Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Those are all back exercises. Your back is not the problem. Your core is. When most people say "core" they mean the front side of you, not the back side. Crunches, Leg raises, anything that works your ABS. Those are the exercises you want to emphasize for the next several months. If you did nothing else but work up to 200 situps (or crunches) you would see a marked improvement in your back pain.
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
H
Also having a bad back, I've come 'round to the theory that one shouldn't do ab or back work that bends the spine. I.e., no crunches, no sit-ups. There are many other ab exercises which keep the back straight: roman chair I mentioned, also planks, bird dogs, leg raises, pushups, many others. The theory behind what I've been doing for several years is more or less here:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0.../?ref=magazine
and here:
http://www.undergroundfitnessrevolut...-exercise-ever
A huge number of core exercises can be found at
www.exrx.net
Even though my MRI looks like crap, I've been able to stay strong and largely pain-free by using these exercises in combination with a lot of cycling. I'm even skiing bumps again.
IME the trick is to keep one's spine in column. On the bike, this means rotating the hips forward so that the back stays straight. I watch myself in a mirror at spin class and on rollers. I watch in the mirror whenever it's possible when using weights or machines.