A set of exercises for the muscles of the back and abs. Raises the legs for the press

Why does a person have lower back pain? We are at risk. If we compare the skeleton of higher vertebrates and humans, we find much in common. But a person walks on two legs, and animals - more often on all four legs. Therefore, animals practically do not have lumbar osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia. And among people, every second person at least once complained of back pain. And one in five felt it when he pumped the press.

Why does your back hurt?

Due to the fact that we walk on two legs, that is, we are in an upright position most of the time, our vertebral column is experiencing colossal loads. The natural curves of the spine provide good cushioning and abrasion protection for the discs. But our way of life nullifies all these natural ideas.

We conclude: to keep your back healthy, you need to keep it correctly throughout the day. , The pain can appear in any part of the spine, but most often the lower back suffers from this.

There is a small canal inside the spine. It contains spinal cord, from which dozens of spinal nerves leave the body. Nature is designed so that each nerve passes through special holes, and nothing prevents it.

Cartilaginous discs are located between the vertebrae, providing shock absorption during movement. Normally, these discs maintain a small distance between the vertebrae. If something goes wrong, the discs may deform (for example, when a hernia appears), or simply collapse. The nerve, which previously felt normal, begins to pinch between the vertebrae. And it really hurts. The nerve becomes inflamed, the nerve impulse is blocked to the end point and back. Everything can end very sadly - there is no innervation, there is no control over a part of the body.

Thus, most often low back pain is associated with a pinched nerve. This is not the only reason. Today, many people wear low-cut jeans and a bare waist. The constant exposure to cold on this part of the body causes more than inflammation internal organs but also nerves. And again, the person experiences pain in the lower, part of the back. The cause of pain may be damage to the vertebra, microtrauma of the muscles of the lower back.

How to train, press, with pain in, lower back

If you have a pinched nerve or bleed, the pain will worsen during the pressure on your abs. There are often times when there is nothing like this, and press training still causes soreness.

The reason is simple: your muscles are too weak to maintain a safe posture during exercise. You need to train in a special way before the pain goes away.

In what cases, the back may hurt during exercises on the abdominal muscles

Roman chair exercises and incline bench often cause back pain the first time. Why is that?

This is because the muscles are not pumped up enough to keep your body in a horizontal position without support. The spine begins to tilt, and the vertebrae begin to shift relative to each other. This leads to mild irritation of the spinal roots, which you feel in the form of pain.

If you have been practicing for a long time and are trying a new exercise on the press, pain may appear with this option: raising your legs while lying on a bench with the subsequent separation of the pelvis from it. At the same time, your legs go up. At the moment of separation, you can feel acute pain.

Excess weight is the enemy of the spine

If any of you lay in the department of neurology and saw patients with sciatica, he knows one secret. Almost all patients with sciatica - fat people... At least they have big belly.

We already walk on two legs, the load on the spine is already greater with its limited resource. And then there is the stomach, which forces the lower back to bend more than necessary to maintain balance while walking. About any abdominal press in this case it is impossible to speak. Therefore, the number one task is to remove the belly. Believe me, this is the hardest part. Because the starting point is a very neglected state. Then doing something is just lazy, and the physical form is so sluggish that each workout will be like a torture chamber.

And than more weight and your belly, remember, the worse the spine will be. . Ask any mom what it feels like when you, even temporarily, have a big belly.

Is it safe to exercise when your back hurts?

It all depends on the nature and type of your pain, the condition in general. If once you feel pain while swinging the press, you need to figure it out. Before we go to the doctor, let's do an experiment:

Place a fitness mat on the floor of your home. Make sure there is no draft.
Lie on your back. Put your hands behind your head, legs together. Raise your right leg straight up as much as possible. Pull it as far as your ligaments allow.
Listen to yourself - is there pain? If so, see a neurologist.
If not, do the same with the other leg. Does it hurt again? Great, then shake your muscles in this way for a couple of weeks in front of the Roman chair.

Another test:

Again we lie down on the rug, on our back. Hands behind head.
We bend our legs at the knees.
Lift the body up, starting from the head. If at some point you feel pain, we recommend performing the exercise before this painful moment. Gradually, the pain will go away, and you can move on to the Roman chair. In fact, you are preparing your abs to increase the load with classic, crunches.

If it hurts to bend, walk, and the pain radiates to the leg, buttock, to the right or left to the pelvis, it's time to see a doctor. Sometimes it happens that you bend and the doctor will unbend you.

