Ruptured Disk in Back - What Can I do for Legs??

[fleetwood271]

I had a ruptured disk in my lower back and had surgery in Feb of 2005.  I am fine now, but do not want to do anything that might injury it again.

I am doing front squats, leg curls, and leg extensions.

I am afraid to do back squats or deadlifts. 

Any suggestions?

[brianX]

teh leg press

[Superman]

I had a ruptured disk in my lower back and had surgery in Feb of 2005.  I am fine now, but do not want to do anything that might injury it again.

I am doing front squats, leg curls, and leg extensions.

I am afraid to do back squats or deadlifts. 

Any suggestions?

Yeah, just do angled leg presses, leg extentions, leg curls, and preferably vertical leg press if you got one in the gym. That will help your back very well.

[dontknowit]

A front squat puts more pressures on your back that the normal squat,
so I don't really understand what's holding you back. Just start out slowly and don't push it. It's not the best advice if you want some serious muscle, but getting your lower backmuscle stronger is a bigger priority at this moment.

The same for deadlift,
start out slowly. There are only a few people who rupture a disc in the gym, usually it happens somewhere you totally don't except it.
Bending to pick something up, getting out of the car, of something stupid like getting out of a chair.

[MB]

I've been in the same situation.  The best exercises for quads at this point are front squats, leg presses, and leg extensions.  Front squats are a lot easier on the lower back than regular squats.  Also, do crunches and hyperextensions to build stabilizing strength in the area.  I would avoid deadlifts and work slowly back into back squats, maybe once every third leg workout as an alternative to front squats.

[JPM]

You might consider doing exercises that will strengthen the lower back/spinal column before becoming too serious about heavy leg training, like squats or DL's. You didn't say if you are doing any direct work on the lower back it's self, and it's almost been a year an a half since the surgery. Might do light GoodMornings to start and progresssly increase the weight as the workouts go by. Even the SLDL can be an execellent lower back developer (keep the bar close to the body at all times and never round the back..it does not have thesame muscle action as the GM'ing)). Or if your gym has a hyper/reverse/rollar hyper machines or even standard hyper extension equipment than try those alone with the GM'ings. The lower back muscle structure is a very powerfull area and using from 200 to 300+ for GM'ings is not out of the question, when training correctly.

Might do BB Hacks & leg presses for the quads at present. Or use machine versions of leg movements. All until the strength and confidence factor to use heavy weights in the squat, DL's, ect returns.

In college, I had a operation on my #L4 & L5 spinal disk. Football injury, which the school paid for fully, luckly they had a outstanding medical center there. Nothing quite as painfull as a back injury. I pretty much did GM'ing and some SLDL to get the lower back stronger again. I do have a off back day now and than, but nothing serious. I train heavy in a power rack from time to time so the back seems to adjust quite well. Good Luck.

PS: I might add that working the abs hard and heavy will balance out the strenght of the lower back. The core to equal strength, like a counter weight, is a powerfull and well developed lower back along with a muscular set of abs & obliques.

[JackCheze]

I'm just coming back from a disk fusion at C6-C7 so I'm with you.

My neuro-surgeon talked to me for a long time because he knew I wasn't a sedentary adult. He basically told me to use my head, and to start at the bottom.

Try the movements that scare you without weight, or maybe just with the bar. I'm a lot closer to my surgery date than you so I guess my spine is still fragile compared to yours. So test the range of motion, then work slowly.

I'd also add that it might be worth your time to do full body complex workouts (starting insanely light) just to get some fitness back, keep good notes too before you start to try to kill it again

[The Freakshow]

I had a ruptured disk in my lower back and had surgery in Feb of 2005.  I am fine now, but do not want to do anything that might injury it again.

I am doing front squats, leg curls, and leg extensions.

I am afraid to do back squats or deadlifts. 

Any suggestions?

I had an injured disk in my lower back as well (L5-S1).

I would highly recommend that you DO NOT do anything that will cause extreme compression (e.g., NO SQUATS front or back, nothing where any weight rests on your shoulders).

Leg presses are more than adequate for building your thighs. My favorite is the Cybex Squat Press. You can also do Leg extensions and Dumbbell Lunges.

Anything else is really a SERIOUS RISK and not worth it! If you hurt your back again you won't be able to train at all!

