Back pain SUCKS, especially if you’re trying to train BJJ. Now I’m NOT a doctor, but this is the story of how I recovered from back pain supposedly caused by a herniated disk, and I’d be very interested in hearing YOUR story in the comments too.

For more on this topic check out:
https://www.grapplearts.com/dont-take-injuries-lying-down/]
and

Fixing Bad Backs in BJJ

And download my free PDF checklist taking you through the fundamental techniques, positions, and strategies of BJJ at https://www.grapplearts.com/book

Good luck with your training and healing your injury!
Stephan Kesting

Thread The Needle

5-10 reps for 5-10 second holds

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If you’re interested in working with me for a movement assessment and a unique joint mobility training program that has been integral in improving the joint health, strength, and mobility of my clients and myself, reach out at jiujitsutherapist@gmail.com to set up a free call.

***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/
Code 20off will get you 20% off your purchase

Song Code: 3HAERLACTVTEEE7A

Lower Trunk Rotations

Perform 5-10 reps for 5-10 second holds

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If you’re interested in working with me for a movement assessment and a unique joint mobility training program that has been integral in improving the joint health, strength, and mobility of my clients and myself, reach out at jiujitsutherapist@gmail.com to set up a free call.

***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/
Code 20off will get you 20% off your purchase

Song Code: KXEJGFLFI6HBUPYB

Prayer Stretch – Upward Dog

5-10 reps for 5-10 second holds

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If you’re interested in working with me for a movement assessment and a unique joint mobility training program that has been integral in improving the joint health, strength, and mobility of my clients and myself, reach out at jiujitsutherapist@gmail.com to set up a free call.

***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/
Code 20off will get you 20% off your purchase

Song Code: 3CIRBXOCWFFOE0QU

In this video, I take you through some useful and effective exercises that I recommend to fix a tight lower back.
I also include mid back and hip stretches to provide a more effective and thorough sequence.

1. Cat-Cow 5-10 reps
2. Prayer Stretch 5-10 reps
3. Upward Facing Dog 5-10 reps
4. Thread the Needle 5-10 reps
5. Lunge Stretch 5 reps, 10-15 sec holds
6. Knees To Chest 5 reps, 10-15 sec holds
7. Lower Trunk Rotations 5-10 reps

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If you’re interested in working with me for a movement assessment and a unique joint mobility training program that has been integral in improving the joint health, strength, and mobility of my clients and myself, reach out at jiujitsutherapist@gmail.com to set up a free call.

***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/
Code 20off will get you 20% off your purchase

Song Code: QMKZIMWENQELYRUJ

00:30 – How to become a world class expert in spinal mechanics and back pain
08:04 – Studying spines in the lab and what that tells you about spines in athletes
13:56 – Disc herniations and pain
19:30 – Dr McGill’s work with Olympians and elite athletes
23:48 – The athleticism of MMA fighter George St. Pierre
29:43 – Principles for avoiding back pain injury
34:27 – The power of the neutral spine
45:12 – The advantages and dangers of developing power through spinal rotation
50:52 – How elite strikers hit so hard
54:16 – Posture and spinal position in jiu-jitsu
1:00:55 – Hip morphology and leg flexibility of great jiu-jitsu fighters
1:05:54 – Books and other resources by Dr McGill

Back pain is incredibly common in sport, including all combative sports like jiu-jitsu, MMA, boxing and judo. That is why I was thrilled to talk to Dr Stuart McGill, one of the world’s leading experts on back pain.

Dr McGill spent 30 years researching and teaching spinal mechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, written 3 textbooks, and has worked to improve sports performance with countless athletes from almost every sport.

His book, “Back Mechanic: The Step-by-Step McGill Method to Fix Back Pain” has become a classic manual for living a painfree life and “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance” is a guide for many coaches to bring their athletes up to the next level of performance while avoiding a debilitating back injury.

