Lower Back Pain - How Long Do I Take Off

[spin]

I have been plagued with lower back pain all my life. Every year a so, I tweak my back lifting and take about 2-3 weeks off and I am back to lifting again. The doctor says i have Degenerative disc disease (ddd). I usually take about 2-3 weeks off and I am all set.

Recently, I tweaked my back from walking up the stairs. Man, I am getting old. It is not major pain, but more of an annoyance. On the scale of 1-10 it is like a 4.

My question is...I am currently in a personal competition with friends to get to bench 350 lbs first. I am a 275lbs and have been working out crazy. I weigh about 210lbs and 25% bodyfat.

Should I take off the time (2-3 weeks) or can I life light and bump up cardio? What exercises should i avoid? I would like to stay in the routine I am in. It is so hard to get back into the gym routine once you are out and things fill up that time.

Any advice would be appreicated.


Thanks in advance,
Spin

[The Raw Body]

I have been plagued with lower back pain all my life. Every year a so, I tweak my back lifting and take about 2-3 weeks off and I am back to lifting again. The doctor says i have Degenerative disc disease (ddd). I usually take about 2-3 weeks off and I am all set.

Recently, I tweaked my back from walking up the stairs. Man, I am getting old. It is not major pain, but more of an annoyance. On the scale of 1-10 it is like a 4.

My question is...I am currently in a personal competition with friends to get to bench 350 lbs first. I am a 275lbs and have been working out crazy. I weigh about 210lbs and 25% bodyfat.

Should I take off the time (2-3 weeks) or can I life light and bump up cardio? What exercises should i avoid? I would like to stay in the routine I am in. It is so hard to get back into the gym routine once you are out and things fill up that time.

Any advice would be appreicated.


Thanks in advance,
Spin

I can tell you that my own experiences with debilitating and paralyzing back problems have led me to the understanding that unless you have something that needs 'healing' then you shouldn't take time off. Rather work on improving those muscles which keep pulling you into postural distortion. If you sit a lot, that likely the hip flexors, the adductors, the hams, and glutes. The lower back needs to be strengthened but usually doesn't have a lot of potential for growth unless the aforementioned are taken care of-especially the hip flexors, adds, and hams.