can i avoid abs and lower back due to injury?

J

jonny100

0
I've had trouble with my lower back for a year or 2 now (in the right multifidus region), which I think developed from poor technique doing straight-leg deadlifts.
Only recently have I looked for proper physiotherapy, and all of them have said to stay away from things like deadlifts, squats, and ab exercises that involve the crunching motion.

I know how important these areas are to train whilst bulking up, but will it be ok for me to train my other body parts if I'm neglecting these?
I've been told to really stay off anything involving lower back movement and allow it to fully heal, so I don't want to start deadlifts again yet even if I do very light weight.

I figured since i'm neglecting BOTH abs and lower back, there won't be any muscle imbalances, right?
 
you'll also not have no core meaning no compound movements
 
i'm managing ok with bench press and shoulder press. i know they involve the core but as long as i'm careful, those movements don't seem to aggrevate my back. squats don't seem to either but my physio told me i should still stay away from them.

the main problem is anything that involves curving my lower back (i.e. crunches) or resisting against curving under a lot of strain (i.e. deadlifts).

i really don't want to stop training though because for me to sit and do nothing would be frustrating as hell!
 
I hear you. I wasn't allowed (or able) to do deadlifts, squats or traditional crunches after my first car accident in September 07, and when I was hit again in May this year, naturally my back took a beating, but my core was pretty tough from the exercises my PT had given to me, and I'm doing pretty well. I just started squatting again (albeit with light weight, ~100lbs), and I'm hoping that I will be able to deadlift again. If I can't, then I can't. But that won't stop me from working out and keeping the body I've got in good shape.

I did not stop training even though I was on anti-inflammatories and analgesics. I just trained a lot differently. My PT told me what I could and couldn't do. I didn't want to hear it, but I listened anyway and submitted to my injuries. I wanted them to heal, so I didn't want to compromise the process by being stubborn (aka stupid). I am still working very closely with my PT, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Granted, deadlifts and squats are king when it comes to core stability/muscle development. But don't focus on what you can't do. Focus on what you can do. There are a lot of core exercises that you can do that put zero load (or very little load) on the lumbar spine that are quite effective. Your physiotherapist should know lots of ab exercises that you can do that don't stress your lower back. I probably know all of them by now :)

You might want to think about getting this book and then showing some of the exercises to your physiotherapist BEFORE you do any of them. That's what I did, and we worked out a core program for me. Order "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance". (Note: I'm not affiliated with this guy in any capacity. Some Canadian strength athletes and their MTs/PTs told me about the book and how well it worked for them. If it works for strength athletes lifting insane amounts of weight, it's gotta work for me, too.)

I know that the University of Waterloo is not exactly Harvard (understatement of the year). But this guys science is pretty good. For me, the book has been a godsend. My PT couldn't believe my progress considering the lumbar and soft tissue injuries I sustained.

I cannot stress this enough: Don't do the exercises until you talk to your physiotherapist! Your PT will know exactly what you can and cannot do. They didn't go to University for 4-6 years just for fun. They know their stuff ;)

Just a word of advice: rehab can be psychologically and emotionally exhausting, especially when you are active and athletic. You have to be patient with yourself and realize that your injuries have their own time line, and it won't coincide with what is in your head. That's the hardest part of rehab.
 
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thanks i_love_muscle :)

I'll be sure to check out that book!
In short, would you say that the majority of ab exercises will be ok as long as they don't involve forward flexion of the lower back?
I know my injury is probably quite different to yours, but would you say that was the case for yourself?
I don't have a PT and I'm no longer assigned to a physiotherapist because I was discharged and told to persue with the stretches I'd been given, as well as maintaining strict posture when sitting and lying down.
I guess I will try and use my best judgement for what I can and can't do with the exercises in this book, and try things out to check for any pain.
 
If you don't have a PT anymore, I suppose the best advice I can give you is "if it hurts your back, don't do it".

Did your PT give you any core exercises?

The only reason I can think of why your PT told you not to do crunches is because the rectus abdominals end up doing all the work. You need to focus on your transverse abs and multifidi because those are what actually stabilize your spine. The RAs don't.

Don't give up on yourself. However, you really need to make sure your stabilizing core musculature is firing up properly before doing any deadlifts or squats, or you'll just end up injuring yourself again. And that will suck.
 
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