Background info:

1) For the past four months squats and deadlifts have been a key part of my workouts.

2) My unilateral legwork is really weak. I try my best with step-ups, split squats, and static lunges, but it's very stubborn and annoying to do. Dynamic lunges are far too strenuous at this point.

3) Since starting working out, my knee pain is GONE. My knees feel friggin' bulletproof.

4) My middle back pains are also GONE. Poof!

The problem:

Problem 1) Well, now I have some weird lower-ish back pain. it's kinda sharp but not crippling. Like a moron I've been trying to work through it, but I think it's a good idea to stop working my legs entirely, as the pain is becoming insistent. Not bright, I know - but too late now.

How long should I rest? I'm thinking at least a month. Too little? Too much? If I wind up pain-free, how many consecutive pain-free days should I wait before training my legs again?

Problem 2) I was experimenting with just doing body-weight squats, and I think I might be rounding my back at the bottom. I fear I'm going too low, and this rounding is messing up my lumbar spine. Deadlifting seems to be much better than squats - I think my form is better with the deadlift.

How can I correct this so I don't go too low? I don't have a workout partner to place a palm on my lower back because I'm new in town. I was considering placing a bench behind me that I can just touch when I get low. Not to rest on. Sound like a good idea?

Thanks SO much for any advice you might have. It's extremely discouraging to be stopping when all else has been going well. I'm going to continue with my arms and ab work, as it seems to not be related to that.

Background info:

Problem 1) Well, now I have some weird lower-ish back pain. it's kinda sharp but not crippling. Like a moron I've been trying to work through it, but I think it's a good idea to stop working my legs entirely, as the pain is becoming insistent. Not bright, I know - but too late now.

How long should I rest? I'm thinking at least a month. Too little? Too much? If I wind up pain-free, how many consecutive pain-free days should I wait before training my legs again?



Suggestion: rest your lower back for 6 weeks. Do leg extensions and leg curl use as heavy a weight as you can for at least 8 reps. That will isolate legs and you won't ignore them.

Then start studying proper form for squats. Listen to different methods. after 3 weeks start with bar only to practise for form, keep up isolation exercises for muscles after 6 weeks give it a try and drop isolations.

Background info:

1) For the past four months squats and deadlifts have been a key part of my workouts.

2) My unilateral legwork is really weak. I try my best with step-ups, split squats, and static lunges, but it's very stubborn and annoying to do. Dynamic lunges are far too strenuous at this point.

3) Since starting working out, my knee pain is GONE. My knees feel friggin' bulletproof.

4) My middle back pains are also GONE. Poof!

The problem:

Problem 1) Well, now I have some weird lower-ish back pain. it's kinda sharp but not crippling. Like a moron I've been trying to work through it, but I think it's a good idea to stop working my legs entirely, as the pain is becoming insistent. Not bright, I know - but too late now.

How long should I rest? I'm thinking at least a month. Too little? Too much? If I wind up pain-free, how many consecutive pain-free days should I wait before training my legs again?

Problem 2) I was experimenting with just doing body-weight squats, and I think I might be rounding my back at the bottom. I fear I'm going too low, and this rounding is messing up my lumbar spine. Deadlifting seems to be much better than squats - I think my form is better with the deadlift.

How can I correct this so I don't go too low? I don't have a workout partner to place a palm on my lower back because I'm new in town. I was considering placing a bench behind me that I can just touch when I get low. Not to rest on. Sound like a good idea?

Thanks SO much for any advice you might have. It's extremely discouraging to be stopping when all else has been going well. I'm going to continue with my arms and ab work, as it seems to not be related to that.

I use front squats these days and limit my deadlifts. Right now though i'm doing lots of RDLs. I also limit lower body work to one day a week. Its working very well for me and i've had lots of issues with my back, hip and knee.

You need to learn to arch your lower back and keep it that way the whole lift.

Suggestion: rest your lower back for 6 weeks. Do leg extensions and leg curl use as heavy a weight as you can for at least 8 reps. That will isolate legs and you won't ignore them.

Then start studying proper form for squats. Listen to different methods. after 3 weeks start with bar only to practise for form, keep up isolation exercises for muscles after 6 weeks give it a try and drop isolations.

Good man! Yeah, I was thinking something like at least a month of rest from squatting and deads. And yeah, I was thinking I would probably wind up with the broomstick again.

Sometimes it's tough for me to have the discipline to stop some things. Even though I'm clearly not helping out some strange section of my lower spine, doing squats has been so GOOD for parts of my body that I thought would ALWAYS be in some amount of at least slight pain. I guess I need to pay better attention to the forest and less attention to the trees.

Isolation it is! Should be interesting - I've never done isolation work seriously, with a balanced program and all that. Hopefully I'll come out of this in better shape.

Isolation it is! Should be interesting - I've never done isolation work seriously, with a balanced program and all that. Hopefully I'll come out of this in better shape.

Have a goal to go to 190lbs on the leg ext with full movement. And 160 lbs on leg curls. Becouse they are isolation exercises doesn't mean you can't build mass.