RasmusR

I hurt my low back a while ago and used the Bill Starr method for rehab which I've used with great success a number of times (thank you)

However, after the most recent time doing it, about 2 months ago, my lower back has kept bothering me. Nothing major, I've been able to squat and deadlift without problem, but enough that I went to try lumbar decompression by hanging from a bar for longer than usual.

Normally I've just hung from a bar until my grip starts giving out, probably a minute or so, and my back always feels a little "Shaky" coming back down, as if I don't ease back down it'll hurt to put weight back on it.

This time I'd found a pair of wrist wraps with hooks attached that let me hang without problem for several minutes. It felt fine while I was up there, but when I came back down I could barely put any weight on my legs and I felt like I couldn't stand up at all.

Anyway I slowly make my way down and end up rolling around on the floor for a good 10 min before I'm ok to stand back up. My back feels okay now several hours later, it doesn't hurt but doesn't feel great so I'm hesitant as to whether I should keep doing them.

Any advice? Has anyone experienced anything similar? And is there any reason why you shouldn't do lumbar decompression and I just need to get used to it?

Mark Rippetoe

My back doesn't respond well to decompression. Did a long time ago, but as I've gotten older it hurts more than it helps. If it hurts more than it helps, don't do it.

Ryan Arnold

I've had the exact same experience as Rip. As I've aged it hurts more than helps. I stopped doing it.

Mark Rippetoe

And if you're doing situps and/or back extensions, stop doing those too.

FatButWeak

In your opinion, what causes the tearing of muscle belly fibers to occur? I mean the catastrophic pop or tearing effect that is experienced in the muscle belly itself, not the tendon peeling off the bone.

Obviously, heavy weight causes it. The weight exceeds the strength of the contracting fibers, causing the catastrophic failure.

But why does our body not sense or feel this is about to happen and "shut it down" in some other way? Why the catastrophic rupture?

I recently sustained a pec tear while benching 325. I've been doing a modified Texas Method, benching twice per week. This was a heavy weight for me, but I had done 315 x 5 in a session twice prior and had successfully completed 325 x 1,1,1 in the immediate prior session. On the day of the tear itself, I had successfully and without feeling like it was a limit effort achieved 325 x 1,2,1 and it was upon lowering the bar I felt the "pop,pop,pop" of the tear in my left pec. So I was well warmed up when it happened. The pain was not severe, but upon movement, I could feel a problem. It wasn't until nine (9!) days later that the bruising appeared across the bottom of my tit, which is where the blood pooled. I don't think it was a big tear and I've been Starr rehabbing it (completed 145 x 25,25,25 yesterday) and I know I will return. But I want to avoid the problem that caused it in the future. I have previously and for the last three years experienced minor pec tweaks' ' or strains that required a week or so of working through before the strength returned, but I think this may be a little longer.

What the fuck is wrong with my muscles that they do this? Im 51, 6'4", 265 pounds, on TRT for the past 5 years and I eat a meat heavy diet. I am usually well hydrated, well sodiumed and I also take creatine regularly. Competition best lifts are Sq485, B375, DL540 pounds.

I should note that the day before I experienced this tear, I did about 30 chin ups, which I started adding to my routine. I hadn't been doing them for a while. When I chin I tend to use a lot of pecs, along with lat and arm to pull the humerus down (or pull my body up, I suppose) and into position next to my ribcage. So, in this particular instance, my pec may have been "weakened" by the unusual contraction pattern of the day before. I suppose. Just a thought.

But my real question is: What defect/deficiency/weakness causes muscle belly tears?

Mark Rippetoe

I've had many tears over the years, but the one thing they all had in common was the fact that they were unexpected, with no "aura" or advanced indication that they were about to occur. Warm or cold, doesn't seem to matter. I once tore a quad on the 9th set of 10 sets of 2.