Substitues for Deadlifts?

melindanew

I know, I know, there aren't any.

I have a really severe congenital issue with my back. (Scoliosis from L3-S1 with bulging discs and bilateral nerve impingement that will require titanium rods to be inserted at some stage in the future - 24-36 month timeframe depending on pain and so forth. I have some thoracic scoliosis as well but it just makes my shoulders look rounded when they aren't and starts arguments with personal trainers.)

So when my nerves went all wonky I was lifting pretty heavy, squatting and deadlifting my not-inconsiderable bodyweight.

I am told by my surgeon no squats with weight on my shoulders in any way, nor can I cheat that by holding the weight some other way and no deadlifts. Squats, meh, I'm doing a mechanical leg press and I hate it, although I really have not much of a natural lumbar arch left so who cares.

Deadlifts, I have not been able to reproduce and I miss them. I loves loves me some deadlifts and sumo deadlifts. :sad:

TL;DR - skip to here:

So what can I do, or what series of exercies can I do, to replace that specific muscle target?

michellekicks

Glute bridge? Weighted hip-thrust? Similar action, no? Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

ndj1979

straight leg deadlift with barbell or dumbbells...

I have seen posts from people on here with back problems who said proper deadlift form actually helped their back problems...you might want to see if DL would still be an option for you ...

but there really is no substitute for a good ole DL

melindanew

Thanks, mrsbigmack, I'll look into those. The weighted hip thrust looks like something I could handle and I'm desperate to do nice things for my glutes and hammies again.

njd1979, I utterly agree there's no substitute. This is the compromise position from my surgeon, who initially ordered me to completey stop lifting heavy things, and only came to this when I told him I was probably not going to adhere to that. Proper DL form might help your typical muscular back pain/spasms, but in this instance my spine is actually curved to the right in a 50 degree angle. I have no lower lumbar curve (not much anyway) and my hips are visibily and drastically uneven, except I have long since learned to dress so it doesn't show. The disc bulging is secondary to this, and the nerve(s) are stuck between bone, not muscle. So no antiinflammatory and no form is going to solve this. Weightloss was helping the pain (and I'm always in pain of some sort, somewhere between 'I can feel that' and 'I'mma just go hide and cry, see you in a few hours.')

Probably those sorts of barbell lifts won't work, either, but I'll ask him when I see him again. He took a plastic spinal column, twisted it like mine, and gave me a very graphic and visual representation of what can happen if I don't abide what he says. *shudder*

Mostly I want my glutes and hammies engaged in some useful way (I do heaps of core, that's part of getting ready for the surgery is to get my core as strong as I can get it.) I used to rely utterly on various forms of DL but that's right out now.

Still, those weighted hip thrusts look intriguing...

ndj1979

got ya ..

what about squats or leg press?

bostonwolf

Or Kettlebell swings?

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Don't fear the leg press machine, and also there is the glute-ham raise, where you lay on a pad face-down and kick up. Also leg curl. I prefer face down, but many gyms have the leg curl chair machine. These should keep you from putting undue pressure on your spine.

Just because machines aren't "optimal" doesn't mean you won't get a good workout. Machines do have a place in a normal strength training program, and for someone with a physical limitation, they can be quite beneficial.

PikaKnight

Is there a physical therapist your doctor can recommend? Someone who might at least be able to go over what exercises/equipment you can use?

_noob_

Low cable rows is the best low impact lower back (mainly a middle back exercise though) exercise I can think of.

grantdumas7

1 legged dumbbell deadlifts, pull-thrus, hyperext, reverse hypers and glute-ham raises are a few that come to mind.

upgetupgetup

Gah, you have my sympathy. I'm trying to work around a few issues (more minor, and still under investigation).

