Prospective Student FAQ
The most frequently asked questions & our best advice for you.
I feel discomfort/pain/soreness during the movement... Is this normal?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the Back Anchor (hooklying) position is very safe and will not cause damage. Breathing and gently connecting your rib cage to the floor is a natural part of human development. With the floor supporting your spine underneath, it provides a barrier protecting you from unsafe positions.
Ask yourself: "What type of pain?"
1. If it's dull, achy soreness/stiffness in your back muscles or tenderness on your rib cage, that's okay.
It may have been awhile since you've engaged your muscles this way, or brought your rib cage down, or even gotten down on a firm surface like the floor. Your body needs time to adapt, and tolerance will go up with practice.
2. If it's sharp or intense, there are a few possibilities depending on the location and type of pain (spine/pelvis/SI joint, nerve/electrical, etc.). Regardless of the type of pain, my recommendation is the same. Here's my best advice:
Turn down the intensity until your body gets more comfortable with this activity.
Too much intensity is the most common reason for pain. Not only that, it bypasses the deep (stability) muscles and engages the surface (power) muscles - reinforcing the root cause of the problem. In this early stage, you'll get the MOST benefits at a very low intensity.
I know you're excited to feel benefits and your high intensity effort is a reflection of that, but this program is a long-term strategy to back pain. Turn it down. This is just an introduction to a way of connecting to your core/body that will last you a lifetime. There's plenty of time to experience the benefits (lifetime).
My most important message: Listen to Your Body
This is a major theme of this program, and the MOST VALUABLE skill you can develop to get out of the cycle of pain.
Pain is communication.
Everyone's situation is unique. If your back/body is not comfortable doing something, it will tell you through pain or discomfort, and you are the ONLY ONE who can hear it. Not even the best doctor in the world can feel the type of pain for you. The best thing you can do is develop the skill of interpreting it and responding appropriately.
Not all pain is bad. Think about getting out of the car after a long road trip... Those initial movements can be painful, but they're actually good for you. It's your job to determine if it's "good pain" (eg. stiffness from lack of movement) or "bad pain" (eg. intense, sharp, electrical). Your intuition is the greatest tool for this.
If it's bad pain, my recommendation is to back off to where it is comfortable and DO NOT push through it. Turn down the intensity and practice right below your pain threshold, where it's comfortable. Listening to your body is a guiding principle throughout this program. Only continue progressing through the movements if your body is communicating that it's ready.
(Note: Your body communicates good feelings (relief), just like it communicates bad feelings (pain). These good feelings should be interpreted as a sign from your body that what you're doing is working. Respond by doing MORE of what's working!)
Q: "What If I'm getting electrical/nerve pain"
This is likely the exacerbation of an existing disc/nerve irritation, which can cause anything from tingling to shooting, or even burning. While the Back Anchor connection is a very safe movement, your body is communicating that it's not ready for this right now... and that's okay.
As general advice (for any exercise), I recommend backing off to the point where the symptom doesn't occur next time.
If you are in the middle of a flare up, you might need to give your body extra time for things to calm down. In the meantime, focus on your breathing, do what you can tolerate, and reflect:
What can I learn from this experience that I can apply next time? You'll then have a guideline for how to progress your threshold of tolerance (gradually, over time). This is how to sharpen the skill of listening to your body.
Your goal is to work your way up to tolerating the activity, and you can do this by working right up to your edge, just before the pain occurs. This pushes the edge of your tolerance further into more tolerance/resilience with that movement. This is a long term strategy that requires listening to your body, and going at your own pace through any new movement (throughout the program).
In conclusion, if you can't tolerate an exercise right now, it only means your body is not ready at the moment. Try again when you're ready, with more information from your reflection. Turn down the intensity to tolerable levels, and build up your tolerance over time.
Live Stream Q&A:
Q: When I go all the way down, it strains my back. Is it okay if I only go 20% of the way down?
A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO6nkewJRu0&t=5474s
Q: Is it normal to feel tired holding this position?
A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO6nkewJRu0&t=2489s
Q: As I started to lower my ribcage, a “problem spot” in my right mid-lower back flared up for a moment and then went away.
A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzDBWNWKAxQ&t=2779s
Q: Is it common to have soreness in the back after doing this? A few hours later now my back actually feels better than it did before the exercise.
A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CsBM5vsOSs&t=2788s
Q: Initially I had cramping in my hamstrings! Have to extend legs for a bit then resume posture. What's happening with the cramping?
I'm sore after doing this... Have I overdone it?
(Note: I'm sharing this early on, in hopes that it prevents you from overdoing it.)
Possibly. Normally, I would expect you to feel better after doing any of the exercises in this program. However, this is not always the case.
There is a type of muscle soreness called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) that occurs normally after a good workout and subsides over the next couple days. This is okay.
If your soreness is not DOMS, but is instead an exacerbation of something else (specific to your lower back, non-muscular or severe pain) then you should listen to this and adjust your approach.
The exercises in this program are inherently safe, but there are variables in your approach that can lead them to cause aggravation. These include your intensity, the frequency at which you perform them, and your method or technique. All of these should be reflected on, and considered to be adjusted.
As the Back Anchor progresses into performing the bridge, this comes with the responsibility to listen to your body. If you experience pain with the next step in any progression, the best thing you can do is back off. Your body's communication should be your #1 guide throughout this whole process.
Once you are confident with the movement, that's your cue to move forward.
If you performed an exercise that has caused you discomfort, it is not recommended that you continue performing it the same way. You must change something about your intensity, frequency, or even method. Your body is the guide and when it is sending you negative signals, they are not to be "pushed through". If you have gotten to the point where you are too sore to get off the couch, this is likely your body sending you an even stronger message.
When we push through pain we risk experiencing a setback, which is our body forcing us to stop.
The good thing is that setbacks are learning opportunities, and the most important thing about them is how you respond. With any setback, the best thing you can do is take some time to let your body recover and reflect on what led to this response. When you're ready, it's always best to go back to the basics (Back Anchor Awareness), applying what you learned from the setback.
"It doesn't matter how many times you fall - it matters how many times you get back up." - Lilly Singh
Wherever you're at in your back pain journey, the goal is to make slow, gradual progress over time. Even 1% improvements are significant over a long enough time span.
Challenge your current tolerance/ability to progress towards the goal.
Stay connected,
Dr. Ryan Peebles, DPT
