I had a microdiscectomy on my L4-L5 disc back in December(3-4 months ago). After physical therapy and easing back into training, I’m trying to find the best bang for buck exercises for the lowerbody without loading the spine too much. I’m going to eliminate loaded deadlifts, back squats, etc. The big goal here is to find some decent lowerbody exercises to supplement my sprinting.
I’m thinking that the Front Squat could be my best option. I haven’t talked about this exercise with my Physical Therapist yet. Is there a reduced amount of spinal loading in a Front Squat compared to a Back Squat?
If I’m not completely satisfied with the safety of a Front Squat, I always have alternative options that may not be as good. Examples would be:
Leg Press
Belt squats are a great way to work the legs with minimal spinal loading. Of course you’d have to purchase one of those but you can also use them for weighted pull-ups/dips.