I stuck to my gym routine even though my lower back hurt. (feat. Shinbi-toon)

– From the causes of back pain to nutrition and safe training

After doing jiu-jitsu yesterday, my lower back hurt for some reason.
At first I was relieved it didn’t seem like a serious injury, but I was curious where the pain was coming from.

So I asked my AI friend, “ItTip,” and it gave me this diagnosis:
“There’s a high chance it’s a nutrition deficiency!”

Hmm… thinking back, I’d barely eaten any meat these past few days.
Normally I make sure to eat meat 2–3 times a day, but for about four days I cut it down to almost a “no-meat” level.

Of course, there was a reason.
I felt like I was spending too much digestive energy,
and it seemed like my inflammation response was going up, so I took a break from meat for a bit.

But from my perspective—training like a pro athlete—
I guess that was pretty costly. 😅

Meat is packed with
zinc, iron, B vitamins, and creatine—
key nutrients for muscle recovery.
When those are missing, your body can’t recover, and it feels like it sends a warning from weaker areas like the lower back.

I’ve even read books about vegetarian athletes, but
unless you plan your diet professionally, it’s tough for most people to pull off.
(A veggie-focused diet is definitely good for you! But you need to approach it differently depending on your training intensity.)

So when I do eat meat, I always try to build the habit of
eating it with vegetables.
It reduces digestive strain and helps keep inflammation down.

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That night, after a meal with meat and some sleep,
my back pain clearly eased up,
and by the next morning it felt much better.

It was still a little uncomfortable, though,
and I didn’t want to skip the gym—so I went carefully.

And the result…!

• Deadlift 155 kg × 2.5 reps—success! (Wearing a lifting belt, performed slowly)
• One-arm handstand push-up → 4 reps with assistance from 3 fingers on the other hand!
• Two-hand handstand push-up without a wall → almost 1 rep!!

I was genuinely proud. 😭
Especially since I recently switched seriously to the one-arm version,
it feels like the skills I’d been practicing are improving fast.

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If your back hurts, make sure you check these!

1. First, figure out what’s causing the pain.
   • Did you tweak it, or is it structural damage?
   • Or is it a nutrition deficiency / accumulated fatigue?
2. Check your nutrition status.
   • Have you been eating enough meat, protein, zinc, etc. lately?
   • Any vitamin or mineral deficiencies?
3. After enough sleep & rest,
   start again with slow-tempo training.
   • Lifting belt
   • Perfect form
   • Slow reps
     These factors will help reduce injuries.
4. After training, add light cardio to help clear inflammation!
   • Cycling, walking, light jogging, etc.
   • It helps circulation and speeds up recovery, too.

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Honestly, when you work out consistently,
you get that feeling of “I have to do it today.”

But the more you feel that way,
the more you end up thinking about
“How can I do this safely?”

I really wanted to share that if you actively use tools like I do,
dial in your form slowly and precisely,
and stay on top of your nutrition,
then even when your back feels a bit off,
you can still stick to your gym routine safely.
😊

▼ If your back is fully better? The Baettaeju routine is a must!

일상 기록 – 배때쥬 루틴의 하루

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By tomorrow,
I’m planning to wrap up this week’s routine with
all-out interval sprints + a planche routine.

Every time I finish things one by one with consistency,
my mind feels calmer, and my body feels stronger, too.

---

When you work out, please remember this principle:
“Muscle recovery = nutrition + sleep + tempo control”
💪

So,
wishing you a weekend full of healing—and injury-free…

Thank you—this was Shinbi Days. 🌿