“I am 24 years old but my back pain is 65 years old” (and why the bridge isn’t necessarily the best solution for back pain either)
- It's a pandemic, a real one...

Obesity, feeling unwell (right down to kids – little kids that have more health problems than the adults that have parented them, although the adults are by no means exempt either), the tomfoolery going on everywhere, the laziness, back pain – shoulder pain – constant whining about everything – I wonder sometimes, often, what have we as a society come to.

“I am 24 years old but my back pain is 65 years old” accompanied by the usual low energy BS (and of course, a complete unwillingness to invest in the products that will help her, just a willingness to bitch up and down which resolves F all) …

And she ain’t the only one either (it’s some college chick messaging me about this).

Not the 20 year old college chick I recently blocked again – like I’ve blocked three of her numbers, she recently got a fourth to pester me.

“Nandini, just why dont you RESPOND if you want to talk”

Nah, it’s more of the “Hello!” and then crickets. I’ve written about this before, they’re basically morons wanting to be “entertained” for free under the guise of conversation where YOU make all the talk, they listen, and may chip in with a comment or two “while doing something else”, usually while doing something else – these sort of people are pathetic, it ain’t women alone either, a former friend of mine “Ricky” was the exact same way.

Ugh.

In the past I gave these people a chance, now, it’s BLOCK instantly.

I don’t want them anywhere near me (admittedly I gave the girl another chance, but I blocked her again last night, but anyway)…

… this ain’t people in that regard, or her, it’s about the real pandemic.

Back pain, ill health, disease etc – and lets focus on the first – back pain -which most people equate to lower back pain and rightly so, since that seems to be what most people are afflicted with – lower back pain – and weak hips etc.

But back pain is far more complex than that, friend.

Upper back and mid back pain is more common than you’d think, and weakness in ONE area extends to the other.

Posture – throughout the day – has a lot to do with this, most people dont realize that simply walking upright, sucking the gut in (admittedly a Herculean task for many people due to the sheer size of the gut) – and losing weight – goes a long way towards solving a lot of back pain issues, and health problems in general.

In the past I’d bring out the bridge as the #1 exercise to resolve this, many gurus do, but I no longer do this.

Why – because the bridge while an excellent exercise, and one you should do daily, be damn good at – overlooks many things.

First off, most people think about the back bridge when it comes to bridging, but the FRONT bridge is equally important.

For years, I’ve had weak hamstrings that wouldn’t allow me to bend forwards properly, but get me into a back bridge, I’d stay there all day long.

I’ve never had back pain, but this weakeness translated over to poor performance in other exercises – like the split, or other forward bends – equally important!

Then you have UPPER back issues – which in my opinion – the pull-up – and club/mace/kettlebell work done right are some of the best things you can do for your back.

Massages are great too – but they dont fix the underlying health issues, my friend.

Then, you have the “best darn exercise”

Admittedly one HELL of an exercise and workout that one is, try doing 250 in a row and then tell me how you feel “the best I’ve ever felt” people have reported back telling me, and they’re right, it makes you feel “out of this world” in  a manner nothing else nigh can.

But even that – MOST of the variants – focus on the lower back heavily, its only when you get to one of the variants in the book “oft ignored” – the heels FLAT variant – that you really start getting someplace ab wise. (not to say you wont if you do it the other way, but to truly go to the next level) …

Anyway – the solution to all this?

A proper exercise regimen.

Be less lazy, eat less, work out more, be tough mentally.

Proper posture throughout the day.

Avoid “deep couches” like the plague (literally, I feel strange when I sit in them) – and back support in car seats etc.

LOTS of pull-ups – LOTS Of club – kettle bell work (Lumberjack Lodestone Fitness, now thats one you really need to reserve NOW) – and of course, do a lot of heavy duty squatting and hamstring/hip work as well (Squat 101, Isometric and Flexibility Training – the Compilation).

Do all of this right, back pain will be a thing of the past – and YES, focus on BOTH the front bridge and the back bridge equally, they’re both superlative exercises, but most focus way too much on the latter and not the former.

And thats that.

Back soon!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

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