Leg Presses Good For Lower Back?

[wannabfit]

Hi guys,
I hurt my back a little over 3 months ago. Dr. says I have a bulging disk between L4 and L5. He told me the only thing I could really do is take Aleve and do stretches and exercises for my lower back to get blood flow through and around the disk. Do you all think that doing leg presses would help my situation. I am fairly new to training and am uncomfortable (spelling?) doing squats. I have had minor back problems for the last 10 years and I don't want to mess it up worse by doing squats wrong so I tend to shy away from them. So what do you think would leg presses "get the blood flowing" in my lower back.
Thanks
Bob

 

[CowPimp]

Your lower back isn't really doing anything during a leg press. It's a good way to get in some heavy compound leg work without having to worry as much about your bulging disk though.

I might start with something simple like hyperextensions and/or reverse hyperextensions with bodyweight, assuming they don't give you any pain.

 

[anklebreaker]

arent u extending at ur hip joint when you do leg press? Isn't this lower back though prehaps not as much as squatting or deadlifting?

 

[AKIRA]

Ive had some lower back problems that intensified while doing leg presses.

But I believe it was from my leg placement and how far I go down.

 

[CowPimp]

arent u extending at ur hip joint when you do leg press? Isn't this lower back though prehaps not as much as squatting or deadlifting?

Extending at the hip joint is primarily glutes and hammies my friend. Spinal extension is your lower back. I usually train in such a manner that there is no active spinal extension, only isometric spinal extension (Such as a deadlift or squat). Even when I do hyperextensions I try to maintain a constant spinal position.

 

[wannabfit]

Please explain what a hyperextension is? I do lie on my belly on the floor and and do a push up action but instead of doing a push up I arch my lower back so my legs are still on the floor but my upper body is pushed up off the floor. This is one of the exercises my PT gave me. I also do knee pulls to my chest, crunch, back bridges, and a move called the cat and the camel that is supposed to stretch the muscles in my lower back. All of these were given to my by my PT. I have full range of movement and no real pain other then aching in my back if I over do the exercises. The only other pain I had was muscle cramping in my leg. This wasn't nerve pain, I would wake up after a couple hours of sleep with terrible leg cramps. I could actually get up and walk off the pain. It never bothered me throughout the day cause I was alway active. It was just when I would rest. My biggest concern is I am listing (leaning) to my right. The Dr. tells me this is from the disk being inflamed and bulging, so my body spasms the muscles on the opposite side of my body to help make room for the bulging disk, to protect itself. I have an opportunity to use an inversion table. I've been told that hanging will help my disk heal better by letting my spine rest? Sorry I got a little off subject, but I figure you all know more about this then the Dr.s. Opinion please
Thanks
Again

 

[SuperFlex]

Hi guys,
I hurt my back a little over 3 months ago. Dr. says I have a bulging disk between L4 and L5. He told me the only thing I could really do is take Aleve and do stretches and exercises for my lower back to get blood flow through and around the disk. Do you all think that doing leg presses would help my situation. I am fairly new to training and am uncomfortable (spelling?) doing squats. I have had minor back problems for the last 10 years and I don't want to mess it up worse by doing squats wrong so I tend to shy away from them. So what do you think would leg presses "get the blood flowing" in my lower back.
Thanks
Bob

Do light squats. Done right they will help strengthen your back. Leg presses are actually going to put more strain on your lower back. Especially if you go deep...

 

[PWGriffin]

Flex, he didn't strain his back, he has a bulging disk....telling him to squat is a bad idea....that shit is not to be taken lightly....



WannaBFit...you can do leg presses...but I would recommend doing them one leg at a time to take alot of pressure off the lower back. Other exercises you might try are Lunges and *ack* leg extensions and curls.

 

[wannabfit]

Right now I'm not concerned with building muscle. I'm focusing on getting my back fixed. The Doc's tell me I need to do exercises to get blood flowing around and through the disk to get the swelling to go down. Would leg extensions and curls help my lower back? I'm shying away from squats cause I don't feel I can do them with correct form.

 

[PWGriffin]

Right now I'm not concerned with building muscle. I'm focusing on getting my back fixed. The Doc's tell me I need to do exercises to get blood flowing around and through the disk to get the swelling to go down. Would leg extensions and curls help my lower back? I'm shying away from squats cause I don't feel I can do them with correct form.

If the doc told you to do exercises to get blood flowing in there, then definitely stick to bodyweight hyper extensions. I wouldn't try any articulation of deadlifts.

 

[tucker01]

Since he isn't here

Well, aside from the back rounding thing I don't like the leg press because of the direct force it places on the back due to the load being up in the air like that.

Depends on what type of leg press you are using

 

[wannabfit]

OK so what are hyper-extensions? Sorry I'm still a newbie.

 

[CowPimp]

OK so what are hyper-extensions? Sorry I'm still a newbie.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/Wt45Hyperextension.html

 

[fUnc17]

wouldnt do leg presses, compresses the lower back between the seat and the weight... not a good idea IMO. Maybe some front squats

 

[studen77]

Leg presses are the last thing you wanna do with lower back as they put tremendous pressure on that area of the body, particularly when you go heavy..My former trainer and I used to think I had back problems until I actually began doing excercising those muscles (hyperextensions, squats, etc)
and found out that my back was WEAK, not out of wack or anything.

But hey, there's two types of leg press machines I've used: the one that puts you near the floor at a 45 degree angle, and a "sitting" leg press where you're just sitting and pushing the weight...the sitting leg press machine takes all that pressure away from your lower back IMO..