Low back pain after snow shoveling

I was on vacation for the winter holidays, mostly just relaxing and not doing any serious fitness training. I returned home to find snow covering the sidewalk and driveway in front of my house. Thus my first workout of 2025 was shoveling snow.

The next day I had a dental appointment. I didn't notice any issue with my low back until it was time to get up from the chair that I was sitting and lying on for the dentaal cleaning and examination. At that very moment, the low back felt like even the slightest flex of the spine would cause pain. Getting up from the chair felt and looked awkward because I was going out of my way to not allow spinal flexion as I stood up. The low back gradually felt better as the day progressed.

The next day after that saw more snowfall, and thus more snow to shovel. My neighbor and I worked together to clear ice and snow from the previous snowstorm on the street, to make it easier to park in front of our houses. I made the classic mistake of shoveling blocks of ice that were too heavy to be safe for my low back. I eventually started picking up or even deadlifting the ice blocks but I think the damage to the low back was already done. I didn't feel much pain during the shoveling session itself. The low back soreness came the following day.

Today was supposed to be the start of my modified IsoMax 6x6 program. I did the Supine position exercises from P3 Protocol to warm up, then began IsoMax training. Zercher Lunge was more uncomfortable than normal due to the sore lower back, so I quickly gave up on it. Overhead Press was ok until I applied more force, then the low back started to feel irritated. Drag Curl was more forgiving but there was still risk of low back irritation. I finished with the remaining positions from my current level in P3 Protocol.

Thus, I don't feel comfortable working IsoMax 6x6 this week. How did this happen to my low back? I think it was the combination of not exercising during the couple of weeks I was on vacation; and the load imposed on the low back by lifting snow and ice with a shovel.d

Until my low back feels better, my fitness sessions will be from Geoff Neupert's Sore Joint Solution, which is his flagship program implementing P3 Protocol. Practcing P3 Protocol should restore the motor control for protecting my low back and preventing other injuries caused by movement compensations. The Side Lying exercises are particularly beneficial for low back rehab. The Dead Bug exercise should improve reflexive core stability for protecting the back.

After the low back starts feeling good again, I could try my IsoMax 6x6 program. Another option is to take up kettlebell training again, with emphasis on preparing for Maximorum Master training. If I take up this second option, I'll probably program my KB workout as 2 15-minute sessions with a 5-min. rest period between. The first session would be practicing single 20kg KB clean and press. The 2nd session would be squatting practice, starting with single 20kg front squat and progressing to double 20kg front squat. One goal would be to increase my single 20kg C+P rep max from the previously tested 3 reps to at least 5 reps, then achieving 5 reps of double 20kg C+P. By training with these 2 sessions per workout, I should be able to progress in my C+P and my squatting at the same time. Once I achieve double 20kg front squat, I should be ready to start working towards a 5-rep max in the double 20kg C+P

Today's Music Discoveries

Akiko Yano concert with guest musicians Naná Vasconcelos and Bill Frisell. One of the many pleasant surprises is a cover of "It's For You" from the As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls album by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, with Vasconcelos on percussion and vocals.

Readiness for Snatch and Double Front Squat with heavier Kettlebells

I'mn about to start a minimum 6-week block of isometric strength training on the IsoMax. After that I'm planning to do a Maximorum Master kettlebell training block

I tested my Clean and Press repetition max with single 20kg KB. My rep max here turned out to be 3. I'm confident my rep max will improve to at least 5 by the end of the IsoMax block.

After testing my C+P rep max, I tested my snatch rep max with a 16kg KB and was able to do 10 reps with each arm. Maximorum Master recommends a 10-rep max weight for the snatch sessions. I'd been thinking of testing my snatch rep max with the 20kg on some date closer to the start of the Maximorum Master block, simply by attempting to snatch the 20kg and count how many times I can do that. But then I saw Geoff Neupert's video. Here he recommends a more thorough assessment of readiness for snatch with a heavier KB:

The prequisites for KB snatch at a particular weight are being able to do the following movements with that weight:

• 1-arm swing - 10 sets x 10 reps
• Turkish get up - 10 sets x 1 rep in 15 minutes or less
• Single KB C+P - 10 sets x 5 reps

I'm already able to do 16kg KB snatch for 10 reps. I'm confident I can still pass the 1st and 3rd prerequisites. I just finished Easy Muscle A with double 16kg KBs so I know I can pass the 3rd prequisite. I'm not sure about the 2nd, although I've started practicing the TGU again with an 8kg and will eventually work back up to 16kg TGU.

