Back Pain /Leg Exercises

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’m 34, 5’7"…155lbs. I have about 5 years experience lifting for high school football and rugby when I was 15-20 years old.

I had a Himilaminectomy at 22. My L5 ruptured and when I finally could not take the pain, the surgeon took out the blew out pieces and left the remaining disc in place that was not protruding to my sciatic nerve.

I have felt good for the last 11 years without any major sciatic pains, and mostly if I get pain it is muscular…which is better than disc related pain.

I started lifting again (2 months now). I have been hesitant to do squats any heavier than about 185. I have gotten some muscular twangs last session at about 180lbs doing 10-15 reps. I want to go heavy, (Max was 375 in the day) but since the surgery, I’m not willing to go heavy with squats, yet they seem to be the BEST for overall legs. Is there a more effective leg training method that will not sacrifice the lower back while going heavy??

2

Some readers may cringe at this, but I find the hack squat machine to help. I do free weight squats and deads, but I can’t go heavy because of my L4-L5 problems. I go really heavy in the hack squat machine. It might be because of the back support.

3

You could also try single leg squats. That way you place less load on your back but more on your legs.

4

[quote]Snoop wrote:
You could also try single leg squats. That way you place less load on your back but more on your legs.[/quote]

You mean lunges?? How the *&^% do you do single leg squats??

5

[quote]Rocklinite wrote:
Snoop wrote:
You could also try single leg squats. That way you place less load on your back but more on your legs.

You mean lunges?? How the *&^% do you do single leg squats??[/quote]

They are in no way compared to lunges.

www.uwlax.edu/strengthcenter/videos/video_index.htm

They’re in there. Check that out for tons of video clips that show good form on ALL sorts of lifts.

I’ve also been told the leg press is really good to work legs with no pressure on the back.