Back Exercises

Planks are great for core strengthening as you hit all supportive core muscle groups. Side planks are also good. You can do deadlifts with your own body weight and add on extra weight by holding stuff in your hands, a bucket with water in it for example increasing the amount of water over time. Hip bridges, bird dogs and any kind of abdominal exercise is also good.

I good way to start lifting heavy is by just using the bar itself and adding weight once every week. Helps you work on your form. If your form is bad, your destined for injury down the line. Meaning you can be starting right now...

Just start deadlifting with light weights. Gradually add weight and your back and core will gradually get stronger. You deadlift as a means of becoming stronger; training to become stronger before you start training to become stronger is asinine unless you are recovering from an injury.

starting strength, stronglifts. you start with the bar. basic beginner's linear progression program. maybe some assistance like planks.

starting strength dot com is as good a place as any to start. with good form (It's fair to say that the people you know who claim to have hurt themselves were using poor form or too much weight or both) and light weights, you'll help your situation

VeryKatie wrote: »

Great, thanks everyone! I'll look into this

@Lofteren, the reason I'm concerned is because I know several people who strain their backs dead lifting when it's really supposed to be more of a hamstring exercise (of course it's compound so it will work your back too, but it shouldn't strain too much). I've heard that if you "feel it in your back" it means your back is a little too weak to be doing it and I know the bars you usually use are quite heavy even without plates. But I could be wrong. I'm not sure where to look to find correct info?

Think of the DL as a full-body movement. The glutes, hamstrings, and quads might be prime movers in the exercise but your whole body is used to help stabilize the movement. If your gym has 10lb bumper plates you can use then you might just consider deadlifting; 65lbs should be fairly light for just about any healthy adult.

On the other hand, if you have a mental block about doing the lift then you might actually risk an injury more because of that than a deficiency because you'll be hesitant. You can't let your head get in the way if you know what I mean. In that case it wouldn't be horrible to spend 4 weeks doing some stabilization endurance training first.

VeryKatie wrote: »

Great, thanks everyone! I'll look into this

@Lofteren, the reason I'm concerned is because I know several people who strain their backs dead lifting when it's really supposed to be more of a hamstring exercise (of course it's compound so it will work your back too, but it shouldn't strain too much). I've heard that if you "feel it in your back" it means your back is a little too weak to be doing it and I know the bars you usually use are quite heavy even without plates. But I could be wrong. I'm not sure where to look to find correct info?

None of what you just said was true. Search for "so you think you can deadlift" on youtube, start deadlifting light, gradually increase the weight and profit.

^^ double likes