The muscles in your body work together in pairs to complete movements. Overtraining or overuse of one muscle in a pair can lead to increased strength and tightness in that muscle and weakness and overstretching in the other. Many cases of lower back pain are caused by two different muscle imbalances: stronger back muscles paired with weaker abdominal muscles and stronger hip flexor muscles paired with weaker gluteal muscles. Muscle imbalances like these can lead to pain and even injury and should be addressed with a specified training program.
Training Program
Step 1
Warm up your muscles with 10 to 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to get blood flowing to them. Light jogging and marching in place are good choices for a cardiovascular warmup.
Step 2
Stretch all major muscle groups from head to toe with dynamic, or active, stretching. Leg swings, knee lifts and arm circles will ready your muscles for action.
Step 3
Do two different exercises that isolate the weak muscle in your imbalanced pair. For example, if it is your abs that are too weak, do crunches and reverse crunches. Perform three sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise.
Step 4
Train the strong muscle in the pair with one exercise to isolate that muscle.
Step 5
Prevent other muscle imbalances by training the other muscle pairs of your body equally, each with three sets of 12 repetitions of one exercise. For example, train both bicep curls and tricep dips in the same session.
Step 6
Stretch all the muscle groups in your body with static, or stationary, stretching to end your training session. For example, stand up straight, bend over and reach for your toes. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.
Step 7
Stretch your overtrained muscle with at least two additional stretches.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember to give your muscles a day of rest in between training sessions.
- Consult a physical therapist for diagnosis of a muscular imbalance.
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