From my reading, the hip thrust or glute bridge will mostly work the top bit of your butt. The article below offers substitutions for many lifts, but none, I think, that address your specific circumstance:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5158042

Can you do bodyweight exercises (given it's still weight, but it'd be preposterous if not, as you kind of have to carry your body around anyway)? It's not ideal, but you could do bodyweight step-ups. The larger (more vertical) the step you can take, the more the glute max will be activated. Apparently a forward lean will encourage this further. Variant: the step mill (the one that looks like an escalator, not the other one). Walking on a treadmill on an incline. Any results would be mostly down to repetition, so there're room for problems there, too, though.

(I used to take the step mill two steps at a time to target the area you mean.)

See this for other ideas (same author): http://bretcontreras.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/glute-secrets/

Take heart that for *weight* loss, it's about a calorie deficit, and that can be done by diet alone.

Shock_Wave

barbell good mornings possibly?

Docmahi

Man I really have no idea

my best guess would be reverse hyperextension just because its all bodyweight so there wont be additional spinal compression - thats a toughie

upgetupgetup

(As part of my modifications, I've been using the leg press and leg curl machines. I've felt you have to be conservative with the weight, and make good use of the handles to minimize lower back strain. Leg extension machine, I don't usually have knee problems and I felt twinges after two attempts I really like the curl for hamstrings.)

jonnythan

I'd suggest you find an ortho who specializes in sports medicine and see what they have to say about it.

upgetupgetup

I'd suggest you find an ortho who specializes in sports medicine and see what they have to say about it.

Yeah this is really best. OR a physio who cares about sport (vs is used to rehabbing sedentary people). BUT, even with them, don't let them write you off as a middle-aged woman. Tell them you're an active recreational athlete and want desperately to return to activity. Different people get different treatment.

(I speak as a woman approaching middle age.)

Also there are 'clinical Pilates' specialists who often work with (and/or are) physios. Not the same as a DL, I know. But may help.

melindanew

Some truly excellent ideas here, thanks. Research to do!

I've been so bummed about it I haven't actually been thinking ouside the square.

I'd suggest you find an ortho who specializes in sports medicine and see what they have to say about it.

Yeah this is really best. OR a physio who cares about sport (vs is used to rehabbing sedentary people). BUT, even with them, don't let them write you off as a middle-aged woman. Tell them you're an active recreational athlete and want desperately to return to activity. Different people get different treatment.

(I speak as a woman approaching middle age.)

Mmm..you're 100% correct. I'm 44 and I'm getting a lot of 'yes dear, of course you like to "lift" "weights"' from my ortho, and my surgeon...it's sort of like talking to a computer lacking the compassion subroutine. He's meant to be the best though, and I've had two other surgeons go, "No, too hard, go see this guy." So....

I think I'll do some reserach on these and take it to my physio, but any other ideas would be awesome so keep it coming if you think of something else. My physio is a sports med guy who does see people who are recreational athletes, and he's been really respectful of my needing to keep lifting so far.

Thanks so much again all!

upgetupgetup

my surgeon...it's sort of like talking to a computer lacking the compassion subroutine. He's meant to be the best though, and I've had two other surgeons go, "No, too hard, go see this guy." So....

My physio is a sports med guy who does see people who are recreational athletes, and he's been really respectful of my needing to keep lifting so far.

This is amazing luck, then. Wishing you more of it.

(I kind of think surgeons have to be or become *kitten* to do their job, to be fair.)

melindanew

Oh, and to answer some questions - yes, I can do bodyweight stuff, so long as it's not compressing my spine from the top or right side.

Hakarn

I have a few of the same problems that you have. Everybody assumes that I'm slouching, but really I'm not I also feel like I am going to pass out or throw up whenever I do weighted squats. There's a way to hold the bar in front, closer to your waist. That works for me, but it is a lot harder to hold on when you go heavier. http://twohundredsquats.com/ works also. It's not as fun or impressive as increasing your max, but it gets the job done.

I can't really help you on the deadlift side. My chronic lower back pain is from torn muscle, not spinal. So deadlifts help. I have to keep my back completely rigid to do them, so I cannot do stiff-legged. This also means I do not go all of the way down (maybe a foot off the ground - I'm tall). Maybe this would work for your condition... maybe not?