The "magic" scheme for overcoming pain in the gym

If this is the first time you come to the gym and start pumping your abs in a Roman chair, pain is normal. No need to worry, your muscles are just not ready. It's another matter if you have already had a backache before and you have been diagnosed with some kind of sore. And even in the latter case, do not give up - you will succeed!

Lesson scheme for beginners:

Let's forget about the Roman chair for now. We will swing the abs on the floor, throwing our feet on the bench. To do this, you need to move the bench so that if you lift your hips perpendicular to the floor, it is exactly under your knees. Hands behind your head is starting position... We do 2-3 sets of 15 times. We alternate straight lifts with oblique ones (that is, the right elbow reaches towards the left knee and vice versa).
Raise your legs while lying on the floor. Alternatively, you can do a support leg raise. To do this, you need to rest your elbows on the armrests attached to Swedish wall or special simulator for the press. The legs are slightly bent at the knees - we raise them 2-3 approaches 10-12 times (according to the state of health).
Do not forget to pump the muscles - antagonists. Exercise "boat", or hyperextension without weights. If it hurts, keep your posture!

After 2-3 weeks of such workouts (we do 2-3 times a week), your abs will be ready for the Roman chair and incline bench. You will be able to do resistance exercises.

If you have had an injury, you should consult with a sports doctor about what you can and cannot do. It is a sports doctor who should advise you something, because classical medicine in this case will not offer you anything. Except, of course, "practice carefully." And how "careful" it is - guess for yourself.

There are many diagnoses. You need to know what exactly you had. Read on to find out what we recommend to do in each case. In the meantime, you can train your abs at home by alternately lifting your legs and body several times a week.

If you have acute pain, it is absolutely impossible to do it until you relieve the inflammation. Even on the floor.

Burdening and back pain

Many beginners, feeling that it is easy for them to pump the press in a Roman chair, take up pancakes. They take 15 kg each and begin to twitch, pumping the abdominal muscles. What is going on in their head at this moment is the mystery of the century. But it is very clear how the lower back suffers. It is deformed.

Muscles still cannot support the body without weight, and the person grasps the burden. The vertebrae are skewed, the discs are erased. The back is gradually injured. Moreover, this injury will not manifest itself immediately, but as soon as a person has a deficiency of joint-forming substances in the diet.

We do not recommend to immediately engage in a Roman chair with weights for beginners and those who have previously had back pain. Strengthen your muscles, exercise for 2-3 months before picking up a pancake or dumbbell. , And if you take weight, it is better to press it to your chest.

Dangerous ab exercises that cause pain

There is such an exercise for pumping the lateral abdominal muscles. It is done in a block frame on the lower block. Become to lower block sideways and the strength of the lateral muscles pull the weight onto themselves. At this moment, a very undesirable load on the lower back occurs - from top to bottom and slightly to the side. With a sore back, one such approach with weight is enough to activate inflammation.

Be careful. If your spine hurts during abdominal exercises, or if you've previously felt pain, this option is not for you.

How to treat low back pain

In the hospital

We will tell you a little about what awaits you at the hospital if you make an appointment.

It is best to contact a specialized ultrasound center, rather than a neurologist at your place of residence. The fact is that a government agency may simply refuse to help you, referring to your young age. And this happens quite often. The doctor will look at an outwardly healthy athlete and wave his hand.

In the ultrasound center, you will be given an ultrasound scan of the lumbosacral spine and will determine exactly what is happening there. Further, the scheme is simple - anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins and, possibly, an orthopedic belt with stiffening ribs. The latter will be very useful, be sure to stock up on it. But only if it is recommended to you. Sometimes it does not relieve pain in any way and will be useful only when carrying heavy loads.

In more severe cases, the situation can reach hospitalization, for example, with acute radiculitis or a rapidly growing intervertebral hernia.

Houses

At home, an orthopedic belt will save you. Wear it every time your spine hurts. Usually, 1 hour a day is enough to relieve inflammation. And then you need to work on the abdominal muscles. Attention, in case of pain emanating from the sacral region, the belt will not give an analgesic effect, since it does not fix this part of the spine.

Even people who are admitted to the neurological department with sciatica, who cannot fully straighten out for 2-3 days, doctors recommend physiotherapy exercises... It consists of 8-10 lightweight exercises in which both the abdomen and the back work. Get the hint? Rock your stomach and back, and you will never (or almost never) have pain in your lower back.

Exit to any sports ground, study there. Raise your legs hanging on the horizontal bar, swing the press on the uneven bars. Walk at a brisk pace, lifting your knee high in front of you. Do what you can and do not look at those who do nothing.

