Deadlift substitute

[amyzan]

I would appreciate suggestions on a substitute for deadlifts in Cathe's workouts. I have a bulged disc in my lumbar spine and have been advised against deadlifts by a physical therapist. I asked the PT what he suggested, but his suggestion doesn't work into Cathe's workouts: supine weighted bridges. Short of pausing the workout to put on ankle weights and do ham curls a la The Firm, which also interrupts the flow, I'm at a loss. (The original injury was a year ago, and happened during a long set of deadlifts.) I've been pausing and doing the weighted bridges or using ankle weights for curls, but it just isn't the right answer for most all Cathe's workouts.

Any ideas?

 

[Shelbygirl]

I also never do deadlifts. (I try to avoid anything with the word "dead" in it!). My husband has a big weight machine in our workout area, so when Cathe does deadlifts, I hop on that and do hamstring curls. When she stops so do I. Now if it's an upper body workout and deadlifts are included for back, I just flop onto the floor and do supermans or swimming (Pilates based moves). I have the mat already set on the floor, so no pausing is necessary.

 

[kathryn]

Deadlifts work several muscle groups, from the hamstrings to the trapezius, so finding one exercise that substitute fcr them is tough. For the lower back work part of it, you could do supermans (supermen?) as Shelbygirl suggests, or a move where you are on hands and knees and raise opposite arm and leg.

For the hamstring part of the deadlift, you need to do a move that includes hip extension. While hamstring curls work one of the muscles of the hamsting (the one responsible for bending the leg), they do not hit the other muscle (the one that works when you bring your upper body upright from a bent-over position. You could do rear leg extensions: put on ankle weights, bend forward, supporting your upper body on a bench or chair, and lift one leg straight behind you. You can also work this function of the hamstrings by lying on your back with feet on a stability ball, and lifting your hips up by pressing your feet down into the ball, keeping your knees straight.