5+ years of slavishly following T-mag

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

quick background: 6'2", 210#, 41 yrs old, herniated L3-4 with sciatica and bilat damaged facets around 4 mos ago
workout in my garage with power rack mainly; also have KB's and Water Rower (both on hold for now due to the agony that results after about 10 mins)
I do shift work (ER MD) and so workout days vary (as does amount of rest); I generally try to do 1 lift a day which seems to work well for me
Have started doing YRG because I'm tired of the back soreness

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

29 Jan: push jerks 232# 3x1, 242# 3x1, 252# 15x1, 242# 4x1 on 75 sec intervals

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

30 Jan: BP 205# 12x2 on 2' intervals

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

2 Feb: chins 20# 7x5,5x3 and dips 40# 8x5, alternating on 90sec ints

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

4 Feb: push jerks 233# 3x1, 243# 3x1, 253# 15x1 on 75 sec ints

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

5 Feb: BP 207.5# 15x2 on 90 sec ints

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

6 FEB: DL from #5 pin (18" off floor, I'm over 6'; if I go any lower, the back pain/sciatica is intense) 315# 15x2 on 90 sec ints

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

10 FEB: DL from #4 pin (bad idea, very sore since, I feel like -S-) 315# 15x2 on 90 sec ints
followed by BP 210# 15x2 on 90 sec ints
goal with DL's would be to reach ~500# and then gradually decrease ROM to pin #3 perhaps and then increase poundage from there

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

11 FEB: push jerks 234# 3x1, 244# 3x1, 254# 15x1, 244# 4x1 on 75 sec ints
later that night did 20' YRG basic workout from DVD

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

12 FEB: partial back squats (to #18 pin, hurt too much to go deeper) 315# 15x2 on 90 secs ints; goal will be to continue these until at least mid 400's and then increase ROM slowly if no further back discomfort for at least 6 weeks prior (and then begin increasing poundage again)
will do some YRG 20' workout again tonight

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

13 FEB: superset chins 22.5# with dips 42.5# on 3' intervals: 6x5, 3x2/8x5

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

14 FEB: DL from #5 pin 325# 15x2 on 90 sec ints
followed by BP 212.5# 15x2 on 90 sec ints

music: Barry Manilow supersetted with Air Supply

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

15 FEB: 20' YRG workout

music: blessed Yanni (sometimes I like Cat Stevens to get me pumped up, but Yanni just felt more right today; I'm very intuitive with my training that way)

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

16 FEB: partial back squats (to #18 pin, basically a 1/2 squat at my height) 325# 15x2 on 90 secs ints


music: Elton John's Greatest Hits, vol. 2; I don't know what Louie listens to at WSB, but in MY garage, squat day and EJ go hand-in-hand.

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

17 FEB: push jerks 235# 3x1, 245# 3x1, 255# 15x1, 245# 4x1 on 75 sec ints (except the last 5 jerks with 255# were done on 90 sec ints)
Will do some YRG later (had to cancel this, got too drunk at dinner).

spoken accompaniment: Grammy award winner Hillary Clinton reading "It Takes a Village"

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

18 FEB: superset chins 25# with dips 45# on 3' intervals: 5x5, 3x3/8x5

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

20 FEB: DL from #5 pin 335# 15x2 on 90 sec ints
followed by BP 215# 15x2 on 90 sec ints

music: the late, great Dan Fogelberg

did 20' YRG workout this evening

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

21 FEB: partial back squats (to #18 pin) 335# 15x2 on 90 secs ints

music: Theme from I Dream of Jeannie

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

25 FEB: push jerks 236# 3x1, 246# 3x1, 256# 15x1, 246# 4x1 (75 sec ints for the lighter singles with the heavy singles on 90 sec ints)

partial back squats (to #18 pin) 345# 15x2 on 90 secs ints

music: Pet Shop Boys and Naked Eyes

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

26 FEB: DL from #5 pin 345# 15x2 on 90 sec ints
followed by BP 217.5# 15x2 on 90 sec ints

music: Starland Vocal Band (the same song over and over)

[The Real Rant]

What's you're take on YRG? Is it helpful? How long does a YRG session take?

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

What's you're take on YRG? Is it helpful? How long does a YRG session take?

I like it though I'm still new at it. A "20 minute" session on the DVD actually takes a little over 25'. I haven't looked at the longer fatburner/fatburner plus workouts yet, but should be capable of doing them in a month or so. When I"m finished I don't feel drained and actually feel a little "energized" (but not in a New Age way).
The main problem so far is that I can't bend over and grab my ankles (no pirate or prison secret issues with me) because of the sciatica on my left. So the forward bends and a couple of other positions aren't possible for me. That being said, doing a few of the moves during the day, if I'm having significant pain (as I was over the weekend after driving 6 hours each way), seems to help alleviate the discomfort quite well.
I intend to continue with YRG and overall am very positive about it.

[DikTracy6000]

Have you tried accupuncture for pain relief? I am roughly same size and wt. as you +2", and during my late 20's to early 30's docs said I had a bulging disc, not herniated. I took several accupuncture treatments to alleviate the pain especially the sciatica and it helped quite a lot. Finding a reputable accupuncturist is another matter.

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

Have you tried accupuncture for pain relief?

If I'm continuing to have some pain in my ass/thigh over the next 2-3 months, I might consider something like acupuncture. As a "Western" physician, though, I've got an inherent bias against much of the Eastern stuff. When you read about meridians, organs that can't be found with western science, and death touches dependent on time of day, it tends to increase disbelief.
That being said, there seems to be some science that indicates that acupuncture may actually work for chronic pain issues (so I'm open to considering it). Likewise, after looking at yoga (and YRG, which is a little different in that it incorporates sustained isometrics/isokinetics without the New Age/mental aspects), I feel that it definitely has some usefulness for people with back issues.
A big question, though, much like with the placebo effect, is how much relief would I have had by now if I'd done nothing? It's natual to attribute much of my improvement in the back pain/sciatica to yoga/stretching, but would I be just as far along with simple passage of time?
Much of my problem was compounded by stupidity. In retrospect I blew the disc out in late October, but it felt (and still feels) similar to a bad glute tear. Being a man, I decided to continue lifting without changing anything. I didn't actually quit the power cleans/high pulls/snatches/OHS for another 5 weeks, when I simply couldn't take the pain any more. Moreover, because it hurt so much, my form suffered, so I then damaged one of my lumbar facets and tore some of the paraspinous muscles in early December.
It was only then that I decided to by a rack so I could continue doing jerks (I was cleaning each one previously). In the last month I've started trying the partial lifts to at least justify having bought the rack. So far, I'm pleased with the way things are going.

[LG Elf Ftr/Wizard 7/17]

27 FEB: 20' YRG workout

music: Gregorian chants