Power features

Everyone says that the diet should be balanced. And what does this mean, besides the optimal ratio of BZHU? Vitamins - time! Active additives - two! The body lacks polyunsaturated fatty acids- eat 1 tablespoon of unrefined sunflower oil a day.

Our joints are deficient in elastic substances - we buy drugs chondroitin and glucosamine. We eat 2 times a year for a month.

Vitamins are best sports (we are athletes). By the way, sports vitamins are more expensive than ordinary pharmacy vitamins, not because of some cool brands, but because of the composition. Look at the concentration of working substances in them. Therefore, it is better to drink exactly these vitamins than pharmacy ones. There will be much more sense.

And do not forget about the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the normal progress of strength and muscle mass.

Special cases

Is it possible to work out the abs in the gym when you have a big belly

This is a separate topic filled with thousands of nuances. A large belly will provide you with pain even during torso lifts while lying on the floor. What can we say about the Roman chair.

A good option for you is exercise on a fitball. If your back hurts, it is best to train with support. Until your muscles are ready for independent work, the ball will be a very necessary subject for your training.

First of all, you need to remove belly fat. In parallel, we can only strengthen his muscles, rather than pump something up. And you will need to start with small amplitudes. Each time we try to make the range of motion larger.

For example, when lifting the body while lying on the floor, we will first try to raise our head, then our neck and chest. Once on a full rep, you will notice that nothing hurts. And then you can do the whole approach without pain.

Remember, the belly is killing your spine. Why not lose weight!

And another important principle of training: "I pump muscles for myself, because I like it, it is useful." It doesn't matter at home, in gym- work goes on, muscles are trained. Then you won't hurt yourself.

Training for osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a common cause of lower back pain while strengthening the press. This is the initial stage of destruction of the intervertebral disc. At this stage, you can turn the process towards recovery. Enough to provide proper nutrition, load and use an orthopedic belt (it helps in certain cases with the defeat of specific vertebrae).

Exercises for the press must be selected strictly individually, based on the following recommendations:

Start small and work your way up to heavier exercises.
If it hurts, stop doing it. Pain during exercise can worsen. The next day, it will hurt you to bend over.
Eliminate any exercise that makes you feel painful sensations in the region of the sacrum and above.
At first, try to strengthen your muscles with a fitball.

Remember, there must be a layer between the vertebrae - and it must be protected.

We swing the press with a hernia

An intervertebral hernia is formed as a result of a rupture of the intervertebral disc in the late stages of osteochondrosis. If you do not take the necessary measures to strengthen muscles and ensure correct posture, intervertebral disc breaks down and breaks.

You can live with a hernia if it is not too large and does not put enough pressure on the nerve roots. Then the pain is felt less often and only if the position is incorrect during exercise. Therefore, you need to carefully train the abdominal muscles.

The basic principles of training so that it is not painful and harmful:

The pelvis must not be in the air (as in a Roman chair).
You can not take the basin off the bench. It is permissible to practice on an incline bench upside down, but the pelvis must be pressed against the surface of the bench. Otherwise, aggravation, pain, surgery.
In an acute period, if you are in pain, you should not exercise. You need to be treated, relieve inflammation and only then swing.
Don't overload your back. You need to enter the training regime gradually. An extra load is unacceptable here. Start with low reps and work in a comfortable way.
Work without weights.
Check the condition of your hernia regularly. If it grows, it needs to be treated. And it also happens that it decreases.

Workouts for pregnant women

Expectant mothers who love the gym continue to visit it in the first months of pregnancy. , We warn you not to do this!

For you, dear ladies, special programs have been created, which are called "for pregnant women". Such programs are aimed at:

relieving the load on the pelvic organs,
exclusion of strength exercise options,
exclusion of sudden movements, jerks, jumps, oxygen starvation, etc.

Thus, you can only pump your abdominal muscles using a fitball and using a special technique. Remember, now you are also responsible for the child. Sign up for special programs under the strict supervision of professionals.

10. Twisting
Starting position. Lie on your back, bend your knees, feet flat on the floor, arms along your torso.
Traffic. Perform a deadlift in a supine position (see Exercise 8), lifting your head and shoulders off the floor (Fig. 47). Try to touch your ankles as you complete the movement. Fix the movement for 1-2 seconds, relax and inhale. Two sets of 25 reps.

Advice. The neck and head should be in a fixed position when lifting (imagine that you have an apple squeezed between your chin and chest).
Attention! This exercise provides for a small range of motion (shoulders and head should not be more than 10-20 cm off the floor). In addition, the main load should not fall on the muscles. shoulder girdle, but on the abdominals.