The video also has guidelines for progressing to front squat with heavier KBs. I know I can do goblet squat with single 24kg KB, having done it a lot under Easy Muscle B last year, so I can skip the goblet squat step with the 20kg. Anyway, this is the progression towards double KB front squat:

1. Goblet squat - 5 sets x 10 reps
2. Single KB front squat - 5 sets x 10 reps

I'm thinking of starting my single KB front squat training with 5 sets of 5 reps with a 20kg KB. Each week, I'll add a rep to each set. So in about 6 weeks I will have progressed to 5x10 reps. Then I can progress to double 20kg front squats, and thus be in good shape for testing double 20kg C+P since the double front squat training should shore up any lower body defiences in the double KB C+P

I do plan to test my C+P rep max with double 20kg KBs before starting Maximorum Master. I think the rep max will be at least 5. But in the unlikely event the rep max turns out to be 10, I'll reconsider choice of weights for this program.

2024 Fitness in Review

January-April: Kettlebell ICT block

Kettlebell ICT is a program under development by Geoff Neupert. Customers who had previously purchased Neupert's fitness programs were invited to beta test Kettlebell ICT for $9 so I decided to take the offer. The objective of the program is to reduce bodyfat while maintaining or even increasing strength at the same time. At the time I'd just recovered from my latest low back injury, so I had to make conservative weight choices for the snatch, goblet squat, and row. Even with the lighter than normal KB weights, I still lost 5 lbs. bodyweight, lost 3/4" off my waist, and gained overhead pressing strength. Honestly, I don't enjoy pushing my endurance as hard as this program demands, so I'm not sure when I'll do KB ICT again. The most likely occasion in which I'd do it again is after I'd just completed an isometric 6x6 block, and my double KB C+P rep max that is way over 10 for Easy Muscle, but can't do close to 5 reps with double KBs at the next weight up.

April-May: IsoMax 6x6 block

Best results were in the Overhead Press, which improved from around 103lbs to around 130lbs. Gains in the Zercher Lunge and Bicep Curl were more modest. The bar was set too low for the Zercher Lunge, which resulted in time and effort being wasted trying to squeeze myself under the bar and set up the body for productive training. The effort resulted in some unusual hip/glute soreness. Setting the bar one slot higher shifted the load more to the quadriceps, so the effort was spread more evenly betwen the thigh and hip/glute. The bar may have also been one slot too low for the Bicep Curl, as the abs were working much harder than the biceps.

May-July: Easy Muscle Schedule B block

I chose Schedule B with single 24kg KB Clean + Push Press and Goblet Squat. I thought I didn't have the mobility to press double KBs without irritating my shoulders so I chose to go with single KB. Also, I was really curious if push pressing the 24kg KB under this schedule would stimulate enough strength/muscle gains to press the 24kg KB outright after the end of the block. The answer was no. I still gained 0.5" in arm circumference from this block. Perhaps if I had higher rep maxes in the dips and pullups, I could have put in more volume on the calisthenics days and got more muscle gains.

The biggest mistake in this training block: Goblet squats with the 24kg KB held bottoms up. This caused damage to the elbows which would take months to recover from. Another mistake was not testing my double 16kg C+P rep max at the end of the IsoMax block. The test would have told me whether I had the mobility for double C+P in the first place. Then I would have at least considered the option of doing the block on Schedule A with double 16kg KBs. Another mistake was doing goblet squats with the 24kg KB held bottoms up - this resulted in golfer's elbow like soreness. Yet another mistake was going overboard with shoulder dislocates with resistance band and stick, which irritated my left shoulder.

