training with lower back pain - could you advice how to adapt for tomorrow

[xorovatz]

hi, i am following Rippetoe's basic training.
Friday i hurt my lower back probably because of a bad movement when doing squats 3x5 reps.

My next training is tomorrow, Monday. Squat, bench press and deadlift, all 3x5 reps as the plan says.

The lower back pain has been reduced a lot since Friday, but still very much there, so i am sure i can not do heavy weight exercises with this.

As I have promised myself never to miss a training day, how can i still get a workout? I know i can do the bench press for sure. should i squat and deadlift with low weights? other?

thanks for your advice.

[GluteusMaximus]

If you truly want to risk further and perhaps permanent injury because you don't want to miss a training day then go buy a belt keep it TIGHT, lower the weight significantly, and keep perfect form.

From someone having DDD in two disks and suffering from chronic lower back pain, a spinal injury is something you do NOT want to take lightly. Take some time off to heal.

[.Enigma.]

If you truly want to risk further and perhaps permanent injury because you don't want to miss a training day then go buy a belt keep it TIGHT, lower the weight significantly, and keep perfect form.

From someone having DDD in two disks and suffering from chronic lower back pain, a spinal injury is something you do NOT want to take lightly. Take some time off to heal.

2x

I would definitely not do any back exercises. Its not going to kill you to miss one day.

[M_Bodyshop]

x3

Last thing you want is your lower back injured permanently because that's the end of weightlifting all together for the most part. It's not worth the risk

[xorovatz]

hi and thanks for such quick advice

so shall i do cardio + upper body instead for Monday or nothing at all?

thanks again

[callmegumby]

I agree with them... Stretch a lot. If an exercise hurts at all, don't do it. I've worked through my back pain, but pushing it will just make it worse. Give it time

[M_Bodyshop]

You can work your upper and even some lower with leg ext prehaps. However an injuried back is a tricky thing have to realize your back is at your center so a lot of exercises that might not seem like they involve the back will. If you want to work around it just do trial and error start off every exercise with light weight if you feel it in your lower back dont' do it at all. If you don't feel it up the weight to more till you get to what you normally lifting. Don't do any movements that involve jerking motions like cheat curls.

[xorovatz]

thank you soooo much for your time and advice!!

[GuyJin]

I'd have to agree with the above posters. Solid advice. Glad to hear you're on Starting Strength, but your lower back isn't something to fool around with. When you go into the gym on Monday, start by hanging from a chin bar to stretch out your lower back and if you can do light leg presses without pain, do them. IF there is the slightest twinge on any exercise, skip the rest of the training for that day, rest up, and try on Wednesday. I've also had--and still have--lower back problems, and it's no fun at all. Better to miss a couple of sessions than be ruined for a long time.

Best of luck!

[joesatch]

Hey man

I had a similar problem in that I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts. It was my last exercise and set so I stopped. I'm not sure how serious an injury it was, but my back was painful during the workout and the following day it was still difficult to move around. Three days later it had healed quite a bit but was still sore.

I am currently doing a two-day split with dead-lifts on my "legs" day. What I did was give it a weeks rest without doing any training that involved my lower-back (i.e I had to drop an exercise or two from my program).

When I finally did deadlifts and squats again (two weeks later), I did squats last (normally I did them first) with a lighter weight (about 40% lighter) and then I did dead-lifts right at the and also with a lighter weight (about 30% lighter), focusing on my form. I did not experience any lower-back pain during the exercise. Its now two weeks later, and my injury seems to have gone.

So my advice would be to rest up for a while, if it's not too painful, train but avoid any exercise that will target your lower back directly. Also do the streching the other posters have suggested.