11. Deflection in the prone position
Starting position. Lie on your stomach, bend your arms at the elbows (Fig. 48).

Traffic. Relying on bent arms, slowly lift your torso (fig. 49). Fix the movement at the top point for 20-40 seconds.

Attention! You should feel a stretch in your abdominal muscles, but not back pain. If you feel any discomfort in your lower back, stop the exercise immediately.

12. Wall Squat
Starting position. Stand up, lean your back against the wall; legs - at a distance of 30-60 cm from the wall. Straighten up and rest your head and shoulders against the wall. Pay attention to the position of your legs: when you perform the movement, your knees and ankles should be in the same vertical line.
Traffic. Without changing the position of the upper body, begin to slowly slide down, as if about to sit down (Fig. 50). Move as far as you can stand, and then do the deadlift (see Exercise 8). Lock the position for 15 seconds and straighten your legs. Do 10 reps (if you feel your legs start to shake, move down only halfway).

Advice. Do not pull your tailbone off the wall during the entire exercise.
Attention! After this exercise, stretch your back, calves, and thighs (see Exercises 1 and 2).
Target. Execute thrust and keep correct posture feeling a load on the lower abdomen.

13. Bends to the side
Starting position. Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent for balance. Put left hand to the crown (fig. 51). Pull your shoulders back and look straight ahead.

Traffic. Lean in right side until you feel a stretch in the muscles of the left side of the body (Fig. 52). The movement takes place in one plane, the lower part of the body is motionless. Returning to the starting position, suck in your abdominals and exhale forcefully. Do 10 reps.

Attention! After this exercise, do abdominal contraction with diaphragmatic breathing and stretch the lateral abdominal muscles (Exercises 4 and 5).

Starting position. Legs are spread wider than shoulder-width apart, knees and toes are turned at an angle of 90 °, arms are extended forward for balance.
Traffic. Shift your body weight to your heels and begin squats, shifting your center of gravity back and bending not only your knees, but also hip joint(fig. 53). Don't bend your back. Returning to the starting position, suck in your abdominals and exhale.

Modification. If for some reason you cannot do this exercise without support (for example, due to loss of balance), grasp both handles of the open door with your hands (Fig. 54). Try to return to this exercise without emphasis after three weeks.

Starting position. Legs hip-width apart, toes and knees parallel, arms extended forward for balance.
Traffic. Transfer your weight to your heels and begin squatting, shifting your center of gravity back and bending not only your knees, but also your hip joint (Fig. 55). Don't bend your back. Returning to the starting position, suck in your abdominals and exhale.

Modification. If for any reason you cannot do this exercise without support (for example, due to loss of balance), grasp the windowsill (fig. 56). Try to return to this exercise without emphasis after three weeks.

Attention! After this exercise, stretch the back, calves, and thighs (see exercises 1 and 2).

16. Flexion and extension of the knees while sitting and lying on the back

Starting position for step 1. Sit in a chair with your back straight.
Movement in stage 1. Raise left leg 2-3 cm from the floor and straighten it (fig. 57). (Straightening the knee, pull in your abdominals and exhale.) Lock the position for 3-5 seconds, then slowly bend the knee and return to the starting position. Keep your foot on the floor until the end of the set. Do this exercise 10-25 times and repeat for the right leg.
Starting position for step 2. Lie on the floor with your feet together, knees bent and remain in contact at all times.
Movement in Step 2. Raise your left leg and straighten it (while pulling in your abdominals and exhaling). Bend it back, but do not place it on the floor (fig. 58). Do this exercise 10-25 times and repeat for the right leg.

Pain in the spine is a fairly common occurrence when doing abdominal exercises. The pain can be sharp or dull, occur directly during training, or be of a delayed nature. This phenomenon causes bewilderment: why does the back hurt, if the goal is physical activity there were abdominal muscles.

Information on the effects of press swing is controversial. Some sources report that abdominal training is harmful to the spine, as in the process of flexion and extension of the trunk, the wear of the vertebrae accelerates. Others take the position that "beauty requires sacrifice", offering recipes for quickly pumping up attractive abs and reducing the size of the waist. Is it possible to pump the abs without acquiring problems with the spine, and what may be the cause of lower back pain?

Pain syndrome due to improper exercise technique

Mistakes during abdominal training are the most common cause of back pain. Exercises for the press, familiar to everyone from school (lifting straight legs and trunk from a prone position), heavily load the lower back, but are quite popular at home. The likelihood of unpleasant consequences increases when you swing the press without coaching guidance and supervision. The vertebral discs must be given sufficient time and nourishment to recover from stress. Otherwise, a sore lower back interferes with the plan to quickly achieve a result, spasms appear in the back, which negates the pleasure and benefits of physical activity.