I also highly recommend a good belt. I think the BEST belt in the world is the Boa Series by Setwear. Matt DuVall let me use his and went out and bought one the next day.

http://www.setwearfitness.com/FitnessBoaBelts.html

Most of the top pros use this belt.

I hope this helps. Good Luck.

[fleetwood271]

I had an injured disk in my lower back as well (L5-S1).

I would highly recommend that you DO NOT do anything that will cause extreme compression (e.g., NO SQUATS front or back, nothing where any weight rests on your shoulders).

Leg presses are more than adequate for building your thighs. My favorite is the Cybex Squat Press. You can also do Leg extensions and Dumbbell Lunges.

Anything else is really a SERIOUS RISK and not worth it! If you hurt your back again you won't be able to train at all!

I also highly recommend a good belt. I think the BEST belt in the world is the Boa Series by Setwear. Matt DuVall let me use his and went out and bought one the next day.

http://www.setwearfitness.com/FitnessBoaBelts.html

Most of the top pros use this belt.

I hope this helps. Good Luck.

Hey Freakshow,

That's exactly the same location as my injury.  I had a ruptured disk at L5 - S1.  The doc removed about 65% to 70% of the disk.

I've been doing front squats, but not with much weight.  I am in a small town and do not have a gym to go to, so I do not have access to a leg press.

I have a bench with a leg curl and leg extension attachment.  I have free weights.
The thing I don't like about leg extensions is that no matter how much work I do, my legs never get sore.    With squats, 3 to 5 good sets and I could barely walk the next day.

Maybe I could buy one of those $200 vertical leg press machines where you lay on your back and press up with your legs after loading it with free weights.

 

[The Freakshow]

Hey Freakshow,

That's exactly the same location as my injury.  I had a ruptured disk at L5 - S1.  The doc removed about 65% to 70% of the disk.

I've been doing front squats, but not with much weight.  I am in a small town and do not have a gym to go to, so I do not have access to a leg press.

I have a bench with a leg curl and leg extension attachment.  I have free weights.
The thing I don't like about leg extensions is that no matter how much work I do, my legs never get sore.    With squats, 3 to 5 good sets and I could barely walk the next day.

Maybe I could buy one of those $200 vertical leg press machines where you lay on your back and press up with your legs after loading it with free weights.

 

That sucks!

I would seriously talk to your doctor and ask him what he thinks about the front squats. Ask him if it's okay to do dumbbell squats (going down only to parallel) instead.

The dumbbell lunges are woking great for me. Also, if your leg extension machine doesn't go heavy enough, you can use one leg instead of two.

As far as the $200 leg press, if you're thinking about the "old school" one where you lay flat on your back (below), I think that would be horrible for your back. See if you can find an economical 45 degree type.

[fleetwood271]

Why is laying flat on my back and pressing up with my legs bad for my back?

I'm not doubting what you say - Just trying to understand.

[The Freakshow]

Why is laying flat on my back and pressing up with my legs bad for my back?

I'm not doubting what you say - Just trying to understand.

In that position you are much more likely to elevate your hips off of the pad on the eccentric movement (the way down).

If this happens you are very prone to disk injury.

With a 45 degree leg press this is much less likely to happen. However, you have to make sure you don't break parellel (90 degrees) with your knees.

[KSA]

Try a trap/shrug bar, no pressure on spine.


http://newyorkbarbells.com/im-0022shr.html

[fleetwood271]

New York Barbells suggest this piece of equipment for doing squats.

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/pro91305.html

Do you think this would actually reduce the pressure on my spine?

[The Freakshow]

That sucks!

I would seriously talk to your doctor and ask him what he thinks about the front squats. Ask him if it's okay to do dumbbell squats (going down only to parallel) instead.

The dumbbell lunges are woking great for me. Also, if your leg extension machine doesn't go heavy enough, you can use one leg instead of two.

As far as the $200 leg press, if you're thinking about the "old school" one where you lay flat on your back (below), I think that would be horrible for your back. See if you can find an economical 45 degree type.

Chris Cormier is a perfect example of why you shouldn't do the Vertical Leg Press if you have a bad back.

Here's what he said caused his back injury that put him in the hospital.

Chris Cormier (Bodybuilding.com interview):

So, I started training that way. One day I was pushing extra hard, extra deep, on the vertical press for legs. I think I did everything a little too extra!

