Paladin, I have a very low opinion of "Sports" doctors and ESPECIALLY general practice docs because, although 99% stay uber educated on diseases, medicines, etc., they don't know jack shit about lifting/fitness. If you told them that you had a ruptured disc, they would automatically tell you "don't do it." This is the same principle that applies to asking docs for advice about steriods. 99.9% buy into "Steroids are bad" automatically without even knowing the facts. Hell, when I went for my physical when I was 16, my doctor said that creatine was potentially harmful, so that is why, to this day, I have to hide my creatine from my parents. They don't know jack shit about health and fitness, esp. bodybuilding. Ok, back on my topic; docs are wonderful when it comes to sicknesses and such, but the vast majority (and I say it like this because I know that SOME docs are educated), dont' know crap about bodybuilding/weightlifting. "Why bother lifting weights, 30 minutes of walking, 4 days per week is all you need." Or, as I was told when weighed 155 at that same physical I mentioned earlier, "Yeah, you've lost 40 pounds, but your ideal weight is around 145, and I'd really like to see you get down to that." Hell, at 210 I am considered morbidly obese, even though I have 13% bf at the END of a bulk, and can still run 5 miles in slightly more than 30 minutes. Case in point of what I'm ranting about. If you absolutely must see a doc, see an orthopod, not a family or general practice doc, please. That's the only way you'll get sound advice, IMO.
That being said, I'll now get off my soap box.
Tex, my recommendation is this: Try it once, if it don't hurt try it twice and add weight. If that still doesn't hurt, keep it in your split until you begin experiencing pain/inflammation/soreness(unrelated to the lift), etc. If it is a fairly superficial area where you have the disc prob, then you can ice and heat it easily, which means you can fairly easily control any inflammation or pain you might see. I'd say just give it a shot with LIGHT WEIGHT and see what you think. If it doesn't hurt, then keep at it, gradually adding weight to help the musculature adapt to the increased stress and thereby compensate for any disc weakness in the spine.