At the end of this block, I tested my double 16kg C+P rep max. I did 7 reps safely, and could have done an 8th rep, but my lower body was fatigued enough that I didn't want to risk an accident. So my rep max was 8.

July-August: Chest Expander block

Because of how the shoulder and elbows were feeling, in addition to hearing about the new Rollon chest expander model, I decided to do a chest expander block, hoping this training would help my shoulder and elbows feel better. I did assisted pistol squats with rings on the in-between days to work my lower body. I observed strength gains in Overhand Vertical Pullapart, Back Press, and Sideways Extension, as measured by number of springs. This was probably carryover from the muscle and strength gains from the Easy Muscle block. I did not test my strength on the IsoMax to see if there was any carryover from the chest expander strengh gains. The reason is, towards the end of the Chest Expander training block, I suddently remembered I was only able to do 8 reps of double 16kg Clean + Press when I tested my rep max in that movement in late July. That experience let me know my lower body was lagging behind my upper body on the quest to progress to double KB C+P at weights heavier than double 16kg. That in turn led to my conclusion that doing sets of assisted pistol squats twice a week was probably not going to improve my lower body strength and conditioning as effectively as double 16kg KB cleans and squat as least twice a week. Thus I consider the chest expander experiment, this time around, to be an incomplete test.

Late August: Forced time off

COVID-19 forced a two-week pause in training - about a week of rest, then a week of P3 mobility and light KB suitcase carries because the inactivity had left my lower back vulnerable.

September: KB Strong! Foundation block

Foundation is one of the programs included in the Kettlebell Strong! anniversary bonus package. The objective is develop proficiency in 3 fundamental double KB movements - the double clean, double press, and double front squat. The idea here was to improve my double 16kg rep max from 8 to at least 10. Unfortunately, my left shoulder started slipping out of its socket by the 2nd week. I'm not sure if the cause was simply weakness of the shoulder girdle from inactivity, or wear and tear on the joint. In any case I decided to end the Foundation block and switch to IsoMax training. Overcoming isometrics has been a reliable way to train while easing joint pain at the same time.

September-October: IsoMax 6x6 block

Whenever I added muscle via a hypertrophy training block before starting a 6x6 block, I've enjoyed the best strength gains - as much as 30% increase in force output. However, before this particular 6x6 block, I did not add muscle muscle mass, and in fact may have lost muscle mass back in August when I was sick with COVID-19. Thus I wasn't expecting significant strength gains. What I could expect from this block, at best, was improvement in how my joints feel. I'd thought about putting in at least 6 weeks of 6x6, but at the end of the 4th week, I retested my double 16kg kettlebell Clean+Press repetition max on a whim. The left shoulder not feeling like it'd slip out of its socket made me feel confident enough to attempt another double KB C+P based training block. By the end of this block, I observed minimal gains in my overhead press and Zercher lunge. I started feeling uncomfortable tingling sensations during my reverse curl reps, so I eventually switched to drag curl. I was just trying to pull with as much force as I could without irritating the elbows. No gains of note there.

October-December: Easy Muscle Schedule A block

My double 16kg KB clean + press rep max was still 7, short of the recommended 10. I felt however I could get away with it because I wouldn't be asked to do 7-rep sets for the first 4 weeks of Easy Muscle A. I figured 4 weeks was sufficient time to improve my strength and conditioning enough to handle the 7-rep sets starting week 5. It worked out pretty well for me. By the end of this block, the circumference of my arms were back to where they were in July. I tested my overhead press 1-rep max on the IsoMax and scored about 120 lbs. which is quite an improvement from my tested 107 lb. 1-rep max back in September. My Zercher lunge 1-rep max went up about 8 lbs. despite double KB C+P being the only exercise working the legs for this Easy Muscle A block. My drag curl 1-rep max was a more modest 91 lbs. but being able to pull with that much force without irritating the elbows is pretty good for me.

