Reverse Hyper

[High Bar Squats]

Do they really unfuck the way Louie Simmons claim they do?

I'm suffering from three bulging discs (L4/L5, L2/L3, and L5/S1) and while I can still lift heavy, I feel a lot of back pain the next day, and a great degree of inflexibility results making it not worth it. In fact, even the slightest of compressive force (135 lbs squat) aggravates it enough that I've been out of the weight room for months. The MRI report I received stresses that the bulges are minor and there are no other spinal problems.

I've done a version on the smith machine (reverse hyper machines are rare where I live) and my back instantly feels better. A few hours later however I return to being inflexible.

But the whole concept just reaks of quackery and snake oil salesmanship. If Louie Simmons really used it to recuperate from a ruptured disc as he claims, why isn't this thing in every chiro's or physical rehab center across the country? The part that pisses me off the most is that my ortho refered me to physical therapist, and the place I went to does not even have a traction table, all they have me do are simple stretches I can do at home easily, and they give me electro therapy (and seeing as how late into the injury it is for me, doesn't help at all). The only good news is the physical therapist said that after I make a full recovery that I can go back to lifting heavy, but based on her inability to answer many questions I'll take that with a grain of salt.

Please share experiences, and I'd also especially like to hear Rip's thoughts. I'm not calling Simmons a liar but he does have a product to sell after all, and his claim that he fully recovered from a shattered vertebrae twice using this thing is a bit unbelievable.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't know exactly what happened to Louie, but I'd be hesitant to call the man a liar. If he says it helped, it did, and I know he was using the device for his back in his gym long before the marketing occurred.

But this stands out as a stellar example of fuzzy thinking: If Louie Simmons really used it to recuperate from a ruptured disc as he claims, why isn't this thing in every chiro's or physical rehab center across the country?

Have you lost your mind? PTs listening to a weightlifter about back rehab for the General Fucking Public? 55-year-old sedentary females on a reverse hyper designed by Louie Simmons? When they can do "protocols" instead? Like ice, heat, gentle massage, soothing words? And the back will heal anyway?

Just like yours, if you squat carefully with your belt. You do have a belt, right?

[Skuhr]

If doing the reverse hyper in any form helps, I'd say do it. I personally build one out of 2x6's and plumbing fittings and went through a routine of 3 sets of 10 while adding a little weight each time (twice a week). Helped me out a lot. Also, buy a good lever belt and do your squats!

Bottom line: try it and see if it works for you, don't worry about how Louie Simmons' back feels.

[Roy]

I bought the rogue one after herniating l5 s1, and used it frequently as I was recovering. I think it's a good piece of equipment, and allowed me to work the low back, hams/glutes without pain when even deadlifting or squatting very light weights were not possible due to pain.

There's no magic bullet, though. I think the key is to have time to heal without pain and reinjury, and if you can find ways to work the muscles that support your spine without causing pain you can speed you're recovery. I also don't think the idea of getting some motion in the discs to promote blood flow to the discs and promote healing is crazy at all, but it's not unique to the reverse hyper. Walking, for example, will help you out. Gently bouncing on a swiss ball, too. Nobody knows the real effectiveness of all these things because when you're in a bad state you'll be doing all of them if you're highly motivated to get pain free.

A couple of points about the reverse hyper, though...going too far into flexion at the end range of the machine with your legs coming through and under you is NOT a good idea when you're injured with a herniated disc. You will be zinged. The idea of getting traction through use of the machine isn't crazy, but if you aren't very picky and careful about how you learn the exercise if you just start swinging away you will hurt yourself worse. I personally think if you're using it with a herniated disc you're better off to be controlled, use it to stimulate blood flow, work your muscles without pain...and if you want traction then hang from the ab straps.

[High Bar Squats]

I don't know exactly what happened to Louie, but I'd be hesitant to call the man a liar. If he says it helped, it did, and I know he was using the device for his back in his gym long before the marketing occurred.

But this stands out as a stellar example of fuzzy thinking: If Louie Simmons really used it to recuperate from a ruptured disc as he claims, why isn't this thing in every chiro's or physical rehab center across the country?

Have you lost your mind? PTs listening to a weightlifter about back rehab for the General Fucking Public? 55-year-old sedentary females on a reverse hyper designed by Louie Simmons? When they can do "protocols" instead? Like ice, heat, gentle massage, soothing words? And the back will heal anyway?

Just like yours, if you squat carefully with your belt. You do have a belt, right?

Never really lifted heavy to warrant a belt. At my peak I squatted 275 lbs for 3 at 195 lbs.

I'm not even sure it was the squatting that did me in. The more I think about it the more I'm starting to suspect a particularly arduous session of snow shoveling is what did me in.

[RyanWhittemore]

I am in the process of rehabbing my back also (L4/L5 herniation). It's been about 10 weeks since my injury now and I started doing some reverse hyper work about 3 weeks ago. Around the same time I also tried doing some light/ moderate RDLs as part of my warm up. In my opinion, the RDLs have done more for my back than anything else. They are standard in my warm now no matter what lifts I'm doing that day. I never seemed to get the same effect from the reverse hyper, although maybe some do.
I'm feeling pretty good considering the doctor who first saw me said I "might" be able to get back to lifting in 8 or 9 months!