A lot of people asking what I am doing with my training, especially from those who know I had my own back injury 4 years ago (L3/L4, L4/L5, L5/S1 bulges with around 60% of disc height lost at L5/S1).
My main goal this year was to get strong. So for me, that mean hitting a 1.5 x bodyweight squat with good form and without hurting my lower back.
I generally sit at 100kg, so 150kg by the end of the year is my goal. This past week, I hit 140kg, so I am well on my way!
Truth be told, I have avoided squats since my injury, with the misguided belief that a heavy weight would make my back worse.
The reality is that, with the focus being on improving my technique, as my squat numbers have climbed, my back has gotten stronger than ever!
Which has reinforced my new belief, that the path to building a pain free back is the same as the one that leads you to build a stronger one.
Evidence from Dr Andrew Lock
Adding to this, one of the few people I really look up in the industry, Dr Andrew Lock, put up a great article on the importance of getting stronger to rid yourself of lower back pain.
Its a great read and well worth your time if you are interested in the mechanics of lower back pain:
Hitting the 140kg Squat