# How to train legs without causing spine compression. ...



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

Its official, had an mri scan on my spine and its starting to crumble away

So can someone give me some tips on how to train legs and calves without having the weight compressing my spine.

I mainly need calve excersies as I can manage hams and quads with seated machines

Thanks


----------



## ah24 (Jun 25, 2006)

Leg press (with strict form), leg ext, leg curl, lunges, bodyweight squats with a high TUT, 1 legged squats, SLDL's etc..

as for calves,,, calf raises and it's many variations: standing, single leg, donkey will do the job.


----------



## Guest (Jun 27, 2013)

dip belt and a couple of box's to stand on.


----------



## solidcecil (Mar 8, 2012)

Seated calf raises, donkey raises.


----------



## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

All good suggestions... also consider lower weights.

There is a short lad in my gym who's got a very decent physique, he had some back issues so now only squats 100kg but has upped his reps and sets, also goes as low as possible and alters foot placement and uses an ultra narrow stance a lot. His quads have literally exploded... I almost dropped my water when he hitched his shorts up the other day to show me.


----------



## Heath (Mar 3, 2011)

2004mark said:


> I almost dropped my water when he hitched his shorts up the other day to show me.


Sounds romantic :laugh:


----------



## Gary29 (Aug 21, 2011)

2004mark said:


> All good suggestions... also consider lower weights.
> 
> There is a short lad in my gym who's got a very decent physique, he had some back issues so now only squats 100kg but has upped his reps and sets, also goes as low as possible and alters foot placement and uses an ultra narrow stance a lot. His quads have literally exploded... *I almost dropped my water when he hitched his shorts up the other day to show me*.


Is that a euphemism?


----------



## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

single leg leg press, super strict

leg extensions

leg curls

seated calves

thats what i did when my back was playing up.


----------



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

mikex101 said:


> dip belt and a couple of box's to stand on.


That's a good idea, I never thought of using a dip belt tbh Thanks fella



solidcecil said:


> Seated calf raises, donkey raises.


I don't have any equipment for seated raises the dbells would dig into my legs


----------



## solidcecil (Mar 8, 2012)

cas said:


> I don't have any equipment for seated raises the dbells would dig into my legs


Do you not have a ez-curl bar? Put your legs in the bends of the bar.


----------



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

solidcecil said:


> Do you not have a ez-curl bar? Put your legs in the bends of the bar.


Nice one I will give that a try, Thanks fella


----------



## Dangerous20 (May 20, 2012)

I don't have any equipment for seated raises the dbells would dig into my legs


----------



## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

MutantX said:


> Sounds romantic :laugh:





Gary29 said:


> Is that a euphemism?


It crossed my mind I might get a comment or two for writing that... should have listened to my instinct :lol:


----------



## Dangerous20 (May 20, 2012)

Or if you have a lying leg curl you could sit backwards on it and put the pad across ure knees and a step underneath ure feet. We have a life fitness one at our gym and it works quite well for it


----------



## kefka (Apr 22, 2013)

higher rep lower weights and more leg machines that offer back support.


----------



## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

2004mark said:


> All good suggestions... also consider lower weights.
> 
> There is a short lad in my gym who's got a very decent physique, he had some back issues so now only squats 100kg but has upped his reps and sets, also goes as low as possible and alters foot placement and uses an ultra narrow stance a lot. His quads have literally exploded... I almost dropped my water when he hitched his shorts up the other day to show me.


You do know what the word literally means yea? :lol:


----------



## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

engllishboy said:


> You do know what the word literally means yea? :lol:


Clearly not


----------



## comfla (Feb 26, 2013)

Oh my god his legs god blown off? That's why I squat wide


----------



## Cronus (Jun 5, 2012)

Trap bar deadlift? I've read that these are virtually identical to squatting.


----------



## Lukeg (Mar 6, 2011)

Zercher squats...


----------



## huarache (May 28, 2012)

seated calve raises, weight on the knee


----------



## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

Some strange theories here.

Firstly get advice from someone who knows what they are talking about in the physio world if it is that bad.

Anything seated like DB press as this will compress/load the spine MORE - standing spreads the load through the hip and across two legs, seated the spine is the end of the compression.

If it's a disc or vertebrae issue then you need to do some serious work on stabilising the spine to reduce the wear. Planks etc

Technique when squatting has to be flawless - avoid leg press as they increase spinal compression massively - multiple times more than squats or deadlifts.

Good luck. There are many PL'ers who have had similar who still squat very heavy.


----------



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

martin brown said:


> Some strange theories here.
> 
> Firstly get advice from someone who knows what they are talking about in the physio world if it is that bad.
> 
> ...


My consultant just said stay away from over head weight work, and squat,DL. I asked what exercises I could do instead and he didn't really know

I will just stick to seated leg curls and laying hammy curls. And I am eyeing up a seated calf raise machine for at home


----------



## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

cas said:


> My consultant just said stay away from over head weight work, and squat,DL. I asked what exercises I could do instead and he didn't really know
> 
> I will just stick to seated leg curls and laying hammy curls. And I am eyeing up a seated calf raise machine for at home


With all due respect your consultant most likely knows f'all about training.

See a good physio.

TBH seated curls and calf raises you may as well quit training now!


----------



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

martin brown said:


> With all due respect your consultant most likely knows f'all about training.
> 
> See a good physio.
> 
> TBH seated curls and calf raises you may as well quit training now!


Cool I will quit now


----------



## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

cas said:


> Cool I will quit now


lol, the sensible approach would be to fix as much as possible through muscular stability and continue a normal life including training with 'normal' movements


----------



## Just_Bob (Feb 2, 2013)

got a similar problem mate had surgery but its still ****ed. i took time out of training legs for a while and really worked on my core. now i use lighter weights when squatting but mix it up changing time under tension, sets, reps etc. i find front squats take some pressure off the lower back to.

i now look like a f**got when squatting but my backs stayin safe and my legs are growing so who cares!

oh yer i always wear a belt when squatting to, proppa thick powerlifting one.. maybe i shouldnt as its not helping me to strengthen my core but i do spend time working on my core strength in over ways so..

just be carefull you only got one back


----------



## cas (Jan 9, 2011)

martin brown said:


> lol, the sensible approach would be to fix as much as possible through muscular stability and continue a normal life including training with 'normal' movements


The mri showed "very good muscular structure" so the quack said, I wish I had got a photo of the screen. My doctor was blowing smoke up my ass I thought he was going to ask me on a date lol

My consultant was my physio, he said I HAVE to work around it, ita not something that's going to get better, the disk is almost completely gone on one side and is bulging out, and the next disk up is going the same way. He said I do qualify for the surgery. But I said I didn't want it yet, I am scared of it going wrong and not being able to use my Johnson



Just_Bob said:


> got a similar problem mate had surgery but its still ****ed. i took time out of training legs for a while and really worked on my core. now i use lighter weights when squatting but mix it up changing time under tension, sets, reps etc. i find front squats take some pressure off the lower back to.
> 
> i now look like a f**got when squatting but my backs stayin safe and my legs are growing so who cares!
> 
> ...


I just use the bar while squatting now, just for the movement really, not for growth...


----------

