Today’s live is a Monday reset: yes - you absolutely can end up stronger and more resilient than before your disc injury/sciatica. We show why the basics work (squat & hip hinge done with a still spine), how to use objective load milestones (20% - 45% - 75 -100% body-weight) to track progress, and why most setbacks come from everyday habits, not the gym hour. We also cover: surgery context (it removes a fragment; it doesn’t heal the annulus - rehab still matters), why very few adults ever do year-long strength training (and why that’s good news for your comeback), when to do floor drills on the bed early on, smart use of inversion/decompression, and a quick tour of the revamped split (squat days vs hinge days) to protect cranky knees while your back keeps getting stronger.Start here → https://backinshapeprogram.com/start/Highlights:🔹 The hopeful truth: you can surpass your pre-injury strength if you follow the plan consistently.🔹 Milestones that measure healing: 20% - 45% - 75 - 100% body-weight (squat/hinge) with clean, aggravation-free reps.🔹 Program revamp: alternate squat and hinge workouts so knees can settle while your back still progresses.🔹 Surgery - rehab: removing a disc fragment doesn’t repair the annulus - guided strengthening is the make-or-break.🔹 Decompression done right (towel/bed, inversion) relief tool after training, not a replacement for strength.#backinshape #sciatica #herniateddiscsChapters:00:00:00 Positive Monday: why your back can be stronger than before00:02:10 “Basics work” (squat & hinge) and why trends confuse recovery00:04:15 How few people strength train long-term—and why that’s your edge00:06:40 New split: squat days vs hinge days to protect sensitive knees00:09:20 Everyday habits - gym hour: coordinating safer sit↔stand, bend, reach00:12:05 Surgery talk: success = fragment removed; healing needs rehab00:15:30 Red flags to know (and why most cases aren’t emergencies)00:18:05 Floor drills on the bed early on (avoid “getting down/up” flare)00:21:00 Inversion table tutorial mindset: gentle angles, pump, exit safely00:23:40 Sitting load context & the 20% → 45% → 75–100% milestones00:26:15 Overhead reach twinges: fix with shoulder mobility + brace cue00:28:50 Spondy precision; why 20 kg for 5×10 is a start, not a finish00:32:10 “Loaded squats after surgery?”—you already load your spine daily; dose it wisely00:35:00 Skip belt squat machines for rehab (build back + legs together)00:38:20 Don’t add random extras (glute squeezes, clams) that derail progress00:41:10 Strategy → Tutorials → Live Routine (how to follow the program)00:45:00 Q&A examples: tennis/pickleball returns, neuropathy notes, work setups00:49:30 Final mindset: strength training as a lifelong health habit