Injury is the enemy, and avoiding injury is the key to a long and successful athletic career, so I hope you enjoy this episode!

You can also catch my conversation with Dr McGill on episode 301 of The Strenuous Life Podcast in audio-only at the links below:

The Strenuous Life on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/strenuous-life-podcast-stephan-kesting-grapplearts/id320705565?mt=2

The Strenuous Life on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2tlc3RpbmcubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=

The Strenuous Life on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NTGdrtMZv8JcxpUBcdREx

The Strenuous Life on Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stephan-kesting/grapplearts-radio-podcast

Cheers,
Stephan Kesting

In this video I show another version of a way to decompress your spine which is a way to relieve tension and tightness in the low back area.

All you need is an exercise ball and a belt.

Hold times can vary but try 30-45 sec hold with a 15-30 sec rest for about 5 minutes to start.

Here is a link to another version of this technique using a monster band and a belt:

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***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/

***If you are in the Louisville area and interested in working with me for your recovery or injury-prevention needs then head over to https://jiujitsutherapist.com or send me a message!

Offering on-line virtual consulting as well! Learn more: https://jiujitsutherapist.com/consulting

***More videos and exercise tips at https://jiujitsutherapist.com

***Check me out on The Chewjitsu Podcast with my co-host, BJJ Black Belt Nick “Chewy” Albin of www.chewjitsu.net for some great jiu-jitsu conversation and interviews! http://chewjitsu.libsyn.com

***Support the podcast and visit our podcast sponsors “Charlotte’s Web” at https://www.charlottesweb.com/chewjitsu and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total CBD and product purchase!

Also check out some awesome Jiu-Jitsu gear at https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu at get 15% off your total purchase!

***Check out the knee braces I recommend for BJJ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D706061%26u%3D1416655%26m%3D58066%26urllink%3D%26afftrack%3D&redir_token=8Lgzsd08IwdEhtgt_HQqjdYACLR8MTU0MjMyNTY2N0AxNTQyMjM5MjY3&v=uDTBbV-9vIc&event=video_description

If you get tension, tightness, or pain in the low back whether its from a tough training session, lots of sitting, or even if you have a demanding standing job, then you ay benefit from this technique.

I received a question about how to relieve low back tightness after BJJ class which inspired this video…and if you are someone that doesn’t have a bunch of equipment then this is perfect.

Spinal decompression simply creates a little pressure relief in the spine which can alleviate the feeling of tightness or tension in the low back and the surrounding muscles.

I recommend using a monster band (thick rubber band) around the hips and in this video I used my belt to anchor the band to the wall.

Hold times for the exercise can be 3-5 minutes for 1-2 sets.

This is best performed as a cool down or on a recovery day.

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***Check out my hip course and warm-up series available now at https://www.grapplingrx.com/

***If you are in the Louisville area and interested in working with me for your recovery or injury-prevention needs then head over to https://jiujitsutherapist.com or send me a message!

Offering on-line virtual consulting as well! Learn more: https://jiujitsutherapist.com/consulting

***More videos and exercise tips at https://jiujitsutherapist.com

***Check me out on The Chewjitsu Podcast with my co-host, BJJ Black Belt Nick “Chewy” Albin of www.chewjitsu.net for some great jiu-jitsu conversation and interviews! http://chewjitsu.libsyn.com

***Support the podcast and visit our podcast sponsors “Charlotte’s Web” at https://www.charlottesweb.com/chewjitsu and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total CBD and product purchase!

Also check out some awesome Jiu-Jitsu gear at https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu at get 15% off your total purchase!

***Check out the knee braces I recommend for BJJ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D706061%26u%3D1416655%26m%3D58066%26urllink%3D%26afftrack%3D&redir_token=8Lgzsd08IwdEhtgt_HQqjdYACLR8MTU0MjMyNTY2N0AxNTQyMjM5MjY3&v=uDTBbV-9vIc&event=video_description