Need advice for someone coming back from a herniated disc

[PapaBear59]

About 12 weeks ago this guy came into the gym that had been in a car accident that messed up one of his shoulders and herniated a couple discs in his lower back. I believe he is 49. He had been cleared by the doctors to start lifting. He came in wanting to get back lost strength so my buddy and I started him on the program. He could only make it to the gym twice a week so we set him up doing this:

Monday:

Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Dead 1x5

Thursday:

Squat 3x5
Press 3x5
Dead 1x5

After about 6 weeks he stopped doing deads on Thursday because he felt he was not recoverying enough.

He started out pretty much with bar weight and here are his numbers at the end of this week:

Squat 200
Bench 150
Deadlift 250
Press 100

We avoided adding Cleans because of his lower back and Mark recommends eventually adding Back Extentions and Chins/Pull-up. We are getting reading to start adding the chins but what are your thoughts on back extentions? Is there a lower back excercise you would recommend instead or would you avoid them altogeather? Do you think it would be wise for him to try Cleans?

Do you have any other programming advice?


Thanks

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Doesn't need to clean or do the back extensions. A good deadlift workout once per week is fine.