replacing squats with... lunges? machines? help. while back heals

[whosthere]

Got a back ouchie. Can't do any type of squat. Can still deadlift for some reason, if lighter by 10-20kg. Pulls from around the knee height are affected less. Looking at a couple of weeks to a month of back pain and inability to squat. Been thinking to sub what used to be a squat workout with a lighter deadlift workout and add lunges and machines, something like this:

A: hyperextensions, attempts at squatting, upper body training
B: deadlifts 5x3, 1x12, bb/db lunges 5x5?, leg press and or hack squat machine 3x8-20?, hyperextensions, cable hip pull throughs 3x12-20?

AxBxAxBx ....

I've no idea if this would help me retain/improve squatting strength, and generally have no idea what to do, because my lowerbody workouts used to look pretty much like squats, deadlifts, and also lighter squats and deadlifts + some glute stuff.

Currently at 240kg squat 260kg deadlift or so before getting injured, feels like early intermediate going into intermediate territory.

[Kyle Stevens]

"back ouchie" is incredibly vague. What type of injury was diagnosed?

[whosthere]

Kyle, thanks for replying.

I haven't been to a doc. Would prefer to avoid the hassle associated with that because it doesn't feel like a serious injury, or an injury to the spine. It's a dull pain to the left and right of the lumbar vertebrae that flares up either at the bottom of the squat or (much less, barely worth noting) when I power clean heavy or make a sudden sharp movement (like slipping on ice). It goes away immediately after ceasing the movement. When I deadlift I don't feel pain but body just refuses to lift normal weight, and I don't force it. Pain doesn't radiate anywhere, and is localized. Feels like a mild erector spinae problem.

[Satch12879]

What do your squats look like? Smells like a form problem.

[whosthere]

My squats are pretty terrible (knees caving in, back rounding to hit depth, falling forward), but I haven't experienced any persistent pain before so figured it's within permissible parameters. I still feel that my back pain is a result of life stresses that piled up in the previous month and excessively eager and frequent deadlifting that same month. That said I'm working on my hamstring flexibility to fix back rounding and working on hip flexibility & medial glute strength to fix knees caving in.

[whosthere]

Also Satch thanks for replying

[Jim Upchurch]

Any squat as in a squat with just the bar or even a bodysquat?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Maybe hip belt squats.

[Will Morris]

Get a coach and squat. Backs get better faster with squats.

[hector_garza]

Find a weight you can squat properly. Maybe it's just the bar. Do that. Titrate the weight over time as you can.