Lying Leg Curl @ up to 7 plates x 4 x 12
DB Reverse Lunge @ up to 75 x 10
One Leg Press @ 75 (side) x 4 x 20
One Leg Ext. @ 4 plates x 3 x 15
Nothing especially fun or impressive, just leg training that doesn’t make my back stop working. No deadlifting or squatting takes much of the fun out of hip dominant training, but being pain-free is worth it.
Finding some good inspiration here, friend. Keep it up. However, no squats/deads? What gives? Injury?
Hi, Matthew!
You are correct. Herniated disc issues initially crippled me in January of 2010. I was back to squatting and deadlifting a couple of months later, but injured myself again. Then again in January the following year.
I remained mostly healthy until the summer of 2013, when I tried squatting and deadlifting again, only to be disabled for nearly a week. I started really analyzing what was causing the injuries to manifest themselves, and it is a combination of spinal compression and lack of recovery.
This might mean doing yoga, overhead presses, and surfing in the same week. While I feel good doing all three, my back cannot recover from that kind of beating without rendering me useless for a couple of painful, frustrating days.
So now I pay very close attention to how my back is feeling, and that determines my activity level. I certainly don’t hit as many PR’s this way, and I definitely don’t get the workhorse, primal barbarian feel of pulling 400+ off the ground. But I do walk around pain-free which is more important.
Finally, you would think that my posterior chain would atrophy as a result. This hasn’t been the case, and I’ve found that my legs, glutes, and lower back are all more detailed than ever because of all of the unilateral work that I do in lieu of the big movements. It’s not for everyone, but definitely food for thought.
Thanks for the great questions, and I hope you’re well.
T
Sorry to hear it, but definitely agree that pain free (or limiting as much as possible) is best route. Looks like you’re still getting some great training and results in – good on you for sticking through it.
I could use some adjustments and will look to your leg work for inspiration. I suffered a labral tear a year ago and it’s progressed to requiring surgery in order to alleviate the symptoms. The pain can be chronic without adjustments – I’m still trying to assess what’s in / what’s out, hoping to avoid the 8 month recovery period of surgery. We shall see…
Keep up the good work.