i have finally found a reliable workout partner. he lifted alot in the past but quit due to lower back probs. he has been very careful since he started with me, doing very few exercises. mainly bench press, lat pulls, curling on the preacher pad and a few others.but, after only 2 wks, his back has started bothering him and he is leery of continuing. his back problems are bulging discs in L-5 and S-1. does anyone have any good tips in general and certain exercises that would minimize his discomfort while still allowing him to participate? thanks.


i know this isnt a bodybuilding forum but i am not having much luck on those. i thought i would post here where there is alot of traffic.

Quoted: i have finally found a reliable workout partner. he lifted alot in the past but quit due to lower back probs. he has been very careful since he started with me, doing very few exercises. mainly bench press, lat pulls, curling on the preacher pad and a few others.but, after only 2 wks, his back has started bothering him and he is leery of continuing. his back problems are bulging discs in L-5 and S-1. does anyone have any good tips in general and certain exercises that would minimize his discomfort while still allowing him to participate? thanks. i know this isnt a bodybuilding forum but i am not having much luck on those. i thought i would post here where there is alot of traffic.

Challenge him to clean & jerk competition.  Call him a baby.

Well, obviously he needs to see a Dr. for definite advice, but ya'll might try calistenics.  I've found bodyweight exercises to be much easier on the bones and joints.  

He may as well forget lifting weights.

Try something more like Yoga or Tai Chi or even calisthenics.

Once you screw up your back it only gets worse in the long run.

He needs to do bench squats and work on his ab strength.

what is a bench squat? he is interested in bodybuilding, not aerobics.  thanks, though.

I would say do clean and jerks as heavy as he can. Oh, yeah, and bent over rows with really poor form. This problem sounds familar

Are you describing me?

I have a fwe more disks herniated, and have had surgery, but I did well in the gym until Christmas break.(Now I'm being lazy)

If he feels any pain at all he should stop. I have to be VERY careful in the gym, and lift light with high reps. It took some experimenting to find out what I could and couldn't do. There are quite a number of things I can't do anymore, like squating for one. Technique is vital for me to be safe. If I feel anything at all I stop and reassess the exercise. If I can't find a way to do it pain free I do something else. A lot of the stuff I do doesn't involve weights at all. Dips, pullups, crunches(on the inflatable ball), and so on are great, and don't put pressure on my back.

The exercise has really reduced my back pain. I have pain all the time, sometimes worse than others, but if I do rehab style lifting it helps reduce the pain.

Feel free to IM me if you have any questions or concerns.

A bench squat is what I did to stay in the competitve powerlifting game during a lower back injury. This is not a a regular barbell squat where you touch a bench with your ass and then explode up (we called them box squats because we had boxes of various heights for different sized lifters). A bench squat requires two move-able benches, a chain belt, and suitable free weight. Place the benches parallel to each other about the same distance apart as you would have your feet to squat, and angle the benches outward to accomdate your toes pointing at a comfortable angle. Strap the chain belt on and start with a 45 pound plate attached to the chain. Carefully climb onto the benches, put your arms straight out in front for balance, and squat down letting the weight drop down between the benches. You will find that the weight will be around your hips and not on the lower back allowing a decent leg workout will minimizing pressure on the lower back (felt pain).  Have a spotter as the cushion topped benches make it a little tricky to balance. When you stand up after the squat be controlled to minimize chain swing into your special man area. I have gone up to 180 pounds doing this lift and sometimes I feel that bench squats burn the legs more than conventional barbell squats. Bench squats will also correct poor form and force a lifter to sink back with their hips putting the force of the squat through the arches of theri feet as opposed to the balls of their feet (a common problem with lifters who position the barbell too high on their backs preventing a deep enough squat).

Good luck!!

thanks for the replies everybody. 2idoc, you sound exactly like my buddy. krazykarl, thanks for explaining the bench squat. very understandable. that sounds like a great option, i may try it myself, as i hate squats. my buddy is due over here in a couple hours. he is determined to find a way to be able to safely lift. thanks again.

I had back surgery(discectomy, screws and bak cages stuff) and I still do the gym.

It is more cardio, though.

Back problems can be fixed and you can live a fairly normal life post-op.

Quoted: Are you describing me? I have a fwe more disks herniated, and have had surgery, but I did well in the gym until Christmas break.(Now I'm being lazy) If he feels any pain at all he should stop. I have to be VERY careful in the gym, and lift light with high reps. It took some experimenting to find out what I could and couldn't do. There are quite a number of things I can't do anymore, like squating for one. Technique is vital for me to be safe. If I feel anything at all I stop and reassess the exercise. If I can't find a way to do it pain free I do something else. A lot of the stuff I do doesn't involve weights at all. Dips, pullups, crunches(on the inflatable ball), and so on are great, and don't put pressure on my back. The exercise has really reduced my back pain. I have pain all the time, sometimes worse than others, but if I do rehab style lifting it helps reduce the pain. Feel free to IM me if you have any questions or concerns.

same here.

people with back problems post-op are usually overweight, don't excercise and post on the internet 23 hrs out of the day.

Quoted: I would say do clean and jerks as heavy as he can. Oh, yeah, and bent over rows with really poor form. This problem sounds familar

zoe, our boy said he would do the clean and jerks if you do them first.

Does he have access to a pool?  Back when lifting was a 2nd religion, I used to pull a muscle in my back every now and then.   I found that swimming did a lot to help it heal.  Something about the lack of stress on it when you're in the water.

Have him do power cleans.  His back problems will clear right up!!

Weightlifter: " Doc , it hurts when I do this...."

Doc: " Well....don't do that."