Want to fix common Low Back Pain?

Be healthy and active. Move a lot. Lift properly. Strengthen your glutes, hips and core, and try to find a job where you do not sit all day or pick up awkward heavy shit constantly. Oh, and keep good posture.

And forget about "Back Mechanic"; the book is just filtered-down summaries. If you want to understand your pain, the book by McGill that you want to read is "Low Back Disorders". Its a university text, but the info inside is golden.

Fun Fact: I'm a Kinesiologist/Exercise Physiologist- I do physical rehab for people with Low Back Pain- amongst other things- for a living.

Oh, and one other thing: Just about everyone I see for LBP has done the "Big3" exercises, and 95% of the people are doing them wrong. The Bird Dog is especially prone to being done in the most shitty, trainwrecked manner possible.

Any thoughts on flexion cycles? I don't have health insurance or anything. So, with my lifestyle, the one thing I can control is keeping myself reasonably fit by working out every morning. I was doing a variation of p90x3 for a while. Then I read this and now I'm all paranoid that I'm setting myself up to a be a quadrapelgic. Or you know, not, but still rather concerned about my future.

I don't give individualized advice online because contrary to popular belief by many in my industry, giving people health advice over the internet without ever having met them is not a good idea.

However, as a GENERAL rule, science says that sit-ups, curls, and other forms of spinal flexion done repeatedly is not a good idea, and increases the risk of injury, especially when one pulls on the back of one's head with their hands or allows the upper portion of the torso to collapse, stretching the back. The risk decreases with proper form, but is still considered greater than the current ideal, static holds- planks, V-Holds, etc- which are currently considered to be safer, so long as proper posture is maintained (i.e. shoulders back, flat back, core engaged, eyes forward, etc).

In the McGill book I mentioned above, there is a specially designed series of ab exercises created especially to minimize risk- the book is hella expensive, but members of such a LIBeral GENeration of resourceful people as those on SE are should know where to locate it for free. There is also a book or two by Shirley Sahrmann that could be helpful, and can also be located easily.

P90x is a great workout for cardio, but some of the movements in those programs are downright criminal in how dangerous they are. Same goes for Insanity, and the other Beachbody modules.

For a "healthy" person, there is actually a very simple general method for the average person getting/staying fit:

1) Don't eat shit. For fat loss, eat enough good food calories that your body can operate optimally, but fewer calories than your activity burns in a given day.

2) Pick up heavy things, then put them down. Repeat for 5 sets of 5, or 3 sets of 8.

3) Pick up heavy things, carry them for a bit, then put them down.

4) Sprint for 100-400m regularly, or equivalent swim/row/bike, etc (the numbers get longer for rowing and biking). Occasionally, do long, "slow" (brisk pace) walks, hiking, or jogging, preferably over uneven terrain that changes elevation regularly.

5) Be generally active, and don't spend more than occasional parts of your day sitting or otherwise being sedentary.

6) Get a good night's sleep- 6-8 hours in the summer, 8-10 hours in the winter (it varies by person, and the climate you're in)

7) Don't eat shit.

Really, for everyday fitness, it is that simple. It sucks- the sprinting is hell, and your lungs will scream at you- but it is that simple.

Oh, yeah, I totally understand. I wouldn't want to put you out, just wondering how seriously those in the know were taking the whole flexion cycle lifetime thing.

I don't even know why Insanity is allowed to exist. p90x there's at least some rhyme and reason to why the exercises are arranged the way they are, I did a full cycle of Insanity and it seemed like the exercises were just randomly chosen to increase the likelihood of an injury. More like Stupidity.

Regarding number 5, do you generally recommend standing desks/workstations for those that do computer/office work?

Thanks for the info and the reminder on where I can find those books. I got those and a couple other academic texts I've been searching for so this was a total win for me.

Anything that prevents you from sitting for extended periods is good, just remember that there is a break-in period for getting use to it, just as with anything else. Padded foot areas and/or good shoes will help.

Read Kelly Starrett's "Deskbound" for additional information on the perils of extended sitting.

Just what I needed today.

Me too!

I'd bow to you good sir, with all this wise wisdom...but well you know ;)