In summary, a training block focusing on double KB Clean + Press for building muscle (hypertrophy), followed by a training block focusing on overcoming isometrics on the IsoMax for increasing force output (strength), followed by another double KB focused block, and so on; continued in 2024 to be an effective strategy for progressing in strength and muscle development. There might be a better time to do clean + push press with a 24kg KB but this year was not the year. This was also not the year to train with the steel string chest expander.

Tried the Turkish Get Up for the first time in years

I practiced the Simple and Sinister kettlebell exercise program from February 24, 2019 to May 27, 2020. There are only 2 exercises in the program – the Swing and the Turkish Get Up. Looking back, I can’t believe I stuck with S & S for 15 months. What finally made me stop doing it was knee pain from allowing the bent knee to collapse too much while the foot remained in place on the rug I was using.

I bought both the original Kettlebell Simple & Sinister book, and the revised edition, aka S&S 2.0. Both books promised strength gains from practicing the Turkish Get Up. The 2.0 book attempted to present a more detailed plan for progressing to heavier kettlebell weights but I found that plan difficult to comprehend. In any case, I began S&S not being able to do the full TGU movement, due to lack of experience and understanding of the body mechanics, and frankly lack of strength as well. Even attempting the movement with just a shoe balanced on my fist was difficult. By the time I stopped S&S training, I was able to do the full movement with the 16kg KB, and just getting started with working the supine to either the elbow-supported position or to the tall sitting position with a 24kg KB.

My knee pain eventually subsided, and felt healthy enough for the resumption of TGU practice. However I did not feel that 15 months of practicing the TGU delivered satisfactory strength gains, so I dropped the TGU from my fitness lifestyle altogether.

Since I've been thinking of doing the Maximorum Master program in the near future, I was checking out some videos on Geoff Neupert's channel in which he talks about the KB snatch, and in one of those videos he recommended the TGU as one of the exercises to practice before learning the snatch. In this other video, he covers 11 benefits of the TGU. He also mentions how P3 method (implemented in the Sore Joint Solution program) improved his TGU and that he does TGU on his active recovery days.

Thus Neupert's shoulder "mo-stability" argument sold me on doing the TGU again, as an exercise to do on active recovery days rather than a main strength exercise. But what really sealed the deal was discovering a TGU variation that would allow me to practice the TGU on my living room floor, without having to use a rug or the interlocking foam tiles which I originally got for TGU practice, but found they do take some time to put togoether. This variation is taught by Zach Henderson. The big change compared to how I learned it from the S&S book, is replacing the windshield wiper move of the rear leg, with a stop of the front leg. This really reduces the pressure on the rear knee, and as Henderson states, allows greater control of positioning of the front foot for the lunge position.

I tried this TGU version with empty hand first, then with an 8kg KB. The right side will take more practice but I didn't expect to perfect this newer version right away. I look forward to routinely practicing this TGU on my active recovery days.

Easy Muscle A Results

Week 8, which was the final week of Easy Muscle Schedule A, went fine. I was able to do 7 sets on the 7-rep day, which is a good improvement from only managing 5 sets due to needing so much rest time between sets

The circumference of my arms increased back to around 13", which was their size before I went down with COVID.

Results from IsoMax testing under the 1-rep Max protocol from The Ultimate Isometrics Manual, compared to 1-rep Max tests in September 2024:

• Zercher Lunge - 78.93, up from 71.53
• Overhead Press - 120.867, up from 107.53
• Curl - 91.2. Tested reverse curl instead of curl back in Sept.

I typically do 1-rep Max protocol tests at the start of an IsoMax 6x6 training block, so some of the strength gain were from 6x6 training. Double Kettlebell Clean + Press only training did not result in a loss of leg strength, which is a typical concern expressed by people who have not done it before, let alone tested leg strength before and after.

As expected of double C+P only training, the biggest strength gain was in the overhead press. I did not get anywhere close to 120 lbs. during the previous 6x6 block, so a lot of the gains came from the Easy Muscle A block. Adding muscle mass helped, but frequent practice of the movement has been known to increase strength as well.

