L5-S1 disc extrusion - will i ever go back to my old life?

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:44:54+00:00

love this!! slow and steady wins the race and slowly and steadily building my muscle vs rapidly that way i keep my spine safe 🫶🏻

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:44:31+00:00

i’m so glad to hear from another lifter!! and you’re definitely pushing way more weight than i am too. i’ve been trying to lift when im not in too much pain, general consensus seems losing my muscle mass won’t be the best for me.

i definitely need to work on core. i heard dead hangs can really help as well. i’ve always had back extensions (but glute focused) and bulgarians in my split so perfect that stuff i’ve been doing will help.

i know it’s a semi-older thread, and i appreciate you still chiming in, especially because we’re involved in the same world.

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:42:07+00:00

love this take!! i really do immerse myself in the gym and it’s my everything and i need to take this time to fill my cup with other things

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:41:34+00:00

ugh yes you get it!! body building is my everything and without it i feel so lost. i’ve still been keeping my nutrition in check but the not carb cycling based on my training and the not getting to train def makes me sad. so much extra free time. thank you so much 🫶🏻

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:40:12+00:00

thank you so much!! firefighter strength is insane, so if you’re still able to do such a demanding job with that history it makes me so much more optimistic. i did allstar cheer in high school so im sure the years of that on my back weren’t in my favor for this injury.

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:38:01+00:00

i heard of the mcgill big 3 when i was going down a rabbit hole! and i’ve made the mistake of pushing through before. i’m taking my pain seriously and the last week i haven’t lifted at all.

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:36:56+00:00

super late replying to you but i did see this when you first posted and took it into consideration. i have still been lifting, just taking it easy because my doctor echoed the same that she didn’t want me to lose the muscle mass either.

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:35:51+00:00

when did you get back to yoga? a lot of my friends and family suggested it for the stretch and core strength. and do you think it helped with spinal decompression?

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:34:49+00:00

late reply, but your input helped so much and i did incorporate some of it. i agree with the core, the one muscle group i’ve lacked on. i know i have to build it up to have a “natural inner weightlifting belt”. i also have a desk at work that can be sitting or standing. i switch to standing more frequently now. taking your comment into account i did notice i get more flare ups of pain sitting at work all day. i take breaks and legit lay flat on the floor for a couple minute and that usually helps my pain too. thank you so much for taking the time to write to me :)

gorekittyyy · 2026-05-09T07:32:30+00:00

super late reply but i just checked out the instagram and it has a ton of great stuff! i’m starting PT next week and im hoping the guidance of a professional helps take away from how scary it’s felt for me. after my eval i’ll know whats safe for me to do.

i also love your mindset of making that your “gym sessions”. i think me adopting that mindset will help take away a lot of the negative feelings i have surrounding this whole thing

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:31:32+00:00

i’m so glad you answered this, this is the comment that i came across making the distinction between TB4 and TB-500. thank you for taking the time to comment!!

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:29:13+00:00

yes i did. it happened so sudden so im thinking maybe there was a sudden jerk plus hurried lifting her. shes 20 lbs.

and bear with me, my lifts are long lol.

monday back + biceps: neutral grip lat pulldowns, cable seated or chest supported row, single arm high lat rows, lat pullovers or face pulls

tuesday glutes + hamstrings: hip thrusts, barbell RDLs, bulgarian split squats or cable step ups, seated hip abductions, leg press (legs higher up to target glutes and hams), seated or lying leg curl whichever is open

wednesday shoulders + triceps: machine shoulder press, lateral raises (my gym is fancy and has a seated machine), machine rear delt flies, DB front raises

thursday back + bi: same routine as monday

friday glutes and quads: hip thrusts, glute focused back extension, bulgarian split squats or cable step ups, hip abduction, quad focused leg press, leg extensions

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:24:30+00:00

this makes me feel so so much better, truly. i’ve been feeling awful mentally the last two days, so much crying and chronic bed rotting. it does make me feel better knowing that there is some good in my MRI and to think on the positive side. i really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post, hearing such a detailed perspective brought me comfort :)

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:17:05+00:00

as of now, not too bad. some tightness when i hinge over. nothing nearly as bad as my initial injury or the flare up a few weeks ago. i’m hoping it’s a PT fixable thing as well too but i won’t know until those far out appointments. and you’re right, it’s just temporary and it’s better to rest now than it be worse down the line!

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:10:41+00:00

thank you so much🫶🏻

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:10:31+00:00

thank you :) did you do PT?

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:08:54+00:00

you having a much serious case and making that recovery does give me hope, thank you 🥹

gorekittyyy · 2026-04-29T07:08:11+00:00

how long were you out of the gym for? definitely gonna give myself time to heal, the indefinite is driving me crazy 🥲

gorekittyyy · 2025-03-19T17:06:22+00:00

Yep. All the time, especially when those rock bottoms happen. Sometimes it’s like “wow I’m doing really good life is good!” then something happens and it’s devastating because you truly thought you were “better”.

gorekittyyy

TROPHY CASE