"By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body
had spasmed out and locked..."
The same night my legs were sore, and I haven't been able to make my quads sore in over a year and a half so I thought that must have been a h#ll of a workout. The next morning, I wake up and my back is sore. I think that is a little weird and I think, "I'm gonna put some ice on this b!tch!"

The day wears on... ten o'clock, eleven, twelve... Each hour my back is getting stiffer and stiffer. By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body had spasmed out and locked... I was calling people, screaming at the top of my lungs.

[KSA]

New York Barbells suggest this piece of equipment for doing squats.

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/pro91305.html

Do you think this would actually reduce the pressure on my spine?

Try a leverage squat machine in a store to have an idea.

You can also try that Yukon leg press :

http://www99.epinions.com/pr-Exercise_Equipment-Yukon_Angled_Leg_Press_ALP-150

[KSA]

Chris Cormier is a perfect example of why you shouldn't do the Vertical Leg Press if you have a bad back.

Here's what he said caused his back injury that put him in the hospital.

Chris Cormier (Bodybuilding.com interview):

So, I started training that way. One day I was pushing extra hard, extra deep, on the vertical press for legs. I think I did everything a little too extra!

"By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body
had spasmed out and locked..."
The same night my legs were sore, and I haven't been able to make my quads sore in over a year and a half so I thought that must have been a h#ll of a workout. The next morning, I wake up and my back is sore. I think that is a little weird and I think, "I'm gonna put some ice on this b!tch!"

The day wears on... ten o'clock, eleven, twelve... Each hour my back is getting stiffer and stiffer. By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body had spasmed out and locked... I was calling people, screaming at the top of my lungs.

Full range of motion, too much weight.

Even with a angled leg press full range of motion can be dangerous for your spine because you curl your lower back.

[Shinobi]

"I would highly recommend that you DO NOT do anything that will cause extreme compression (e.g., NO SQUATS front or back, nothing where any weight rests on your shoulders)"-Freakshow.

Thats the best advice you're gonna get. You may not want to hear it, and alot of people may not agree, but he's right.
I had a slipped disk/herniated disk about 2 years ago-lucky for me no surgery was required. I saw a chiropractor for about a year and did a lot of research on disks etc . Placing  weight across the shoulder girdle compresses the spine, which puts pressure on the disks.

I would say that you stick with db lunges ,bodyweight squats, leg extensions, etc but whatever you do don't stop training your legs. Also very important, go and see a medical professional first, preferably someone skilled in  sports medicine.

good luck.

[Tier]

Chris Cormier is a perfect example of why you shouldn't do the Vertical Leg Press if you have a bad back.

Here's what he said caused his back injury that put him in the hospital.

Chris Cormier (Bodybuilding.com interview):

So, I started training that way. One day I was pushing extra hard, extra deep, on the vertical press for legs. I think I did everything a little too extra!

"By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body
had spasmed out and locked..."
The same night my legs were sore, and I haven't been able to make my quads sore in over a year and a half so I thought that must have been a h#ll of a workout. The next morning, I wake up and my back is sore. I think that is a little weird and I think, "I'm gonna put some ice on this b!tch!"

The day wears on... ten o'clock, eleven, twelve... Each hour my back is getting stiffer and stiffer. By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my whole body had spasmed out and locked... I was calling people, screaming at the top of my lungs.

I thought it was squats at the age of 19 when he checked out some chick while squatting is what compressed 4 discs initially............... ..........?

[KSA]

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=62150.0

Vertical leg press opinion.

[JPM]

I don't know if they still manufactor the original Nautilus leg/hip machine but I wouldn't think that the compression of the spine would be influenced much.. As you lay down of the machine (strapped in) the resistence (large padded rollar type) is behind the knee's. Just straighten the leg's out from that knee's drawn up, lying position. Those three cam gears recuit the total leg/hip muscle mass very strongly. I've done all type's of squats though the years and the old Nautilis leg machine (and the leg extension machine to a lesser degree) ranks right up there for leg mass and stamina. One of the few exercises that I actuall got dizzy from after a few sets. And I was in football shape at the time.

Rehab clinic's usually have devices similar to Nautilis but not engineered the same way. Resistence behind the knee rather than on the knee. One leg at a time is usually worked. I would also suggest working the lower back it's self with GM'ings, SLDL, hyper/reverse type of machine. Along with heavy ab work. Good Luck.