Alternate exercise for dead lifts??

[eaglobo]

I know Cathe is off the forums while filming, so anyone who might be able to offer up a suggestion, please feel free.

Even at extremely light weight...10 pounds, I really feel these in a not so good way, but I also know they are good for hamstrings, which is an area I need to strengthen.

I'll probably have to eliminate these altogether until I find an alternate substitution.

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated,

Sincerely,

Jerry's Lower Back

 

[LNicolefitness]

I don't know if this would help any Jerry, but try doing them this way...i hope this link works...

http://fitnesstransform.blogspot.com/2007/12/exercise-tip-one-leg-stiff-leg-deadlift.html

My lower back screams for days after doing a regular style deadlift (and I'm a personal trainer, so I know my form is correct), but these don't seem to bother it. I hope this helps in some way

Nicole

 

[eaglobo]

Nicole,

Thanks for this, it is certainly worth a try, and since the motion is similar to a back kick from kickboxing, which I love, I'm pretty sure they'll be ok, I'll let you know after my workout tomorrow

Thanks again,

Jerry

 

[Vee]

Jerry,

Compound leg exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups (leg presses on high step) work both quads and hamstrings, so if deadlifts bother your back, I agree with you that they are not worth doing.

My yoga instructor has a lower back that is amazingly strong and flexible - he can do eye-popping asanas that call for lower back strength. But the deadlift and dead row bother his lower back.

I like to isolate my hamstrings with hamstring curls on the lying curl machine at the gym. I think I remember reading you prefer home workouts. An exercise that I find as effective as the hamstring curl on the machine is the lying hamstring roll in with a stability ball. I've worked out with men sometimes, who can curl impressive poundage on the machine and they agree that the stability ball version gets them as good.

You can do all kind of variations like Cathe has in her DVDs. My personal favorite for the double or single legged version is to pause when the ball is rolled in for a 4 count, on every rep. The upward hip-thrust with one foot on the ball and the other held straight up that Cathe does in Gym Style Legs is fantastic too. That builds up a burn real fast.

~* Vrinda *~

 

[kel402]

Hi Jerry,

I also have lower back issues so whenever deadlifts come up in Cathe's workouts, I lay on an exercise ball with my abs and hips on the ball and my hands on the floor with arms bent. Then I lift my legs keeping my back straight. Does that make sense?

 

[eaglobo]

Thanks for the great recomendations, I appreciate all of them!!

 

[kathryn]

I'd do a combination of a hamstring curl (you can do these standing with ankle weights on) and a back extention ("superman" exercise) to hit most of the muscles that the deadlift does. The only ones you'd miss significantly would be the traps, which you could do shrugs for, if you feel the need.

After doing these for a while, you might be able to do deadlifts again.

(FYI: 'feeling it in a bad way' might be due to rounding of your back, from going too low. When doing deadlifts, imagine yourself to me one of those bird toys that dips its beak in a glass of water ,then bobs back up again---do they make those anymore?--the only bend in your body should be at the hips, with the upper body locked into a chest-up/shoulders-back-and-down/lower-back-locked-into-its-natural-curve position. Any rounding or flattening of the lower back can be an injury risk.).

Deadlifts are excellent exercises if done correctly (full deadlifts hit about 60% of all the muscles in the body, and the modified ones Cathe does hit all the musculature in the posterior chain--which is why it takes more than one exercise to sub for them).

 

[intensityjunkie]

personally I love strait leg deadlifts but I have trouble with bent knee deadlifts... my back kills me with those. I guess I could just continue doing strait leg when they do those then? interesting.