I've been working out for about a year now and everything is fine except for a few aches and pains I get during my workout. All are pretty small and usually go away before I even leave the gym and none ever last for more than a hour or so after working out. All my pains come from my leg workout. They aren't major, but I'm worried that these small things, if done over a period of several years, will become big things so naturally I'm slightly concerned

My upper body is built and cut but my lower body isn't so big. My calves are fairly small and my legs are kinda small as well so leg (quad/ham) days (wednesdays) are pretty intense. My leg workout is as follows

Plated Leg Press - sets of 12, 9, 8, 7, and 4
Plated Hack - sets of 12, 9, 8, 7, and 4
Standing Leg Curl - Sets of 12, 10, 8
Free Weight Leg Curl - 12, 9, 8, 5
Lying Down Leg Curl - 12, 9, 8, 5

After the Leg Press and Hacks my lower back is usually kinda sore. Also the lying down leg curl causes slight uncomfortableness in my knee. It doesn't hurt, it just feels like there's pressure on it. And it only lasts while I do the exercise. Also, while I was doing the standing leg curl, a spot on my shin felt like it got cut but the pain was actually from inside, but it was more like a tiny prick on the inside. It went away after a minute or so and wasn't very painful. Also, is that overworking my legs? I don't feel pain in my legs, mainly just in my lower back. Also, are any of those exercises simply repetitive and could I cut out one or more of those exercises?

Now I know the advice I'm going to get here is going to be to use a weight belt. Well, there are two things that are keeping me from getting one. First off, I hear that it actually weakens your lower back muscles. Second off, I'm not really sure if this affects anything, but I have a sway back.

Although I have a sway (arched) back. Sway/Arched back are mainly found in women so I'm still confused as to how I got one, hehe. However, like I said, it is only slightly arched/swayed, but still the arch is clearly visible to me, or maybe its just cuz I look really hard http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif Anyway, is sway/arched back a bad thing? Does it lead to back problems? How does it interfere with weight lifting? Is it really odd that I, a man, has one? Is there any way to correct sway back? My posture is straight and everything else is fine, it's just I'd prefer to not have it.

Thanks for the help and thanks for reading my long post!

Alright, first off eliminate two of those hamstring exercises. If I were you I would add squats and deadlifts but that's another story. Regarding the pain make sure your back is pressed into the seat. The spinal area should be firm against the pad when leg pressing. Also squeeze your abs for extra support. Don't bother using a exercise belt for any of the exercises..

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JwhyS:

"Now I know the advice I'm going to get here is going to be to use a weight belt."

That would actually be one of the poorest pieces of advice that you'd ever get. Unless you're training extremely heavy a weight belt is less than useless. Sure, it comes in handy for keeping your shirt tucked in (which is what most people use them for)... but, really, that's about it. Most people just use a belt as an excuse as to why they never learn how to do an exercise properly.

For your specific workout problem (s), are you warming up first? If not, then you definitely should. Take the term warm-up literally... the goal is raise your temperature, which loosens up your muscles. The easiest way to do this is to start your workout with ~10 minutes on the bike or treadmill.

Last, if you want bigger legs you should be doing more quad work than ham work. If your back can handle it add some squats to your routine and, as mentioned, cut one of the ham exercises.

Andrew


[This message has been edited by aml (edited 08-16-2001).]

I used to do squats but they really hurt my lower back. Also, how exactly does having a sway/arched back play into weightlifting and back problems?

If your back is hurting from squatting your form is wrong.. I'm sorry I did not understand your other question..

As mentioned by TTP... back pain is a sure sign of poor technique... as is any type of joint/connective tissue pain.

As for your back... a "sway" back (everyone actually should have an arch in their spine... it's naturally shaped kind of like an "S") may force you to alter your form and/or range of motion on certain exercises. For safety's sake you should always pay close attention to proper mechanics regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Andrew

Actually, back pain from weightlifting can be caused by several things. Technique is the most common problem, spinal anatomy differences from person to person (six lumbar vertebra, lumbar or lumbosacral facet syndrome, hemivertebra, etc.), muscular composition balance (related to form), and other specific factors. For those people who have predisposed weaknesses for back pain they should absolutely have form down pat. If they need additional support a belt may be of some assistance.

However, form alone and tailoring your workouts specific to your needs and abilites will be of more benefit that a stack of weight belts.

A quality lifting belt does have it's uses... but, for 99% of the people that wear one it's actually a more of a hinderance than a help. This comes from the the fact that few people understand how a belt actually works in potentially stabalizing the spine. This lack of understanding creates an attitude of "I can't possibly hurt myself now... I'm wearing a belt", which is a recipe for disaster.

So, how does a belt work? Basically, when used properly a belt works, in combination with the stress induced by a very heavy lift, by increasing pressure within your abdomen which in turn supports your spine. In order for a belt to work it has to be cinched as tight as possible. If you can comfortably wear your belt around the gym then you're not using it correctly. Also, the weight lifted has to be heavy enough to generate a certain level of internal pressure. For something like squats or deadlifts you're usually talking over twice your bodyweight for this... over 1.5 x bodyweight for something like benches or rows.

Andrew

Hi, I don't know if this helps your leg situation, but here goes. I too had pains in my shins and knees mainly after leg curls or quad exercise, found out it's called "patella-femoral syndrome" its where the quad muscle pulls the knee slightly to the side and you get nerve impulses down to the shin. You may need to cut your reps down a little. I agree with the technique theory for your back, although a sway could be a factor. Also off the subject, has anyone tried "cutting gel" or "hydroxycut"? I've been using both and have gotten fabulous results.

I'll try to master my technique in the gym on squats and deadlifts, but for now, I'll just cut them out of my workout due to the fact that usually when I go to the gym, its somewhat crowded so I usually don't like to master techniques and try out new exercises etc until i get a school holiday at which point i can go as soon as I wake up. But I'll try to master my technique and such and see if that helps!!

Thanks for all the help and like some of you said, there seems to be a natural problem with my lower back. I get pains after vacuuming for a while for example even though I have a good posture, not only when I vacuum but when I walk and when I sit etc.

I'll let you guys know how things go. Thanks again!

Low backache after vacuuming is a very, very common complaint with certain types of back problems. Should it continue or get worse get a referral from your doctor to a physical therapist, chiropractor (or someone who can assist in determining if it is a functional problem or an anatomical one). Posture is very crucial here, as is strict form when you are doing certain exercises in the gym. If you don't, you could be setting yourself up for a disc problem down the road.