The reasons that the lower back hurts after swinging the press may lie in the mistakes of the training process, which should be paid special attention to:

insufficient attention to strengthening the muscles of the back.

Consider the fact of loading non-target muscles. The abdominal technique should involve controlling the muscles that tense during the exercise. The abs are not pumped with the back muscles. It is impractical to throw the whole body forward when leaning. Amplitude is not a measure of how the abs are working: the muscles in the back are used, which leads to injuries. The right way avoid bending in the lower back - do not throw the body, but gradually raise the torso. The lumbar should be the last to come off the floor. If the back muscles tense, and the spine flexes, pain spasms occur. Some exercises allow a slight deflection in the lower back (for example, when lifting the legs), but too much deflection can lead to injury.

Insufficient attention to strengthening the muscles of the back: swinging only the abdominal muscles, you can earn a slouch and back pain. Inexperienced athletes pay attention to other muscle groups when, after the press, pumped up by persistent training, an imbalance of the muscle corset occurs. The function of the back muscles is not only to extend it. When these muscles are weak, there is an increased risk of spinal injury. If you pay insufficient attention to strengthening the muscles of the back, it can be injured before the abs are strengthened. Therefore, the back and abs must be comprehensively maintained in good shape.

If after training you feel lower back pain, then you should load the press separately: to train the back, use a Roman chair, and for the press, use an incline bench.

Pain caused by injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Back pain isn't just due to muscle overload training load, but also due to edema, which are the consequences of diseases and injuries. Pain limits movement, allows you to prevent careless activity. Pain is a protective reaction of the body, therefore, attempts to continue to pump the press, overcoming pain in the back, can lead to the development of the disease. When pain appears, you should stop training and find out the cause of its appearance, which may be due to injuries and pathologies.

This pain can result from:

stretching;
curvature of the spine;
osteochondrosis;
hernia.

When sprained, pain from the lower back can travel up and down the body. Turning and tilting aggravates the pain syndrome. Muscles and ligaments are prone to this injury. Stretching is facilitated by weak abdominal and back muscles and insufficient physical warm-up during training.

Curvature of the spine is another cause of pain during exercise. Weak muscles abdominal muscles are one of the causes of spinal deformities and poor posture. This common pathology does not obviate the need to strengthen the abdominal press, but it does require caution during exercise. In this disease, the vertebral discs experience uneven pressure, overloading of the joints is observed.

If a person with such problems decides to pump the press, then complications are likely: the usual exercises for bending the trunk and raising the legs will stress the spinal discs, which are experiencing additional pressure and stretching. Therefore, when strengthening the press, it is necessary to take into account the type of curvature of the spine and limit the range of motion. It is advisable to first strengthen the muscles of the back, and then proceed to the load of the abdominal press. Otherwise, an increase in the amplitude and intensity of movements can lead to disc rupture and hernia. The contents of the vertebral disc come out; edema begins to press on the nerve endings, which causes pain.

Osteochondrosis and hernia - causes of pain

It is widely believed that osteochondrosis is caused by a sedentary lifestyle. And if your back hurts after a workout on the press, this is usually not associated with the development of osteochondrosis. However, the chronic nature of spinal overload as a result of regular intense exercise can also exacerbate this pathology.

Pain syndrome caused by osteochondrosis is most often observed in those who are seriously involved in sports. When the press is swinging, the lumbar spine is especially stressed; its discs are injured and lose elasticity, and the processes of the vertebrae become thicker, compensating for the dysfunction of the discs. In this case, amortization between the vertebrae is lost. To avoid pain associated with osteochondrosis, you should moderate the intensity of the swing of the press.

Overload lumbar spine during physical exercise provoke the transition of a severe form of osteochondrosis to the stage with the most pronounced clinical manifestations, for example, hernias. The intervertebral disc breaks when it appears additional load on the back muscles during training. The pain is caused by a spasm. deep muscles back.

In addition to the listed diseases, lower back pain while performing ab exercises can be caused by the displacement of the vertebral bodies (spondylolisthesis), fractures, arthrosis and other diseases. It is possible to prevent the appearance of a pain reaction if you follow the principle of gradualness in strengthening the muscular frame, not to force the achievement of the result.

