Posted: 10/22/2011 12:08:32 AM EDT
| I've continually hurt my lower back 4 times in the last year. Are there any good work puts that I can do to strengthen my back to avoid future injury? |
|
Quoted:
I've continually hurt my lower back 4 times in the last year. Are there any good work puts that I can do to strengthen my back to avoid future injury? After my back surgery I continued with the Pilates ball for strengthening my core/back - it's seriously stabilized my back and built considerable strength. Exercises - Mayo |
|
Quoted: Squats and deadlifts will make your back strong and keep it from getting hurt. Assuming you hurt it by doing something with improper form. ETA: obviously with proper form and having someone experienced watching you. Yep, these are the best ways to strengthen the back. Back extensions and good mornings are good too. |
|
Front squats. too. And overhead squats may be THE killer core strenthener.
Avoid all leg machines, e.g. hack squat, hip sled, leg press, Smith machine, etc. These devices are very efficient at enabling a person to load their back in shear, and that is NOT healthy, especially if you already have an injury. The big barbell lifts that have been recommended here may seem counterintuitive to some. But they are safe and effective when performed properly. By properly I mean correct form and prudent choices when selecting a load. You won't put your back in shear on any sort of squat because there is an Automatic Shear Eject feature innate with these lifts, i.e. you dump the bar and land on your ass. Deadlift has a little more potential to re-injure, so be careful (form, safe load, etc.). |
|
Quoted:
I've continually hurt my lower back 4 times in the last year. Are there any good work puts that I can do to strengthen my back to avoid future injury? If it truly is a strength issue, core strength needs to be addressed, the exercises from Mayo are a good start as well as many other core exercises such supermans and goodmornings also. High rep low weight to start, 3 sets of 20-30 reps of 10-15 exercises 3-4 times a week. Squats and deadlifts are probably too much right now and I don't think you want to do sets of 20-30 of them even with light weight. After a few weeks of the core exercises, then I would start with light squats and deadlifts, 4 sets for 10-12reps at a moderately difficult weight. You have to make sure you have very good form. ETA: Front squats are probably better than back, because it will force you to be upright. |
|
I'm now in the Hurt Back camp. (Better than Brokeback, I reckon...Squeal like a pig!)
In '98 I hurt myself on a hack squat machine. (Annular tear, ligament damage, yadda yadda...) I've never been the same since. My lumbar spine has become "delicate". I put that in quotes because, since injuring myself in '98, I went on to move some fairly heavy barbells through the years. By 2003 I was squatting over 400 and deadlifting over 500. But I have to be careful. I know what NOT to do, e.g. any hack squat machine or Smith machine. And I really, really need to maintain lumbar curve when using barbells. Some people can get away with some rounding of the back. Not me. Anyhooooo... three days ago my lumbar started hurting. It still hurts bad today. I can't workout at all in this condition. I think it will be a few more days before I can get back into it. One part of this that adds to the overall suckage is that I don't even know why I'm hurting! Usually it's easily attributable to a certain event. But this time it just sort of appeared out of nowhere. I think the pain is partly, if not all, due to spasming. One the first night of this pain I laid on the hard wood floor, and after a while I felt my back "relax", and from that point the pain was relieved for the rest of the night. I have been unable to find that relief in the mean time. And I'm too much of a lunkhead to go get an Rx for muscle relaxers. |
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.