Leg day with back injury

[tubesox]

Just suffered a deadlifting injury to the lower back. I cant do squats and im all thrown off... Im trying to pre exhaust my legs before moderately heavy leg presses as a finisher. What are your thoughts on this method? Here was my leg day today..

5x12 quad ext superset 5x12 ham curl
3x12 leg press
3x8 leg press superset 3x15 calf raise on press
3x 15 sitted calf raise

 

[Notits]

Those calf raises on the press turn me into a trembling, cursing idiot. I know it's sacrilege to even mention this out loud, but sometimes I don't squat on leg day. Sometimes I won't squat all month. Some of my best development has occurred in the absence of heavy squats. I make up for it with drop sets, iso holds, negatives to step up the intensity. If my back isn't right I'm hardly getting anything out of a barbell squat to begin with, i'm just lifting and balancing around the pain.
If its heavy enough you should be able to get solid stimulus out of what you have laid out.
What about hack squats? I love hacks because I can take the legs to failure without spilling over in the squat rack, I just gotta keep the trash can close.

 

[tubesox]

Those calf raises on the press turn me into a trembling, cursing idiot. I know it's sacrilege to even mention this out loud, but sometimes I don't squat on leg day. Sometimes I won't squat all month. Some of my best development has occurred in the absence of heavy squats. I make up for it with drop sets, iso holds, negatives to step up the intensity. If my back isn't right I'm hardly getting anything out of a barbell squat to begin with, i'm just lifting and balancing around the pain.
If its heavy enough you should be able to get solid stimulus out of what you have laid out.
What about hack squats? I love hacks because I can take the legs to failure without spilling over in the squat rack, I just gotta keep the trash can close.

No hack machine in my new gym ...great idea though

 

[ebkallday]

Haha, Arnold always recommended Smith Machine squats to save the lower back. It ain't "man squats" but it's still squats. I personally do deep lunges with the Smith machine.

 

[ebkallday]

Tube, you seen a chiro yet. That did wonders for my back injury. I hurt my lower back dead lifting and almost cried for two months thinking my favorite lift was in the graveyard. Now I'm too fucking scared to go heavy even though I feel strong again.

 

[Notits]

Not that anyone here is Dorian Yates, but he never did a single barbell squat during his professional bodybuilding career, I always found that interesting.

 

[tubesox]

Tube, you seen a chiro yet. That did wonders for my back injury. I hurt my lower back dead lifting and almost cried for two months thinking my favorite lift was in the graveyard. Now I'm too fucking scared to go heavy even though I feel strong again.

The ol lady is a radiologist and curses the chiros...i want to go but she thinks thyre a bunch of witchdoctors

 

[tubesox]

Not that anyone here is Dorian Yates, but he never did a single barbell squat during his professional bodybuilding career, I always found that interesting.

Yates to this day is my favorite BB...but he was an endo-meso...and ol tube over here...nah lmao

 

[Flex14]

I am not quite sure how lower back friendly they are, but I really enjoy walking lunges with dumbbells. They are a great pre exhausting or finishing exercise in my routine and using an isometric hold technique for as long as I can always adds a little extra intensity at the end. In my opinion exercises such as lunges, leg extensions, and leg curls help me concentrate on the muscle groups more intensely and in turn could provide better leg development than using a typical barbell squat. At least that is what I have noticed in myself. Best of luck with your training!

 

[Ozzy619]

Haha, Arnold always recommended Smith Machine squats to save the lower back. It ain't "man squats" but it's still squats. I personally do deep lunges with the Smith machine.

Hell yea, lunges on the smith machine is business. I would fall over without it.

 

[Ozzy619]

Not that anyone here is Dorian Yates, but he never did a single barbell squat during his professional bodybuilding career, I always found that interesting.

What did he do, smith machine and leg press?

 

[Arnold Strong]

You may want to try front squats. A lot of the load that goes through your back in a back squat goes instead through your abs in a front squat. It's much easier on the lower back and much harder on the abs.

Hip belt squats are also an option, as they don't involve the back at all. Unfortunately most gyms lack the required equipment to do them.

 

[tubesox]

Just stsbilizing my core hurts my back. So no lunges or front squats yet

 

[tubesox]

front squats or lunges on the smith machine i may be able to do...I'll def. try it out next leg day

 

[Notits]

What did he do, smith machine and leg press?

He would pre-exhaust with leg extensions, hack squats, leg press, hamstring curls (lying and standing). He says that he couldn't take a muscle to true failure if his balance and coordination would be at risk of failing first.

 

[MindlessWork]

You may want to try front squats. A lot of the load that goes through your back in a back squat goes instead through your abs in a front squat. It's much easier on the lower back and much harder on the abs.

Hip belt squats are also an option, as they don't involve the back at all. Unfortunately most gyms lack the required equipment to do them.

What about doing trap bar deads instead? This puts less stress on the back than regular deads