Heatonminded

Strength Sports and Strength Supplements

How To Fix Low Back Pain In One Day, Part 1: Lengthen Your Hamstrings

Before you read any further it is important to know that the reason I am so very confident in talking about this topic is because:
–
  • These are the exact steps I followed to get rid of all of my own back pain.
  • All of the information included is the cumulative knowledge of 2 years of personal research on back pain, both in person and online (with sources).
  • I am a CrossFit Level 2 certified trainer with thousands of hours of coaching experience where I have personally applied this knowledge to fix clients’ back pain.

In the following posts I will discuss what 99% of your back pain is caused from and how to fix it. Each section will include pictures & examples, personal discoveries and applications, optional tools, and information from professionals.

All of the routines included in the series can be completed from the comfort of your home while watching TV.

rogue echo bike

At the end I will also include a 30 minute daily routine that you can follow to both fix and prevent future back pain.

This is a topic that I am personally passionate about and I hope this book is everything you hoped it would be.

So lets get started.

EXTREMELY TIGHT HAMSTRINGS

The first and most likely cause of your back pain is that your hamstrings are too tight. This was the #1 problem causing my back pain and releasing my hamstrings proved to be the biggest game changer in my body, bringing me relief in a single day.
–
The reason why tight muscles in your legs contribute to low back pain is because your muscles are connected and everything works together. That is why you feel most of your pain when you try to bend over.
–
When you bend over with tight legs it is as if you are tugging on a very thick, and tight rubber band and by doing that you are applying extreme amounts of tension to it, in turn causing pain somewhere in the band (your lower back).
–
For a more medical description, here is the exact explanation from TheJoint.com:
–
“Tight hamstrings will pull on the ischial tuberosities, one of the areas of your pubic bone. This tends to draw the pelvis into retroversion, which means that it tilts your pelvis back. Joints adjacent to this move in what’s called a “coupled” fashion, so when the pelvis tilts back the vertebrae in your lower back flex forward. What this all boils down to is that if your hamstrings are tight and you bend forward the flexion must come from the lumbar spine and that is not ideal. It can strain the ligaments that surround your vertebrae and also make bulging disks in your back worse. So, lengthening your hamstrings is key to moving your body as it is intended to and not putting unnecessary stress on your spine.”
–
So how do you do that?
–
rogue rubber dumbbells
Rogue Dumbbells – Only $60 for a 35lb Pair

HOW TO LENGTHEN YOUR HAMSTRINGS

The best way to lengthen and relax your hamstrings is not through stretching but in fact through a technique called Myofascial Release, which basically means mashing and rolling out your connective tissues until they loosen up and restore motion.

This is a very easy thing to do, all you need to do is roll over and sit on a relatively firm foam roller with a decent amount of pressure for about 10 minutes each leg (my favorite foam roller is the RumbleRoller, because of its spiked surface for extra tissue penetration).

To do this place the foam roller under one leg while sitting and place your other leg on top of the focus leg to apply more weight. Then roll slowly across your hamstring and when you find a really tight and tender spot, stay on that spot for around 20 breathes until you move on. Do this for your entire hamstring all the way from the back of your knee to the top of your butt. It should take 10 minutes per leg.

EXAMPLE:

I also suggest doing this same routine for your quads and calves as well, as they sometimes may be to blame. Do this everyday if possible.
–

Check back in a couple days for Part 2 of this series where we look at lack of core strength.

–

If you found value from this post, please like Heatonminded on Facebook

2,434 responses to “How To Fix Low Back Pain In One Day, Part 1: Lengthen Your Hamstrings”