Back Exercise Selection Help

Training
1

Hi guys,

I’m rehabbing back from a open surgery, and due to my abs not healing together (require a future further operation to insert ab mesh) I am unable to do exercises which strain the core. I have most body parts under control but the back is causing me some headaches.

Currently I have:

Chest supported flat barbell row
Chest supported incline dumbbell row
Back lateral fly

I cannot deadlift, bentover row, do pull ups or anything else with heavy core involvement.

Is there anything else I can use to try and get work into my back muscles?

Thanks

2

could you do straight arm pulldowns? Other than that, I’d suggest face pulls, a seated row (cable, lever, whatever) and prone trap raises.

Training your lats’ll be the hardest part. Hopefully you can do the straight arm pulldowns. If you do them for high reps and take the piss with the tempo (mega slow, mega squeezed) you might be able to minimize core work

3

[quote]Yogi wrote:
could you do straight arm pulldowns? Other than that, I’d suggest face pulls, a seated row (cable, lever, whatever) and prone trap raises.

Training your lats’ll be the hardest part. Hopefully you can do the straight arm pulldowns. If you do them for high reps and take the piss with the tempo (mega slow, mega squeezed) you might be able to minimize core work[/quote]

I make things a bit difficult by only having access to free weights on back day!

I do go to the gym for legs, as I cannot squat or deadlift. So I could potentially do lat work after legs and use the pulldown as you suggested.

Prone trap raises are a good suggestion, cheers

4

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
I’m rehabbing back from a open surgery, and due to my abs not healing together (require a future further operation to insert ab mesh) I am unable to do exercises which strain the core.[/quote]
Meadows, who’s had ab surgery, includes pullovers for lats lying “normally” on a flat bench instead of being perpendicular and keeping just the upper back on the bench like a lot of guys do. If you can tolerate lying flat (just like for a bench press) and are strict with the ROM (obviously avoiding the stretch), you could try it with DBs or an EZ bar.

Anything braced, like the chest-supported rows you mentioned, should help. Or try unilateral stuff where your free hand is holding onto a good, tall support (instead of DB rows on a flat bench, put the free arm on an inclined bench, or 1-arm standing cable rows holding onto the frame).

If you can deal with bending forward, Smith Machine rows are a nice change of pace. Since the bar is stabilized, it’s a pretty smooth movement. Use straps to make it even more “machine-like” (for lack of a better term).

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
Is there anything else I can use to try and get work into my back muscles?[/quote]

[quote]Yogi wrote:
If you do them for high reps and take the piss with the tempo (mega slow, mega squeezed) you might be able to minimize core work[/quote]
Definitely consider playing with tempo and exaggerating the squeeze/peak contraction on everything. Also, don’t stress about hitting a full ROM and instead focus only on the section of ROM where you feel the muscular tension.

Really though, thinking big picture, if you can figure out even three or four good exercises, you should be able to train hard enough and steady enough to, at the very least, maintain until you’re back closer to 100%.

5

Get cleared from a doctor.

6

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
I’m rehabbing back from a open surgery, and due to my abs not healing together (require a future further operation to insert ab mesh) I am unable to do exercises which strain the core.[/quote]
Meadows, who’s had ab surgery, includes pullovers for lats lying “normally” on a flat bench instead of being perpendicular and keeping just the upper back on the bench like a lot of guys do. If you can tolerate lying flat (just like for a bench press) and are strict with the ROM (obviously avoiding the stretch), you could try it with DBs or an EZ bar.

Anything braced, like the chest-supported rows you mentioned, should help. Or try unilateral stuff where your free hand is holding onto a good, tall support (instead of DB rows on a flat bench, put the free arm on an inclined bench, or 1-arm standing cable rows holding onto the frame).

If you can deal with bending forward, Smith Machine rows are a nice change of pace. Since the bar is stabilized, it’s a pretty smooth movement. Use straps to make it even more “machine-like” (for lack of a better term).

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
Is there anything else I can use to try and get work into my back muscles?[/quote]

[quote]Yogi wrote:
If you do them for high reps and take the piss with the tempo (mega slow, mega squeezed) you might be able to minimize core work[/quote]
Definitely consider playing with tempo and exaggerating the squeeze/peak contraction on everything. Also, don’t stress about hitting a full ROM and instead focus only on the section of ROM where you feel the muscular tension.

Really though, thinking big picture, if you can figure out even three or four good exercises, you should be able to train hard enough and steady enough to, at the very least, maintain until you’re back closer to 100%.[/quote]

Thanks heaps, Chris. That’s really helpful. And you’re right, I don’t need dozens of exercises as my requirements are fairly simple. Was just seeing if there was something I hadn’t thought of which may be useful - turns out there is.

7

[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
Get cleared from a doctor. [/quote]

Haha, yeah that’s a fair comment seeing as you don’t know the whole background. Had a big bowel cancer operation back in November and the abdominal wall didn’t knit, so I have a large vertical area where there’s just skin covering the gap.

My surgeon is mostly ok with me lifting as long as I actively avoid stressing the core, so I’ve ditched squats and deadlifts and trying to further reduce core activity through other exercises.

I’m going to have it repaired and abdominal mesh inserted, but at this stage it’s not going to happen for 18 months - I will learn more in December.

I’ve been tempted to just lump lifting until I am fixed but honestly for my mental well-being I need to keep it up as much as possible. I lost half my stomach and 20kg to the cancer and really just trying to control my anxiety and get back in some kind of shape again.

8

Fuck! Mate you’re lucky to be alive.

If you don’t mind my asking: is the cancer under control?

9

[quote]Yogi wrote:
Fuck! Mate you’re lucky to be alive.

If you don’t mind my asking: is the cancer under control?[/quote]

Yeah I am, very much so. Just lucky I have a doctor who kept demanding more tests and wasn’t satisfied to send me away and assume I’d be fine. Hemorrhoids and glandular fever was the initial diagnosis.

Nah, that’s cool man. I had successful surgery (all detectable cancer removed) and just recently finished 7 months of “clean-up” chemotherapy - there’s a training log I kept on here during this time.

Prognosis-wise, I’m in the positive outcome bracket, with a 50% chance the surgery alone cured me, with say 15-25% added through the chemo. Stats are just one part of it; really comes down to luck of the draw. So I’m doing everything I can to try and keep myself healthy, including lifting to strengthen my body and immune system.

It’s grim stuff but I’m trying to keep my head up.

10

Best of luck to you. Stay within your capabilities. Low load pump stuff maybe.

11

damn brother, all the best.

12

[quote]panzerfaust wrote:

Yeah I am, very much so. Just lucky I have a doctor who kept demanding more tests and wasn’t satisfied to send me away and assume I’d be fine. Hemorrhoids and glandular fever was the initial diagnosis.

[/quote]

This touches on a conversation I’m having in another subforum. Some docs are willing to look at all possible angles and others are just happy to go with what they think is the obvious choice and move on to the next patient.

Glad to hear you have a good doc in your corner.

13

FWIW I tried Prone Trap Raises and Rack Chins last night and they both felt good. I’m doing pre-exhausting on all my lifting days to try and minimise the strain caused by my bigger lifts.

Cheers guys. I appreciate the suggestions and advice.