strength+honor

Alrighty here's the deal...as some of you may know (meaning others don't haha)...but seriously I have a disc herniation which is preventing me from doing a whole lot with my back and other muscles groups when I workout...I've figured out a routine for all the muscles except for back...and because that is the injured spot i'm very limited making this process hard and I don't have a whole lot of time right now to get a routine together for my back...That's were my good ol' buddies here on eb come in to play...I need you guys to suggest some exercises and help me make a routine simply because i don't have the time to do it myself...I probably do but i'm also lazy...anyways i have found so far that I cannot do the following exercises:

Deadlifts
Bent over barbell row
T-bar row
Yates row (unless it's very light weight)
One arm db rows
Seated machine rows (again unless it's lightweight)
Good mornings

and so far that's all i can think of so please help me out...right now as far as sets and reps i'm looking at lower weight with higher reps because going heavy with low weight on a lot of the exercises will hurt my back even more...this is a touchy subject because if i do anything wrong the i go straight to surgery but so far it's all good...and ya that was a little exagerated but you get the point...so help me if you can please thanks

strength+honor

Oh and ya i'm never normally the person to ask these kind of questions basically because i'm very independent and always make my own routines for the sake of experimenting to see what works but right now i'm very busy at school with a huge project and exams coming so if you get the chance to look this over suggest some exercises or a sample routine that i can later expand on or tweak if it needs it

1quick1

Can you do pullups? Those are great for the back if you can.

Honestly, I wish I could help but you listed pretty much every back workout I do. Maybe some of the guys who are trainers here will be able to better help.

Also what did your doctor say about all this? Maybe you should take sometime off to heal 100% before doing anything. Missing a few months is better then be f'ed for the next 60 years.

wala

+1


Maybe you can do something on a machine that has a pad for the chest to press against?? when i had a lower back injury, i pretty much couldn't do any of the movements you've mentioned above. But i could do a machine pull with a pad - this took the pressure totally off my lower back. Not sure where your injury is causing pain tho. defo get an op if poss tho or do nothin till it heals like quick said

digitor

Is this sort of exercise possible, where the actual vertebrae are more stabilised?

Cambered Bar Lying Row

Weighted Supine Row

What about cable or lever exercises, they are better than nothing if free weights aren't possible.

strength+honor

ya i've been to the doctor and gone through all that stuff fyi...and he agrees with me cuz everything i have done so far and asked him about he agreed with so it's all good...i also refuse to go back to physio or the specialist cuz they gave me bad information which made my back worse and i'll go to the chiropractor once in a while but it doesn't make a huge difference so pretty much the only guy i'm seein is my doctor...

anyways as far as exercises go:
-the one that wala mentioned i can do that...except our machine sucks so it's not as effective but i can still use it
-also the ones digitor came in with i will try those and see how they feel on my back...thanks and if anyone has more suggestions please step up i really appreciate it
-and to 1quick ya i can do pullups...i do those at the start of each back workout

Malley

Have you tried seated chest supported rows? I am sure they would be fine.

wala

think thats similar to what i suggested. I didnt say seated chest support tho! you made it sound much more simple Mal..

Malley

haha, I try.

strength+honor

I finally have some time to make up a little routine...i'll see what i can do with those suggestions you guys made...thanks and i'll post up what i came up with

strength+honor

So how does a lineup like this look:

Widegrip Pullups
V-bar Pulldowns or Widegrip pulldowns
Lying Cambered Barbell Row
Seated Machine Rows (with the chest pad)
Supine Row

Malley

Whats your sets and reps look like.

Dont do 2 pullups/pulldowns. They are simply different variantions. But yet do the same thing. Do Something like:
Widegrip pullups-3-4x6
Seated Machine Rows-3-4x6
Close grip chins-3-4x4-6

Makes much more sense. You got 2 vertical and 1 horizontal lift for back. But lifting big heavy weights does not require more volume, but rather less. I know some will say well you got to variations of a pullup/chin, well yes I do, but one if wide grip and one if close grip.

Whats your goals? Strength, size, general health, etc?

Malley

Also how are your calories right now? Are you in a surplus or a deficit? Or are you simply maintaing and trying to grow at your current weight? This means alot in terms of volume.

strength+honor

calories are at a maintenance level...i'm working at lower weight with higher reps so as to not aggrivate my back because higher weight and lower reps which is what i normally do will start to hurt my back...so basically working at a maintenance caloric intake level and lower weight with higher reps