Squat alternatives
kenthepainter
Posts: 195 Member
I'm sure I could just google my question but I want to ask here, Are there alternatives to squat for someone like myself who has had back injury in the past and am afraid of re- injury?
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Replies
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What makes you think a squat will cause injury?0
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I suffered a lower back injury while squatting, so I understand the question.What makes you think a squat will cause injury?
To, the OP. You will only get injured if your form is wrong. Have you tried to correct those issues? Did you originally get injured while squatting?0 -
I suffered a lower back injury while squatting, so I understand the question.What makes you think a squat will cause injury?
To, the OP. You will only get injured if your form is wrong. Have you tried to correct those issues? Did you originally get injured while squatting?
That's what I'm getting at. I've had training injuries and it's always been down to doing something with bad form or bulling my way through a rep I shouldn't have attempted.0 -
Tagging0
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Agreed 100%
I suffered a lower back injury while squatting, so I understand the question.What makes you think a squat will cause injury?
To, the OP. You will only get injured if your form is wrong. Have you tried to correct those issues? Did you originally get injured while squatting?
That's what I'm getting at. I've had training injuries and it's always been down to doing something with bad form or bulling my way through a rep I shouldn't have attempted.0 -
Just for what it's worth, I agree with the dudes above.
I recall at least two separate times where I convinced myself that I can't bench press due to my shoulders and I can't squat because of my knees.
And while there's plenty of people stronger than I am, I hit a 300lb bench and a 410lb squat since ridding myself of those beliefs. Had someone told me two years ago that I'd be benching and squatting those loads I'd be awfully happy.
My knees are fine, and my shoulders are better than they were before I started benching. I have less knee and shoulder pain now than I did before.
The problems were that I wasn't benching or squatting correctly.
This isn't to say that injuries or limitations do NOT exist that prevent people from doing those lifts.0 -
You probably need to detail the nature of your injury. If you have a few slipped discs, I'd say you should be careful. If it was merely a back muscle sprain, you should be good to go after proper rehab and conditioning.0
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Yeah I would think that if you're engaging all the right muscles, you probably wouldn't have a problem. I say that knowing nothing of your previous injury and having no medical expertise even if I did.
For the sake of argument, if we assume that performing a squat with correct form would offer no significant risk of re-injuring yourself, then perhaps you could slowly work on your form just to make yourself more mentally comfortable with the lift.
Before I did weighed barbell back squats, I did wall squats with a stability ball between me and the wall. Then I did wall sits. Then I watched a lot of videos of people performing squats. Then I worked my way up slowly in weights and obsessively looked at myself in the gym mirror.....to the extent that I had a trainer tell me to stop looking at myself in the mirror *glances at Sidesteel*
For me, lifting form can be kind of a mind game. Then again, most things are kind of a mind game for me.0 -
Yeah I would think that if you're engaging all the right muscles, you probably wouldn't have a problem. I say that knowing nothing of your previous injury and having no medical expertise even if I did.
For the sake of argument, if we assume that performing a squat with correct form would offer no significant risk of re-injuring yourself, then perhaps you could slowly work on your form just to make yourself more mentally comfortable with the lift.
Before I did weighed barbell back squats, I did wall squats with a stability ball between me and the wall. Then I did wall sits. Then I watched a lot of videos of people performing squats. Then I worked my way up slowly in weights and obsessively looked at myself in the gym mirror.....to the extent that I had a trainer tell me to stop looking at myself in the mirror *glances at Sidesteel*
For me, lifting form can be kind of a mind game. Then again, most things are kind of a mind game for me.
LOL
Deadlift
Deadlift
Deadlift
*check side mirror*
Deadlift
Deadlift
*check side mirror*0 -
Yeah I would think that if you're engaging all the right muscles, you probably wouldn't have a problem. I say that knowing nothing of your previous injury and having no medical expertise even if I did.
For the sake of argument, if we assume that performing a squat with correct form would offer no significant risk of re-injuring yourself, then perhaps you could slowly work on your form just to make yourself more mentally comfortable with the lift.
Before I did weighed barbell back squats, I did wall squats with a stability ball between me and the wall. Then I did wall sits. Then I watched a lot of videos of people performing squats. Then I worked my way up slowly in weights and obsessively looked at myself in the gym mirror.....to the extent that I had a trainer tell me to stop looking at myself in the mirror *glances at Sidesteel*
For me, lifting form can be kind of a mind game. Then again, most things are kind of a mind game for me.
LOL
Deadlift
Deadlift
Deadlift
*check side mirror*
Deadlift
Deadlift
*check side mirror*
Somehow I expect my back to be rounded every. single. time.0 -
I'm sure I could just google my question but I want to ask here, Are there alternatives to squat for someone like myself who has had back injury in the past and am afraid of re- injury?
Leg Press is a fun alternative if you absolutely cannot do squats.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/squat-versus-leg-press-for-big-legs.html
But like the others have said, don't discount squats just yet. Try doing a bunch of high volume/low weight squats for a few months to build your confidence and form back up. Your nervous system will get used to the movement and the more practice you get, the better your form will be.0 -
I have a back injury also. (thoracic disc bluge x2) I have been doing Bulgarian split squats (much less total weight required) and leg press mainly. I built my legs with regular bb squats but have been able to maintain LBM quite well with these alternatives.
Just means that I then have to do other core specific stuff and some glute stuff that would normally be done from squats alone.0