I then tested my C+P rep max with a 20kg KB. I thought about testing with double 20kg KBs but I didn't feel confident in my double clean technique with these heavier KBs. I was able to do 3 reps with the left arm. I did 3 with the right arm, then put the KB down, since my double C+P performance is only as good as my left arm's performance. I had feared I wouldn't be able to press the 20kg at all, so I was feeling pretty good about being able to press it for 3 reps with each arm, and that gave me the confidence to try a double clean with the 20kgs. After taking a minute or two to rest, I attempted a double clean and immediately failed to land both KBs in the rack. I then took another break, shaking my body in Fast And Loose style, then attempted another double clean, just time landing both KBs in the rack. I did one more double clean to build confidence, before putting the KBs away.

I then tested my snatch rep max with a 16kg KB. The Maximorum Master program recommends a 10 rep max weight for the snatch sessions. I did 10 with my left arm then put it down. I could have done 1 or 2 more reps but I was satisfied with the 16kg as the weight of choice for the snatch sessions. I then did 10 reps with the right arm just to check.

My next training block will be a 6x6 IsoMax block focusing on strength, trying a modified 6x6 protocol that steals the triple wave concept from Giant X1. Instead of waving reps, I'll be waving the load. I'm very confident that at the end of this block, I will have gained the strength to C+P double 20kg KBs for 5 reps. Maximorum Master recommends a 5-rep max load for the double KB sessions.

For the next training block after 6x6 IsoMax, which as usual I'd been pondering Easy Muscle B vs. Maximorum Master. Both programs recommend a 5 rep max weight.

Pros in favor of Easy Muscle B are the 8-week duration vs. the 12-week duraction of Maximorum Master and the opportunities to practice chin-ups and dips with eventual progression to weighted versions of those movements. OTOH, watching Geoff Neupert's video on chin-ups and pondering it afterwards got me thinking that another multi-week training block with lots of pull-ups might set back my elbow health even more. When I did Easy Muscle B earlier this year, I chose pull-ups as my calisthenic pulling exercise although the manual actually recommends chin-ups, because my elbows felt uncomfortable when I attempted a chin-up. During the 8 weeks of Easy Muscle B, my elbows felt fine. I used the spiraling force technique taught in this Red Delta Project video, which has a bonus of increasing bicep activation. My forearms however started getting more and more sore from the goblet squats with the 24kg KB in bottoms up position. It was after completiion fo the Easy Muscle B block that I noticed elbow pain when I attempted a bicep curl on my chest expander. I'd blamed the bottoms-up KB goblet squat for the elbow pain, but according to Neupert, all those pull-ups, with of course the palms in pronation, may have built up less tolerance for supinated pulling too. Thus it may not be worth spending more time on pull-ups without regaining pain-free chin-ups. But if I can't do pain-free chin-ups yet, then attempting Easy Muscle B won't make any sense.

Thus, I'm leaning towards Maximorum Master, which is an all-KB, no calisthenics program. As Neupert suggested in his video, I'll practice chin-ups on rings, starting with sets of 2 reps, on the days I practice the double C+P, probably in the afternoons. At present, starting the chin-up with a neutral grip at the bottom, and pulling the rings into supinated grip at the top, feels fine.

Geoff Neupert on Chin-Ups and Elbow Pain

My post on Easy Muscle Week 5 was rejected by Blogger because I linked a Geoff Neupert article on elbow pain, how to avoid it in your kettlebell training, etc. and the website was thought to have a virus. One of the takeaways was to try the supine position from his P3 mehod with palms up instead of down.

While searching for similar online resources that would not be flagged as virus infected, I found Geoff's video on chin-ups and elbow pain. He mentions Davis' Law which states that tissues model along lines of stress. Thus his argument that too much activity with pronated palms (palms facing away from you or facing down) results in your tissues being modeled for pronated palms and thus they have more difficulty with chin-ups or other activity with supinated (palms facing you or facing up). In other words, he saying chin-ups feel uncomfortable for my elbows because too much of my activity has been done with pronated palms.

