Welcome back!

Hi.

Been a while so lets get into it. This story has an interesting twist …

About 4 months ago I did a series of squat exercises after a long layoff. Thinking I was still superfit I pushed myself to the limit as usual.

Next day I could hardly move because the pain radiating from my left hip and lower back area was excruciating. As time went on the pain subsided a bit, but I was loathe to do much exercise that featured the back or hips areas. I massaged and heated and cooled and stretched and foam rolled - did everything I knew to relieve the pain and help the structures get back to normal. Without much effect by the way.

The continuing pain in my lower back in the left hip area was a weakness just waiting to let me down again.

Anyway on a whim I decided to start a static contraction strength regime. This involves really heavy weights held for a short period of time at almost the end of a full range of motion.

And by the way you don’t start the movement from zero - the barbells are held in positions on a rack where you can easily grab them and extend.

I started with deadlifts because they are a whole body exercise and create maximum growth hormone response. I loaded 110 kilos onto the bar and set it so I would only have to pick it up about 6 inches (150mm) to full extension, keeping in mind my sore back.

I did the exercises and noticed there was no extra pain in the following week of recovery.

After a week I did it again but got more adventurous with 130 kg. Seemed easy, so I jammed another 20 kg onto the bar for 150. I lifted with difficulty but got it up.

For the next week I noticed my back pain was almost non existent.

On the third session I jammed the load up to 180 kg and had to use the 1 ton hooks because I could no longer grip the bar safely.

I waited another week to recover - I had no back pain at all now - in fact I was now getting Doms in other muscle groups but my back felt fine.

So I tried a couple of short range squats (this was the exercise that originally created the problem). I set the bar so I only had to extend about 6 inches and loaded it to 130. I did it ok with no pain afterwards.

My last session I did a 200kg deadlift (just) and started on full range of motion squats again with just 60 kg - it felt like I was carying a feather.

Despite the lack of lower back pain, I am still not going to load up on full range of motion squats just yet - but I am really happy that this extreme weight (for me) lifting has helped make my pain disappear!!

BTW my bench press has increased to 120 kg, so I am pretty happy with that too.

Conclusions. The static contraction form of high intensity exercise seems to have solved my back problem - why or how I have no idea at this stage.
If you have any similar stories I would love to hear them.

Live long and live well.

Rick