My True Story - Rusty Moore

The worst injury of my life 

(happened 20+ years ago)

I remember it like it was yesterday.I was on my warm up set of leg presses and on about the third rep, I felt a snap in my spine. I don't think it was anything that could have been heard in the gym, but it "felt" like it was loud.

How on earth could I have injured my back on the leg press?

Looking back, I always figured it was because I rounded my back at the bottom of the rep. I'm sure that was part of it. I still think it is a terribly dangerous machine.

...but why was my spine so fragile in the first place?

Now I know what really caused the injury.

I used to start off each workout session with crunches.

I wanted ABS badly and thought this would do it!

Unfortunately, all my sets of crunches were weakening my spine. Similar to bending a coat hanger repetitively. With enough bends of the coat hanger, it breaks.

The leg presses were just the final forceful bend.

...that rocked my spine.

My plea to you:

    Try not to do ab work before heavy lifting where you rely on spine stability. Save the ab work for the end of the workout.

     If you do prefer to do ab work first, avoid anything that resembles bending a coat hanger over and over. Planks and renegade rows are fine. Maybe save leg raises until the end.

Rusty Moore

Author Of

Visual Impact Muscle Fitness Program