A year ago, I threw my back out. Not fun, and not the first time. After a long, slow recovery I vowed: never again. I read that back muscles can — if exercised — increase strength by up to ten times, (as they are ordinarily so under-exercised). Apparently, spending most of my waking hours seated at a computer doesn’t help. I promptly added back stretches and strengthening moves to my workout. Seemed to help, but I couldn’t really tell. A year passed.

A week ago, I hefted some heavy crap, and I guess I strained my back a bit. Didn’t really notice until next morning, when I stooped to pet the dog. AAAAH!!! &%$#@! A crushing wave of self-pity descended… Why had my back forsaken me??

But a few days later, I called out to my wife, from the shower: “It’s a miracle!” And it was. After two days and nights of near-incapacitation, I’d suddenly regained a significant amount of mobility… Now, just a week later, I’m completely back to normal, including regular workouts � and especially those back exercises, which I’m convinced are what made all the difference. Here’s a nice collection of moves, many of which I use. ‘Cause dammit, they work.