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Thread: Block mason back issues

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    418

    Default Block mason back issues

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    I made a career switch to a block mason two months ago after moving to Florida and have some concerns about my long term lower back health.

    My lower back has been mildly hurting for the last couple of weeks so I’m trying to take my deadlift volume down as low as I can and still make progress, but even the press is aggravating it. I shouldn’t have waited this long but I finally ordered a belt and plan on using it for all my lifts, but I am also wondering if I should stay away from very high intensity too. My best progress is with high intensity rotating 3,2, and 1s on a four day split, but I’m concerned my back is compromised enough to get injured by weights I wouldn’t be worried about normally. I’m just looking for any ideas or how you would program someone in this situation.

    My current plan is wearing a belt for all warmups and lifts and doing my intensity day on Monday when I am freshest. Am I correct in assuming it’s mostly volume not intensity I want to be careful of?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,559

    Default

    Work is probably aggravating your back. Make sure you handle the block with an extended lumbar, not in flexion the way most people do. Do not rotate in flexion under a load. And make sure that your pants are not grabbing your thighs and contributing to the lumbar flexion -- your pants have to allow the hip extension that keeps the lumbar flat.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    418

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Work is probably aggravating your back. Make sure you handle the block with an extended lumbar, not in flexion the way most people do. Do not rotate in flexion under a load. And make sure that your pants are not grabbing your thighs and contributing to the lumbar flexion -- your pants have to allow the hip extension that keeps the lumbar flat.
    Thanks rip, will do. I also found the video on how to pick things up and it was very helpful as well.

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