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Rehab, Rinse, Repeat.
A few months back I tweaked my lower back during Jiu Jitsu. It wasn’t a small thing either; I’m talking about struggling to stand up straight and even having trouble putting on socks. I didn’t get it checked out, partly because I didn’t know exactly what I did, and partly because I tend to try and handle these things myself unless they get really bad.
So, I started with the simplest step: rest.
Now, I know social media loves to scream “keep moving” and “movement is medicine.” And they’re not wrong. But here’s the nuance no one wants to admit: rest is medicine too. You’ve got to find the middle ground. Rest long enough to let the healing process actually begin. That might mean taking a long weekend off, dialing in your nutrition, and using some heat or cold therapy.
Once the pain eased up, it was time for active recovery. This is where you find what you can do and stick with it. For me, that looked like keeping up my daily dog walks, using a lacrosse ball on my back and glutes to promote blood flow and loosen up knots, and moving just enough to keep my body from locking up.
From there, the focus was on gradually building back. In the gym, I started at 40–60% effort the first week and increased slowly until I was back at full strength. On the mats, I showed up for class but stuck strictly to technique drills… no rolling those first couple of weeks.
By pacing myself, I was back to full lifting and full rolling in about a month. That’s not long at all, especially compared to how much time I would’ve lost if I’d tried to push through it and ended up worse.
The big takeaway? Recovery isn’t about proving toughness. It’s about respecting the process, listening to your body, and playing the long game.
If you arent feeling progress after a prolonged time, or the pain is crippling you far beyond some stiffness and bearable pain; go see someone.
“The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.”
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EXERCISE
Barbell Side Bend
What it is: A strength and stability exercise targeting the obliques and overall core. You hold a barbell across your upper back (like a back squat position) and bend side-to-side at the waist.
How to do it:
Rest the barbell across your traps/upper back, grip it securely.
Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, core braced.
Slowly bend at the waist to one side, keeping hips square and not twisting.
Return to the starting position under control, then bend to the other side.
Why it helps: Builds lateral core strength, improves trunk stability, and carries over to grappling, contact sports, and heavy lifting where resisting side-bending forces matters.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Unmasked by The Weekly Standard!
If you found value in these insights, share it with a training buddy or post it on your social feed; let’s spread the knowledge and push each other to new levels. See you next time!
MINDSET
Injuries test more than just your body; they test your patience.
The biggest shift is realizing that progress doesn’t always mean pushing harder. Sometimes it’s stepping back, giving your body the space to heal, and trusting that the work will still be there when you’re ready.
Recovery isn’t weakness; it’s part of the process.
Train smart, but never forget to train hard.
That balance is where the real progress happens.