Hi! - new to forum and i have a Q re: sideplank

[Scoobee]

Hi!

I am new to this forum and thought I'd introduce myself before asking a question. My name is Eric, Scooby is a family nickname. I live in Florida. I am 43 and just finished a major remodel on my house that allowed me to have a fitness room. (and a wicked ManCave!) My 14 yr old son is very interested (for football training) and his 12 yr old brother and 9 yr old sister are showing some interest. I am active at another forum dedicated to home theater and have been for years. I hope to be just as active here over the next few years.

I am 5' 11 and weigh 210. I have a desk-job. I have two goals; One is to gain enough muscle mass so that I don't have to diet. Two is to relieve myself from back pain that I experience when I have been on my feet for too long. My back often hurts at the end of the day or the middle of the second day when I take my family to Disney or Universal. (seldom at home) My Dr. says I have a very slight amount of scoliosis, which isn't uncommon for men my age. He doubts my back pain is related to that.

I tried running for fitness, but I live in a rural Florida area and literally got chased off by deer flies... So I built a fitness room... I recently acquired a Nordic-track ACT Elliptical for cardio. I also have a bench/rack with free-weights.

I have decided to work my core muscles for a few weeks before I start strength training. Today, when I was doing the right side plank I felt the same back pain I get when I have been on my feet too long almost immediately. I didn't have any problem with the left plank or other exercises - only the right plank. The pain wasn't intense and stopped as soon as the exercise did.

I Googled 'back pain' and 'side plank' and saw it is proscribed primarily as a solution, not as an irritant. My question is - was the pain a notice that I had isolated the weak muscles and should continue working them - or is it a warning to stop? If it is a warning to stop - then what do I do now?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

-E

[Bostongeorge617]

One is to gain enough muscle mass so that I don't have to diet.

My question is - was the pain a notice that I had isolated the weak muscles and should continue working them - or is it a warning to stop? If it is a warning to stop - then what do I do now?

The first quote is incorrect. But I think you are looking at the word 'diet' in a narrow way. Diet translates to many as eating salads and starving themselves. To me, diet simply means using food to further your goals. When I am eating crazy calories to put on weight rapidly, I consider that dieting too. To gain any appreciable results from physical fitness, diet should always be given top priority, even above exercise.

Secondly, when you exeprience pain performing an exercise, do not push through it. Your body is warning you, and if you ignore those warnings, you will likely give yourself a longer-lasting injury.

Any further advice considering your pain should come from your doctor.

Lastly, you may want to try 'barbell good mornings' with light weight. Search for it on Youtube. I'd link the video, but I'm at work and can't go to youtube anymore, fml.

[400Lb Gorilla]

I agree with George. While you MAY be hitting a weaker muscle you don't want to mess with something like your low back if you are new to lifting and have pain during that exercise. Let your doc know when and where it hurt and whag you were doing when it started. That may be a clue he can use to help diagnose any underlying problems if there are any.

[Scoobee]

Cool, thanks guys. I just had my physical yesterday too. Figures. I think I will continue with 'revving' up my core muscles and just avoid that excesize for a week. We'll see if I still experience it once my core muscles have a chance to 'wake up'. If it still hurts then I'll call my doc. I hesitate a bit because I worry he will see it as a profit center and take a bunch of xrays and other stuff only to say "no problem!"

[Scoobee]

Just a status update - It seems to be a little of both bad form as well as very weak core muscles. I've been watching my form closer and the pain has decreased dramatically. I do 'feel' it though for the rest of the day. Sort of a stiffness not-quite-sore. I am doing plank, side-plank (both sides), back bridge, bird dog. I do five reps at about :30 ea. Then I use the elliptical for a while. I've been keeping the elliptical short as I get used to the new motion (used to jog alot but this is new) but so far my body is not having any difficult adjustment to the motion.

My plan is to do strength training m,t,th,f and then elliptical w,s,s = but that after get my body used to moving again. I have been sedate for too long. I am still accumulating the equipment too - having a hard time finding a used rack for a fair price.

[chazzy1864]

I'm glad George already touched on your misuse of diet. YOu can never outtrain a bad diet. THat being said, we don't merely mean fad diets. Those are a waste of time. Your daily eating, no matter what, is your diet. Get that in line and the changes will be exponentially better.

What equipment do you have so far? Building a good home gym can be a daunting task, but once you do get it all set up, it will be great. Just keep scouring ebay and craigslist.


As you continually do these exercises, the stiffness/general fatigue and soreness should decrease as your body adapts to the exercises and workload. Once you really dive into weight training, you'll deal with it again. As long as it isn't actually pain, just persevere and push through it.

[Scoobee]

Thanks Chazzy/ I should have clarified - when I referred to diet I intended it as intake of food - not fad crap. I eat a well balanced diet - I just like to eat alot. I eat the same amounts I ate in college, but I am not nearly as active (or young) as I once was. Soo......

I am accumulating a full set of dumbbells - a pair at a time. I have a curl bar too. I am holding off on getting too many/much Olympic weights and an Olympic bar until after I get a safety rack. Same goes for the bench. This is because I have a 12yr old and a 14 yr old son and I worry they will overestimate themselves when alone.

So for now I am not accumulating anything until I find a rack.

[chazzy1864]

Good stuff, makes sense.

You might also want to look into adjustable dumbbells. They are generally more economical than buying each pairs of dumbbells adding up to them. Not all are as good of quality as others though. Like the Bowflex ones are very cheap build quality and feel clunky. They do not lock into place like the commercial shows.

I had some "Gold's Gym" ones that looked like this:


They were adjustable from 10-50lbs. Got them w/ the stand for $200. Right next to them, was an identical pair, just with a "Weirder International" label on them, and they were $320. Then the bowflex style was like $350 next to both of them.

I've heard good things about powerblocks, but have never used them myself.