If your back hurts during the swing of the press, you must stop the exercise, take a horizontal position. Relaxing the muscles will help relieve cramping. The exact cause of the pain can be determined by the vertebrologist. Diagnostic tools include magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and radiography. With timely treatment, even an intervertebral hernia can be dealt with without surgery. The cause of the pain must be determined to adjust the training plan and set of exercises to strengthen the press.

When choosing exercises for the press, you need to rely on the sensations in your back. If a painful reaction occurs, exercises should be chosen that are more appropriate. physical condition organism. There is no need to overcome pain.

For example, if you bend your knees when performing bends, the deflection of the lower back and the load on the muscles of the back will be significantly less. It is important that the lower back does not change its position, does not come off the floor. Additional retraction and fixation of the abdomen should completely eliminate back pain. This exercise option can replace the standard types of press swing.

In case of diseases and injuries, to relieve spasms and prevent the development of an ailment, it is advisable to use isometric exercises that exclude the back from movement. To train the press, in this case, it is enough to fix the tension of the press, frozen in a slightly bent position, without lifting the body from the floor. Exercise until you feel tired.

Those who want to strengthen the abdominals, but have problems with the lower back, should not start with leg swings and trunk lifts, but with isometric exercises that strengthen the muscle corset without threatening the back.

Why does your back hurt?

Due to the fact that we walk on two legs, that is, we are in an upright position most of the time, our spinal column is under tremendous stress. The natural curves of the spine provide good cushioning and abrasion protection for the discs. But our way of life nullifies all these natural ideas.

We conclude: to keep your back healthy, you need to keep it correctly throughout the day. The pain can appear in any part of the spine, but most often the lower back suffers from this.

There is a small canal inside the spine. It contains the spinal cord, from which dozens of spinal nerves go into the body. Nature is designed so that each nerve passes through special holes, and nothing prevents it.

Cartilaginous discs are located between the vertebrae, providing shock absorption during movement. Normally, these discs maintain a small distance between the vertebrae. If something goes wrong, the discs can deform (for example, when a hernia appears), or simply collapse. The nerve, which previously felt normal, begins to pinch between the vertebrae. And it really hurts. The nerve becomes inflamed, the nerve impulse is blocked to the end point and back. Everything can end very sadly - there is no innervation, there is no control over a part of the body.

Thus, most often low back pain is associated with a pinched nerve. This is not the only reason. Today, many people wear low-cut jeans and a bare waist. The constant exposure to cold on this part of the body causes not only inflammation of the internal organs, but also of the nerves. Again, the person experiences pain in the lower back. The cause of pain can be damage to the vertebra, microtrauma of the muscles of the lower back.

How to exercise abs for lower back pain

If you have a pinched nerve or bleed, the pain will worsen during the pressure on your abs. There are often times when there is nothing like this, and press training still causes soreness.

The reason is simple: your muscles are too weak to maintain a safe posture during exercise. You need to train in a special way before the pain goes away.

In what cases can the back hurt during exercises on the abdominal muscles?

Exercising in a Roman chair and incline bench often causes back pain the first time. Why is that?

Excess weight is the enemy of the spine

If any of you lay in the department of neurology and saw patients with sciatica, he knows one secret. Almost all patients with sciatica are fat people. At least they have a big belly.

We already walk on two legs, the load on the spine is already greater with its limited resource. And then there is the stomach, which forces the lower back to bend more than necessary to maintain balance while walking. In this case, it is impossible to talk about any abdominal press. Therefore, the number one task is to remove the belly. Believe me, this is the hardest part. Because the starting point is a very neglected state. Then doing something is just lazy, and the physical form is so sluggish that each workout will be like a torture chamber.

And, the more weight and your belly, remember, the worse the spine will be. Ask any mom what it feels like when you, even temporarily, have a big belly.

Is it safe to exercise when your back hurts?

Place a fitness mat on the floor of your home. Make sure there is no draft.
Lie on your back. Put your hands behind your head, legs together. Raise your right leg straight up as much as possible. Pull it as far as your ligaments allow.
Listen to yourself - is there pain? If so, see a neurologist.
If not, do the same with the other leg. Does it hurt again? Great, then shake your muscles in this way for a couple of weeks in front of the Roman chair.

Another test:

We lie down on the mat on our back again. Hands behind head.
We bend our legs at the knees.
Lift the body up, starting from the head. If at some point you feel pain, we recommend performing the exercise before this painful moment. Gradually, the pain will go away, and you can move on to the Roman chair. In fact, you are preparing your abs for the classic crunching load.

If it hurts to bend, walk, and the pain radiates to the leg, buttock, to the right or left to the pelvis, it's time to see a doctor. Sometimes it happens that you bend and the doctor will unbend you.

