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Bulging discs are one of the most common conditions that will derail your workouts quickly. In this video, I’m going to show you how to fix a bulging disc in your lower back without requiring surgery. In just 3 simple steps you are going to be able to get rid of the pain that is wreaking havoc on your training and making your life miserable.
The first thing that needs to be discussed however are the terms used to describe the condition. Some people refer to a bulging disc as a herniated disc. In both cases, we are talking about a scenario where the inner disc material has protruded from the disc but has not reached a point of no return. The point at which the disc can no longer be repaired without surgery is more accurately called a ruptured disc.
Bulging discs are a very common problem and one that we all might have to some degree if we were to MRI our backs. The thing is however, just because we may have a disc that is bulging does not mean that we will have symptoms. The only time it starts to matter is when the presence of the disc starts to become symptomatic and interferes with your life or workouts.
The good news about disc issues however is that 98 percent of them are non-operative and solved with a dedication to just a few simple steps. One of those steps however is not stretching the lower back. This may come as a surprise to you, especially if you feel that your low back has become tight or sore as a result of your disc issues.
Far too many people are told to lay on their back and start pulling their knee or knees up to their chest to stretch out the tight muscles in the low back. They may even be told to get on their knees and sit back on their heels to stretch out all of the muscles of the back. Both of these would be horrible advice because they not only aren’t treating the cause of the problem but they are aggravating the actual cause and making the disc protrude even more.
What you need to do is focus on fixing the disc and recentralizing it through extension. If you can do this, the spasm that you are experiencing in the low back muscles as a result of the herniation will resolve once the disc itself is fixed. There are 3 parts to fixing this issue however and it starts with a decompression of the spine to allow for more room for the nerves that are being compressed by the disc protrusion.
This can easily be done by hanging from a pullup bar with your toes slightly in contact with the ground. Let the pelvis drop and feel the spine open up. Do this for about 30 seconds to a minute and then proceed to step two if you need it or just skip to step three if not. Step two is a list correction. This is needed if you find that you are leaning to one side because of the pain of the protrusion.
This can easily be done against a wall and will help to put the spine back in the proper alignment prior to moving on to the final step. Lay on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Press down on the floor and lift your upper torso off of it. Be sure to keep your hips in contact with the ground to avoid overextension of the lumber spine. Do this a few times a day and always within a zone of comfort.
Before you know it, your disc will be centralized and your pain and symptoms down the leg and in the lower back should subside. You will be ready to start attacking your workouts again in no time. If you are looking for a workout program that puts the science back in strength and helps to injury proof your body from letting this happen again, head to and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.
For more videos on how to fix lower back pain and the best stretches for your back be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at
34 comments
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Make a futur video!!
Please make a video on recovery , squatting and deadlifts ,how to progress do's and donts
Thank you for sharing the video.
During doing second and third exercises, I feel more pain on my back and left leg (when I stop doing, I feel much less pain), should I continue doing this stretch or it's normal?
I am 77 old female and have several bulging desk and I was doing the incorrect stretches that you showed me through Jesse thank you so much for your expertise I am doing the exercises you suggested.
I just thank you sir from india🙏
Am leaning towards hurting side though,so can it be muscle,or ligament then?
I can’t even Hang. Leg hurts too much
Genius
I just wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH really ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
How soon can I do this? I am week 8 from deadlifting 90lbs and still in pain. Sleeping, standing, sitting, bending is painful. I am a 40 yr female.
Jeff do you have any workouts for higher disks? My t7 and t8 are giving me huge issues. After chest day I'm screwed for a few days
Thanks man, I tried this and I also felt a slip. I feel better now. I guess what I felt was the disk sucking back in.
oh my god I only did this once and I can feel a difference (slight but a difference nonetheless). I had this pain a while ago but did nothing and it went away after 3 weeks. I started exercising again and the pain came back, I couldn't even sleep without pain. thank you so much jeff
I have a bulging L4/L5 and horrendous sciatica and these stretches worked great! Thank you so much! I actually was able to sleep last night without drugs.
Thank you so much dude!!! ❤️
This dude is Fantastic. Tremendous explanation
This dude is highly knowledgeable.
Im confused, every doctor is prescribing me excerceses from the beginning
pain is in the middle at base on me tried this stuff and it hurts just as much
I don’t have access to a gym what exercise can I do instead of hanging on a pull-up bar
OMG! Thank you! Why is my physical therapy making my back issues worse? They need to be re trained! Thank you! I will try these exercises instead.
@athlean-x what if the affected disc is between the shoulder blades in the mid back?
😃After doing a couple of these for 2-3 minutes my back has felt better than it has in two days even after going to the chiropractor twice!!
Супер упражнения
How further away should be our legs from the wall
Thanks – very helpful
Cheers Jeff, needed this struggling to exercise. Let you know how I get on 👌
Thank you so much for this video!!! I started feeling so much better after the first time. I’m not thinking about surgery anymore and can get back to my workouts.
Hello dear sir
All these are wonderful execcises , surely helpful to reduce pain .
But a sincere request is that plz speak slowly.
Your sound is very clear sir
These exercises all helped relieve my chronic back pain. Thank you!
What if ur too tall to hang on ur toes
Thoughts on a inversion table? I use mine almost every night when I'm in pain should I stop?
I can’t believe it! I’ve been living with this pain for over a week now and doing these exercises gave me immediate relief!! Thank you so much for this video!