size if you don't do squats or deadlifts. This is more evident by the guys in all the gyms I go to. They are the same build year after years.

Koing

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Koing
I don't have a ruptured disc but I have a bulged L4. I have had an MRI (not that they are that accurate in reality). The Dr's also offered surgery to me but I avoided it due to the fact that the younger Dr seemed far too keen on operating on me to get experience. I can understand if he doesn't operate how can he get real experience. Coupled with the fact that my coach (40yrs) experience has never seen a lifter get back to where they were, let alone lift more.

Does it hurt when you cough or sneeze?

I was injured and rehabbing for 9months. Took me ages to get back together

Do lots of incline sit ups with weights and hyper extensions for your back. You need to make your abs and back as strong as possible. This has helped me out a lot.

I'm a weightlifter so I pound the squats and OLifts (heavy on the back). Take it easy and don't over do it. Add 5kg a week or so and start from the beginning.

Can you do squats? Start with lighter weights and build up the reps. Don't go too heavy. You know how your back feels you go heavy so becareful. My back will never be 100% but I have hit PB's post injury and I am still doing so.

I had a relapse on my injury about 3 weeks ago and it sucked balls. I thought it was a big relapse but it doesn't seem to be and I'm lifting again now after some rest and rehab. I'm about 80% of where I was pre injury.

I'm not sure how a ruptured disc is when compared to a bulged disc. I do know the pain was unbearable when I coughed or sneezed.

As for bulking, do squats and deadlifts WITHIN REASON. DO NOT PUSH IT TOO HARD. Take it easier. Go for more reps but don't over do it as the more reps you do the more tired you get and this could lead to a big injury. By the same token don't go too heavy as the chance something may happen at heavier weight is big also. So it is a hard line to walk.

Unless your naturally quite big it is had to put on size if you don't do squats or deadlifts. This is more evident by the guys in all the gyms I go to. They are the same build year after years.

Koing

Your advice is usually spot on but in this case it is bad. If he has a ruptured disc that last thing he wants to be doing is Squats and Deadlifts. In fact it's best that he stays lighter as it's less stress on his back. The advice to build up his abdominal muscles is good though as it will take some of the workload off of his back.

My advice is to consult with your doctor and a physical therapist and have them determine what the best option is for you. When I started having back problems again due to a herniated disc I was advised to lose 25 lbs and not be so bulky and also to refrain from any type of exercise that put stress on my lower back. Since then I've gone lighter with the weights, ramped up my cardio and dropped 30 lbs, a lot of it muscle but I haven't had any episodes with my back where as before I was having an episode every 4 moinths or so that would last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Koing
I don't have a ruptured disc but I have a bulged L4. I have had an MRI (not that they are that accurate in reality). The Dr's also offered surgery to me but I avoided it due to the fact that the younger Dr seemed far too keen on operating on me to get experience. I can understand if he doesn't operate how can he get real experience. Coupled with the fact that my coach (40yrs) experience has never seen a lifter get back to where they were, let alone lift more.

Does it hurt when you cough or sneeze?

I was injured and rehabbing for 9months. Took me ages to get back together

Do lots of incline sit ups with weights and hyper extensions for your back. You need to make your abs and back as strong as possible. This has helped me out a lot.

I'm a weightlifter so I pound the squats and OLifts (heavy on the back). Take it easy and don't over do it. Add 5kg a week or so and start from the beginning.

Can you do squats? Start with lighter weights and build up the reps. Don't go too heavy. You know how your back feels you go heavy so becareful. My back will never be 100% but I have hit PB's post injury and I am still doing so.

I had a relapse on my injury about 3 weeks ago and it sucked balls. I thought it was a big relapse but it doesn't seem to be and I'm lifting again now after some rest and rehab. I'm about 80% of where I was pre injury.

I'm not sure how a ruptured disc is when compared to a bulged disc. I do know the pain was unbearable when I coughed or sneezed.

As for bulking, do squats and deadlifts WITHIN REASON. DO NOT PUSH IT TOO HARD. Take it easier. Go for more reps but don't over do it as the more reps you do the more tired you get and this could lead to a big injury. By the same token don't go too heavy as the chance something may happen at heavier weight is big also. So it is a hard line to walk.

Unless your naturally quite big it is had to put on size if you don't do squats or deadlifts. This is more evident by the guys in all the gyms I go to. They are the same build year after years.

Koing

Your advice is usually spot on but in this case it is bad. If he has a ruptured disc that last thing he wants to be doing is Squats and Deadlifts. In fact it's best that he stays lighter as it's less stress on his back. The advice to build up his abdominal muscles is good though as it will take some of the workload off of his back.

My advice is to consult with your doctor and a physical therapist and have them determine what the best option is for you. When I started having back problems again due to a herniated disc I was advised to lose 25 lbs and not be so bulky and also to refrain from any type of exercise that put stress on my lower back. Since then I've gone lighter with the weights, ramped up my cardio and dropped 30 lbs, a lot of it muscle but I haven't had any episodes with my back where as before I was having an episode every 4 moinths or so that would last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.

