Quote: (09-27-2012 02:13 PM)theoak Wrote:
Quote: (09-27-2012 01:48 PM)BoiBoi Wrote:
I have some lower back issues and they get worse when I squat. Dont get me wrong, squatting is THE shit and I would like to reinclude it into my routine, but it fucks with my back too much.
What the best alternatives for the squats? Leg press? Leg extension? Farmers Walk?
If squatting is causing lower back pain, you have flexibility issues.
Learn to stretch your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, calves, etc and the lower back pain will go away. I used to have the same issues.
Leg press and extensions are for girls and the elderly. Lunges are good. I prefer pistol squats AKA 1-leg squats, which take a while to work up to but build strength in every fiber of every muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.
I've hurt my back a handful of times over the years. What I've learned is it isn't a little-by-little injury. You probably injured it once and it's still bothering you. The only thing that heals that is time. Just gotta wait.
I used to attribute lower back injuries to squat form. But the only form mistake on squats that results in lower back problems is rounding your lower back. And if you're rounding your lower back, then what's probably wrong is a combo of poor flexibility and too much weight. With poor hip flexibility or ankle mobility, even with weight that doesn't feel heavy, you'll overcompensate getting low by bending your back, in which case you're really deadlifting the weight out of the hole and then squatting it for the second half.
Squat issues usually come down to hip flexors, which is counterintuitive because you stretch them in the opposite direction of the squat movement. Improve flexibility on all those muscles though, to prevent injury and improve speed.
Also, Belts will NOT prevent back injury.
That's my 2 cents. BTW my squat PR is 405 lb raw, no belt, natural, 6'2 200lb.
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