He says for chin-ups to benefit your elbows instead of hurting them, you need to make sure you lower yourself all the way down - meaning your arms are fully straight.

After a kettlebell clean and press session, he recommends starting with 2-3 sets of 2-5 reps. He also recommends a thumbless grip.

If chin-ups are too tough on your elbows, he recommends training on gymnastic rings/suspension trainer or other apparartus that allows a neutral grip. The idea is to work with neutral grip until supinated grip feels more comfortable. I tried chin-ups with the Duonamic rings. Starting with neutral grip in the bottom of the movement, and pulling into supinated grip at the top felt fine for me.

Based on what Neuprt said about making sure you lower yourself all the way so that your arms are straight, I was inspired to change my dead hang practice from pronated palms to supinated palms with thumbless grip

Started doing Shoulder Dislocates again

I first learned about the Shoulder Dislocates exercise in the book Super Joints by Pavel Tsatsouline. Olympic weightlifters use this exercise to develop the mobility to hold the bar overhead with locked out arms, while squatting or lunging. The book has photos of Pavel doing it with a bungee cord. For reasons I cannot recall, I did not practice shoulder dislocates for long, and eventually forgot about the exercise.

More recently, I got Kettlebell Strong! by Geoff Neupert. There is a whole section devoted to improving overhead reaching mobility for the double kettlebell jerk. One of the recommended exercises is... the shoulder dislocates, though with a stick. So I attempted to do the exercise with a stick and could not move the arms all the way to the back with the stick touching the back. Heck, my range of motion was so limited, I got the stick barely past my head.

I then tried shoulder dislocates with the light resistance band that was shipped with the IsoMax. I was not able to do the full movement and irritated my shoulders while trying to do the movement. I was lucky to avoid injury.

I then watched the part of this video where one of the recommended variations was to start the movement with the hands in back instead of the front. The person in the video recommended using a resistance band for shoulder dislocates, if you lack the mobility to use a stick.

The video inspired me to try shoulder dislocates with the band again, starting with the hands behind me instead of in front of me. I was able to do the full movement, although I cheated by putting hands inside of the band, instead of gripping the band as shown in the video. I quickly found that to avoid tweaking my shoulders, I had to pull my hands apart and maintain that pressure throughout the movement. Pavel's advice in Super Joints to keep the chest up also helped protect the shoulder. I also found that gripping the band as shown in the video delivers a closer experience to gripping a stick for the same movement. Cheating by allowing the hands to rotate does not help prepare for practicing the movement with the stick.

I read or saw somewhere else that shoulder dislocates can be also be practiced against a wall, one arm at a time. I found this version of the exercise to be the least error prone, as all I have to do to protect the shoulder is keep the chest up and maintain the pressure of the pinky side of my palm against the wall. There is less chance of an accident from suddenly relaxing the tension on the resistance band at the worst possible angle.

My overheard reaching mobility progressed well enough this year to allow me to practice double kettlebell clean and press with both arms locking out to prevent shoulder injury. However there is still an arch to my upper back from tight lats. There may also be some other upper body tightness I'm not fully aware of. Geoff Neupert recommends shoulder dislocates as one of the exercises to improve overhead reaching. Practicing shoulder dislocates should help me continue improving this mobility.

Easy Muscle Weeks 6 and 7

Not much to report, other than steady progress, in terms of ease of effort, and rest time between sets as determined by autoregulation.

My shoulders have been holding up, with occasional irritation in the left shoulder, which seemed to be alleviated by focusing on standing up more with the arms locked out overhead. Being used to contracting the chest muscles to initiate the press also helped.

I've settled on the following cooldown exercises:

1. Lat stretches as shown in this video by Fitness FAQs. In Week 7 I switched to the hanging version using a ring.
2. Cobra pose with fingers pointing backwards - stretch wrists and extend spine
3. Standing forward fold - stretch low back and hamstrings
4. Modified pigeon pose - stretch hip rotators
5. Seated twist - more stretching for low back and T-spine
6. Frog stretch - hip flexors