The "magic" scheme for overcoming pain in the gym

Lesson scheme for beginners:

Let's forget about the Roman chair for now. We will swing the abs on the floor, throwing our feet on the bench. To do this, you need to move the bench so that if you lift your hips perpendicular to the floor, it is exactly under your knees. Hands behind the head is the starting position. We do 2-3 sets of 15 times. We alternate straight lifts with oblique ones (that is, the right elbow reaches towards the left knee and vice versa).
Raise your legs while lying on the floor. Alternatively, you can do a support leg raise. To do this, you need to rest your elbows on the armrests attached to the wall bars or a special exercise machine for the press. The legs are slightly bent at the knees - we raise them 2-3 approaches 10-12 times (according to the state of health).
Do not forget to pump muscles - antagonists. Exercise "boat", or hyperextension without weights. If it hurts, keep your posture!

After 2-3 weeks of this workout (doing 2-3 times a week), your abs will be ready for the Roman chair and incline bench. You will be able to do resistance exercises.

If you have acute pain, it is absolutely impossible to do it until you relieve the inflammation. Even on the floor.

Burdening and back pain

We do not recommend to immediately engage in a Roman chair with weights for beginners and those who have previously had back pain. Strengthen your muscles, exercise for 2-3 months before picking up a pancake or dumbbell. And if you take weight, it is better to press it to your chest.

Dangerous ab exercises that cause pain

There is such an exercise for pumping the lateral abdominal muscles. It is done in a block frame on the lower block. They become sideways to the lower block and pull the weight onto themselves with the strength of the lateral muscles. At this moment, a very undesirable load on the lower back occurs - from top to bottom and slightly to the side. With a sore back, one such approach with weight is enough to activate inflammation.

Be careful. If your spine hurts during abdominal exercises, or if you've previously felt pain, this option is not for you.

How to treat low back pain

In the hospital

We will tell you a little about what awaits you at the hospital if you make an appointment.

In more severe cases, the situation can reach hospitalization, for example, with acute radiculitis or a rapidly growing intervertebral hernia.

Houses

Even people who are admitted to the neurological department with sciatica, who cannot fully straighten out for 2-3 days, doctors recommend physical therapy. It consists of 8-10 lightweight exercises in which both the abdomen and the back work. Get the hint? Rock your stomach and back, and you will never (or almost never) have pain in your lower back.

Go out to any sports field, exercise there. Raise your legs while hanging on the horizontal bar, swing. Walk at a brisk pace, lifting your knee high in front of you. Do what you can and do not look at those who do nothing.

Power features

Everyone says that the diet should be balanced. And what does this mean, besides the optimal ratio of BZHU? Vitamins - time! Active additives - two! The body lacks polyunsaturated fatty acids - eat 1 tablespoon of unrefined sunflower oil a day.

Our joints are deficient in elastic substances - we buy drugs chondroitin and glucosamine. We eat 2 times a year for a month.

And do not forget about the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the normal progress of strength and muscle mass.

Special cases

Is it possible to work out the abs in the gym when you have a big belly

This is a separate topic filled with thousands of nuances. A large belly will provide you with pain even during

For example, when lifting the body while lying on the floor, we will first try to raise our head, then our neck and chest. Once on a full rep, you will notice that nothing hurts. And then you can do the whole approach without pain.

Remember, the belly is killing your spine. Why not lose weight!

And another important principle of training: "I pump muscles for myself, because I like it, it is useful." It doesn't matter at home, in the gym - work goes on, muscles train. Then you won't hurt yourself.

Training for osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a common cause of lower back pain while strengthening the press. This is the initial stage of destruction of the intervertebral disc. At this stage, you can turn the process towards recovery. It is enough to provide proper nutrition, exercise and use an orthopedic belt (it helps in certain cases with the defeat of specific vertebrae).

Exercises for the press must be selected strictly individually, based on the following recommendations:

Start small and work your way up to heavier exercises.
If it hurts, stop doing it. Pain during exercise can worsen. The next day, it will hurt you to bend over.
Avoid any exercise that causes pain in the sacrum and above.
At first, try to strengthen your muscles with a fitball.

Remember, there must be a layer between the vertebrae - and it must be protected.

We swing the press with a hernia

An intervertebral hernia is formed as a result of a rupture of the intervertebral disc in the late stages of osteochondrosis. If you do not take the necessary measures to strengthen the muscles and ensure correct posture, the intervertebral disc will break down and break.

