Bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey swaps squats and deadlifts for workable alternate options.
Final up to date on March 14th, 2025
Throughout a March 2025 coaching session, former Ladies’s Physique Olympia champ Dana Linn Bailey (DLB) programmed a quad-focused leg workout for these with back pain. These alternate options are supposed to attenuate backbone loading and maximize leg rigidity:
DLB’s Quad-Biased Exercise
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Exercises for Again Security
Relying on the severity of again ache, resistance coaching will help. Lifting can strengthen a weak core, a typical reason behind decrease again ache. Nonetheless, it could actually exacerbate different, extra severe circumstances, which ought to be addressed with the assistance of a professional skilled.
Bailey targeted on workout routines that cut back again strain or keep away from spinal loading. Use manageable weights, take note of your physique’s response to an train, and modify if wanted.
- Belt Squat
- Belt squats are hip-loaded, minimizing spinal strain.
- Leg Extensions & Sissy Squats
- Bailey mixed machine quad extensions and body weight sissy squats — knee-dominant workout routines. When carried out accurately, there’s minimal decrease again stress, offered you keep away from extreme hyperextension.
For extensions…10 to 12 reps, then body weight squats till I’m about to fall over.
—Dana Linn Bailey
- Leg Press
- Leg presses supply the heaviest loading potential of any leg train whereas supporting the again and unloading the backbone. They’re efficient sufficient that six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates changed squats with leg presses throughout his peak.
- Bulgarian Cut up Squats
- Bulgarian cut up squats are an incredible muscle-building and purposeful train that may be carried out almost anyplace. Bailey performs weighted units holding kettlebells adopted by partial body weight reps for fixed rigidity.
Further back-friendly workout routines to coach legs embody step-ups, lunges, glute bridges, sled pushes/drags, and hamstring curls.
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Featured picture: @danalinnbailey on Instagram