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Back Pain and Bodybuilding.

Posted Aug 26 2008 4:38pm
Hi Guys,



Bringing you an article today on "Bodybuilding sins". Now then let me be up front with you here, i am not a bodybuilder and have no intentions to be. However one of my pals is very into bodybuilding and he said many bodybuilders experience back aches and pain, sciaitca and disc problems so when i saw this article i asked if i could use it here if it might be of use to anyone. Although i have been known to frequent a gym, these guys understand bodybuilding much better than i do!



“Bodybuilding Sins” That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS and Steve Hefferon, CMT



Part I of II



It’s one thing for someone who sits at a computer all day and never

exercises to have back pain, but for a bodybuilder, someone who

spends hours and hours each week pouring everything they’ve got into

building muscle, it should be criminal!



The reason we say this is because, if you are going to spend so much

time, money, and energy trying to build the “perfect body”, you have

to make sure that you not only look good, but also feel good…



We’ve identified what we call “Bodybuilding Sins” that lead to back

pain, sciatic pain, and other injuries… read em and take action now

if you are serious about bodybuilding and are fed up with your back

pain.



Because there is so much information to share with you, we’ve broken

it down into a series of 5 articles, each covering a different

component of how back pain affects bodybuilders.



Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:



1. Article #1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises (below)

2. Article #2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum

Results

3. Article #3 - Targeted Stretching

4. Article #4 - Targeted Exercises

5. Article #5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention



Article #1 - Choosing the WRONG Exercises



Get ready, this is gonna hurt! The exercises most bodybuilders

focus on the most, are the ones that cause the most problems…

hopefully, you’re different J



But before we share with you what those exercise are, let’s

talk real quickly about what bodybuilding is…



The goal of bodybuilding isn’t to get as big as you can, or at

least to us it isn’t and shouldn’t be, but to build a balanced

body that is as strong as possible in every way. For example,

while being freakishly big may get people’s attention, it

serves you no purpose at all…



while on the other hand, what if you were not only big, but

also extremely strong and powerful, lightning fast, flexible,

and agile enough to kick ass if needed?



So many bodybuilders build massive amounts of muscle yet are

so unbelievably weak and inflexible… for example, we know a

guy who can bench press over 350 lbs but can’t do a measly

50 push-ups!



The point is, the exercises you choose and how you perform

them not only determine how big, strong, and flexible you are,

but also affect how your body functions and whether or not you

suffer from aches, pains, and injuries like back pain and

sciatic pain.



Ok, here they are… the exercises that create the most

problems and are most likely to lead to back pain:



1. Bench Press



2. Leg Extension



So, any of your favorites on this list?



While there are others, these are the two that cause the most

damage.



There are several reasons why these exercises made our list of

the “worst bodybuilding exercises”. First, both of them target

areas that already tend to get worked a lot in everyday life

and often times are overdeveloped…



and by focusing so much on these exercises you end up creating

muscle imbalances, or worsening existing muscle imbalances,

which pull your bones and joints out of their normal position…



and this leads to uneven pressure and wear and tear on your

muscle, ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints and will sooner

or later lead a break down or injury.



For example, chronic overuse of the bench press, coupled with

little or no exercises targeting the upper back, leads to an

overdevelopment of the chest and a lack of strength and

development in the upper back…



This all too common combination leads to what we call “Turtle

Back”. You know what we’re talking about, when the shoulders

are pulled so far forward, lats are as wide as barn, and from

behind, their back looks like a giant sea turtle shell!



This “Turtle Back” posture can create neck, upper back, and

shoulder pain and injuries faster than you can pop an Advil!



Plus, how many times during your day are you forced to lie on

your back and push up a bar loaded with weights? There are so

many better exercises for chest development that not only

stimulate more muscle, but also build more usable strength.



Now let’s talk about the fabulous thigh builder, the leg

extension…



Not only does it place an unbelievable amount of strain on the

knee joint, but it also will quickly overdevelop the quads,

which are already getting far more work than their counterpart,

the hamstrings.



An imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings, which is

also extremely common in bodybuilders, is a key contributor to

back pain. This imbalance is easily identifiable by what people

often call “Bubble Butt” or “Ghetto Booty”.



So hopefully you can see how important it is to choose your

exercises wisely. We strongly recommend you cut out these

exercises, or at least cut back on using them and add in targeted

exercises for the opposing muscle groups and targeted stretches

for those tight, overdeveloped muscles.



The key to eliminating back pain, or any other ache, pain or injury for that matter, is to bring your body closer to balance…



What good is muscle if you can’t use it? How many more workouts

are you going to miss because of back, neck, or shoulder pain?

How much bigger and stronger could you be if back pain and other

injuries weren’t ruining your training?



Just imagine how bad things will be 10, 20, or 30 years from now

if you don’t make changes to your training now… but don’t take

our word for it, ask some of the older bodybuilders who are

paying the price now... you can spot them easily at the gym

because they limp around trying to find something they CAN do.



If you are interested in learning more about a way to get rid of the back pain and sciatica try LOSE THE BACK PAIN for great back pain and sciatica relief exercises, back pain information, support and expertise to help you get rid of the back pain and sciatica.





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