The basic principles of training so that it is not painful and harmful:

The pelvis must not be in the air (as in a Roman chair).
You can not take the basin off the bench. It is permissible to practice on an incline bench upside down, but the pelvis must be pressed against the surface of the bench. Otherwise, aggravation, pain, surgery.
In an acute period, if you are in pain, you should not exercise. You need to be treated, relieve inflammation and only then swing.
Don't overload your back. You need to enter the training regime gradually. An extra load is unacceptable here. Start with low reps and work in a comfortable way.
Work without weights.
Check the condition of your hernia regularly. If it grows, it needs to be treated. And it also happens that it decreases.

Workouts for pregnant women

Expectant mothers who love the gym continue to visit it in the first months of pregnancy. We warn you not to do this!

For you, dear ladies, special programs have been created, which are called "for pregnant women". Such programs are aimed at:

relieving the load on the pelvic organs;
exclusion of strength exercise options;
exclusion of sudden movements, jerks, jumps, oxygen starvation, etc.

And backs. It consists of some unusual and rather difficult exercises aimed at all the muscles in the body. It requires a minimum of time, since it includes only 6 exercises. This workout is perfect for those who are thinking about how to build abs in a week, but cannot afford long-term sports. Some of the movements require good physical form... If any exercise for weight loss causes pain or discomfort, they are performed for less than the specified time or skipped.

What you need to know before pumping your abs into cubes?

You must visit your doctor before starting this program. If it is painful or uncomfortable to perform the exercises, they are changed to a lighter version. You can pre-learn ab exercises online or using video.

When performing exercises for the press you will need: gymnastic ball fitball, small barbell or heavy dumbbell, mat.

How to do abs and back exercises?

Before the main workout, warm up the muscles by doing a few lungs. Do 3 sets of each of the exercises below, resting 20-30 seconds between repetitions. Do not force the amplitude and amount of movement; the body must adapt to the exercise. When swinging your abs and back, do not make sudden movements. The repetition should take 4 - 6 seconds.

A set of exercises for the press, back and legs

Raised foot bridge

For the exercise, take a supine position with your knees bent. Push off the floor, assuming a "bridge" pose, support your body weight on your arms and legs. Extend one leg up (do not pinch your thigh) and slowly lower your leg to the side. In this case, the body must remain motionless. Use your abs to support your body in this position, do not hold your breath. Do 12 reps, then do the same with the other leg extended.

Pivot balancing

The starting position of the exercise is lying on its side. Push off the floor so that your body is only supported by right hand and legs pressed together. Straighten your left arm and balance for one moment, then lower your left arm to the floor and rotate your torso towards it, without moving the rest of your body. Tighten your abs and freeze for 2 seconds. Return to starting position. Do 10 reps and then repeat on the other side. Simplified modification of this exercise for the press: do it with your knees on the floor. You need to pay attention to the position of the wrist of the supporting hand when performing the exercise, it should be at right angles to the palm. Incorrect positioning may cause injury.

Exercise for the press on the ball

For this ab exercise, take the starting position: kneel down and place your hands on the ball, keeping them parallel. Slowly roll the ball forward with your hands until your ribcage touches the floor. Then slowly roll the ball towards you, using your hands and abdominal tension, to the starting position. Do not stop moving while you return the ball to its original position. Repeat the abdominal exercise 12 times.

Bicycle - Exercise for the abs and legs

The initial position of the exercise: lying on your back, the lower back is pressed to the floor. Place your hands under your head, with your elbows extended to the side. Bend your right knee and bring it closer to chest so that it touches the opposite elbow. Start the exercise with a slow motion, as if you are pressing the pedal of a bicycle, touching the opposite elbow to the opposite knee. Keep your abs tense without sticking out and do not hold your breath. Do 12 reps, each with a movement to the right and left.

Barbell Press Exercise

While holding a dumbbell or barbell in front of your thighs, spread your legs hip-width apart and tighten your abs. Bend over, the weight should be close to your feet. Bring it down to the middle of your lower leg. Keep your legs straight, but not pinched. Rise to the starting position (press tense). Repeat the exercise 12 times.

Exercises for the press and stretching the back

Take a prone position, hands are behind your back, with your hands, grasp your head slightly. Tear off upper part body from the ground a few centimeters, keeping the head and neck in line. To increase the effectiveness of the exercise, lift your legs off the ground, keeping them straight (the knees should not be brought together), freeze in this position for 2 to 4 counts, lower them. Do 12 reps.

The exercises listed are - The best way how to pump up the press to cubes in a week at home. But a lot depends on the regularity of training.