Lower back movements / alternatives to GHD machine

Dustin07

Dustin07

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One of my favorite lower back routines was always extensions on the GHD, but I don't currently have access to one.

Aside from deadlifts and RDL's, what else can I throw into my routine to really hammer away at the posterior and lower back area? This is less about aesthetics and more about rehab and strength improvement.

Currently working sets of squats and good mornings really irritate the lower back so I want to build that area up so it can support heavier squats.

thanks,

RDL's are great and do work, I just want to add more to it.
 

Ase_james

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I use a roman chair regularly, it helps a ton. I also warm up on leg day with leg curls on a yoga ball. Lay on your back, feet on the ball, tighten abs and pucker your buthole... mo im not joking then fles your lower back and lift your body. You need to hold all that in, and do your leg curls. Sounds idiotic, but i rarely jave back pain anymore and am bone on bone in L4&5
 

Ase_james

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I use a roman chair regularly, it helps a ton. I also warm up on leg day with leg curls on a yoga ball. Lay on your back, feet on the ball, tighten abs and pucker your buthole... mo im not joking then fles your lower back and lift your body. You need to hold all that in, and do your leg curls. Sounds idiotic, but i rarely jave back pain anymore and am bone on bone in L4&5
Flex, not fles...
 
Dustin07

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I use a roman chair regularly, it helps a ton. I also warm up on leg day with leg curls on a yoga ball. Lay on your back, feet on the ball, tighten abs and pucker your buthole... mo im not joking then fles your lower back and lift your body. You need to hold all that in, and do your leg curls. Sounds idiotic, but i rarely jave back pain anymore and am bone on bone in L4&5
yeah I have a crushed disk under L5, although I don't believe it's really the cause of my issue because that showed up on an MRI 8 years ago yet back pain only started 2 years ago. It got so bad my Squat and Deadlift went from 320/450 to like 135/95 and even those hurt. I'm back up to 300/385 ish but those working sets are hurting again so I need to figure it out.

the only connection I can make so far is that when the weight gets heavy enough to put strain on the lower back, that's where the pain starts.
for instance. Deadlift 225... all day long. sets of 10, 20, whatever. no big deal. and squats, same thing at 185. I can squat it until I get winded.

but once I get over about 225/295 on squats/deads, the pulling starts. and if I do good mornings I get it in that lower back area too. It seems to be centered around the periformis from mid glute left side up through where my belt would be worn with regular pants on.

so right now all I can think is to continue strengthening that area.

the the past romanian deadlifts leave my back feeling absolutely bulletproof. but I want more movements to add to that as just doing sets of RDL's 3 times a week gets tedious and boring and I feel like more movements are better anyways.
 

Ase_james

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yeah I have a crushed disk under L5, although I don't believe it's really the cause of my issue because that showed up on an MRI 8 years ago yet back pain only started 2 years ago. It got so bad my Squat and Deadlift went from 320/450 to like 135/95 and even those hurt. I'm back up to 300/385 ish but those working sets are hurting again so I need to figure it out.

the only connection I can make so far is that when the weight gets heavy enough to put strain on the lower back, that's where the pain starts.
for instance. Deadlift 225... all day long. sets of 10, 20, whatever. no big deal. and squats, same thing at 185. I can squat it until I get winded.

but once I get over about 225/295 on squats/deads, the pulling starts. and if I do good mornings I get it in that lower back area too. It seems to be centered around the periformis from mid glute left side up through where my belt would be worn with regular pants on.

so right now all I can think is to continue strengthening that area.

the the past romanian deadlifts leave my back feeling absolutely bulletproof. but I want more movements to add to that as just doing sets of RDL's 3 times a week gets tedious and boring and I feel like more movements are better anyways.
I fell off a house 16 years ago and blew that disc. It didnt hurt until 5 or 6 years ago...
Pretty normal, it started hurting after i hit mid 30's.
Do you do single leg squats at all? You can hit each leg with more weight plus work all the balance parts and have less pain. I do them on the stairs with dumbells.
 
Dustin07

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I fell off a house 16 years ago and blew that disc. It didnt hurt until 5 or 6 years ago...
Pretty normal, it started hurting after i hit mid 30's.
Do you do single leg squats at all? You can hit each leg with more weight plus work all the balance parts and have less pain. I do them on the stairs with dumbells.
coincidentally I can only really do pistol squats with a weight. I mean, I can do them without but the balance is much easier if i'm holding a kb lol. I did actually do a lot of pistols when I first started rehabing because it allowed me to isolate that left side since my right side seemed to be over compensating during squats and deads.

thanks for suggesting that, I had let them fall out of my routine but I'll add them back in.
 
AdelV

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I use a roman chair regularly, it helps a ton. I also warm up on leg day with leg curls on a yoga ball. Lay on your back, feet on the ball, tighten abs and pucker your buthole... mo im not joking then fles your lower back and lift your body. You need to hold all that in, and do your leg curls. Sounds idiotic, but i rarely jave back pain anymore and am bone on bone in L4&5
Any videos of this?
 

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