Yeah this was just my advice.

The Dr and the 'consultants' wouldn't have me ever get near a rack again. For me that wasn't an option as I love lifting and competiting.

OP definately see a Dr and see what they say. See a few also if you need to be.

If you do squats/ deadlifts, go light and build yourself back up. This is what has worked for my bulged disc but I'm not sure how your condition is in normal life without squats and deadlifts. Just work with the bar. If the bar is too much then you have a serious injury and you may never squat or deadlift again. Jumping would also put a lot of stress on your back when you land.

Koing

 

[Trey22]

Gonna respond to all the previous posts here, so bear w/ me.

So with overload, how many sets do you do of 4-6 reps each? Say you do 3 sets of 5 reps, do you use heavy enough weight where you can barely lift the 5th rep of each set? Examples of compound exercises please?

I have almost no pain now when I go through any type of strain (coughing, hard sneezes, dropping the kids off at the pool). I've tried squats but so little weight (due to fear of injury) that I didn't think there was any benefit. Deadlifts I haven't tried at all.

Working my abs/back pretty well, even do Pilates w/ the wife, which are so much harder/strenous that I ever thought possible.

As for seeing a doctor, I have a spinal specialist (Kaiser). His options for me are surgery, drugs or therapy. I tried the therapy, and it was utterly useless... the kind they had me going through anyway. I tried the drugs, and got hooked on Norco, and had to go through a substance addiction specialist to come off it. Like I mentioned before, surgery is just out of the question.

Compared to before, I feel great, but never allow that to give me a false sense of security.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Trey22
Gonna respond to all the previous posts here, so bear w/ me.

So with overload, how many sets do you do of 4-6 reps each? Say you do 3 sets of 5 reps, do you use heavy enough weight where you can barely lift the 5th rep of each set? Examples of compound exercises please?

I have almost no pain now when I go through any type of strain (coughing, hard sneezes, dropping the kids off at the pool). I've tried squats but so little weight (due to fear of injury) that I didn't think there was any benefit. Deadlifts I haven't tried at all.

Working my abs/back pretty well, even do Pilates w/ the wife, which are so much harder/strenous that I ever thought possible.

As for seeing a doctor, I have a spinal specialist (Kaiser). His options for me are surgery, drugs or therapy. I tried the therapy, and it was utterly useless... the kind they had me going through anyway. I tried the drugs, and got hooked on Norco, and had to go through a substance addiction specialist to come off it. Like I mentioned before, surgery is just out of the question.

Compared to before, I feel great, but never allow that to give me a false sense of security.

Ok, well, with a back like your's, I would suggest NOT trying to overload for squats, deadlifts, etc, but I will tell you about in general. Overload is reached best when you actually fail on your last rep each set. That's why there's the range of between 4 and 6. You have to use a weight heavy enough that your last rep fails utterly Also, example compound movements are bench press, power cleans, military press, deadlifts, rows, squats, etc. You can google "compound movements" and you'll find lists. I'll leave my other input out because I'm not certified nor experienced with severe back injuries. Best of luck, man, and get all healed up!

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Trey22
Gonna respond to all the previous posts here, so bear w/ me.

So with overload, how many sets do you do of 4-6 reps each? Say you do 3 sets of 5 reps, do you use heavy enough weight where you can barely lift the 5th rep of each set? Examples of compound exercises please?

I have almost no pain now when I go through any type of strain (coughing, hard sneezes, dropping the kids off at the pool). I've tried squats but so little weight (due to fear of injury) that I didn't think there was any benefit. Deadlifts I haven't tried at all.

Working my abs/back pretty well, even do Pilates w/ the wife, which are so much harder/strenous that I ever thought possible.

As for seeing a doctor, I have a spinal specialist (Kaiser). His options for me are surgery, drugs or therapy. I tried the therapy, and it was utterly useless... the kind they had me going through anyway. I tried the drugs, and got hooked on Norco, and had to go through a substance addiction specialist to come off it. Like I mentioned before, surgery is just out of the question.

Compared to before, I feel great, but never allow that to give me a false sense of security.

DUDE take it easy on the back stuff. When I meant you can squat and deadlift I meant you do it with the bar for say 6-8reps and for 3-4sets. NOT to go go heavy and feel your busting hard to die on the 6th rep!

You need to build strength but take it easy on your back.

Compound exercises mean multi joint exercises basically. Bicep curl = your only bending your elbow = not a compound exercise. Squat is because your bending your knees and hips etc.

Go easy on the exercises and increase the weight SLOWLY. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If an exercise hurts AVOID IT!

The ab and back exercises will help strengthen your back and PROTECT YOUR BACK.

Koing