Why Does My Back Hurt When Working On Abs?

[DNG]

Whenever I'm doing a heavy abs workout, I feel it in the lower back before anywhere else.

E.g. I do 3 sets of 15 weighted situps (45 lbs) every week - and by the end my back is screaming for me to stop, while my abs are saying "Is that all? Bring it on!".

This isn't new for me - it's been with me all my life. I remember noticing it at rugby practice, when I was a kid in high school.



Perhaps this is normal and happens to everyone..?


Thanks!


.

[ChocoChick]

Whenever I'm doing a heavy abs workout, I feel it in the lower back before anywhere else.

E.g. I do 3 sets of 15 weighted situps (45 lbs) every week - and by the end my back is screaming for me to stop, while my abs are saying "Is that all? Bring it on!".

This isn't new for me - it's been with me all my life. I remember noticing it at rugby practice, when I was a kid in high school.



Perhaps this is normal and happens to everyone..?


Thanks!


.

It could be that your form is off.

Or it could be that your core is imbalanced and your lower back muscles are weaker than your abs. What sort of lower back exercises do you do?

[DNG]

...What sort of lower back exercises do you do?

It happens with almost all abs exercises, but particularly with situps.

I've tried various forms, and it doesn't matter - the back hurts regardless.

There are a few exercises that don't hurt the back as much (e.g. a few abs machines) but I find they don't work the abs hard enough, and I get nothing out of those exercises.


Does anyone else have this problem with situps?


.

[EMISGOD]

It happens with almost all abs exercises, but particularly with situps.

I've tried various forms, and it doesn't matter - the back hurts regardless.

There are a few exercises that don't hurt the back as much (e.g. a few abs machines) but I find they don't work the abs hard enough, and I get nothing out of those exercises.

Does anyone else have this problem with situps?

It also sounds to me like an imbalance. Obviously with sit-ups, especially if you weight them, which will potentially throw your balance, you will (instinctively and otherwise) recruit the lower Back muscles more than you would with say crunches...do you do either crunches or ball crunches? How about leg raises (not hanging leg raises)? Also, do you directly train your lower Back?

Most of the machines ARE junk, but there are a few here and there that do better than others. I've found that you have to generally work within the "sweet spot" and alter your foot placement to get much out of them...full ROMs on those machines, as following the instructions on the machines, do not generally allow enough concentration to be placed on Abs.

[just.demi]

Sounds like your core needs work. I had similar issues until I figured that out myself My back no longer hurts, by the way. What has helped me the most are planks. Start with a face down plank and hold for twenty seconds. Work up to a minute. Make sure to stop the exercise if your back hurts. As you advance, you can lift one leg off the floor. It's quite challenging. Do a search online and you'll find many variations. It's a great exercise, not only for your back but for your abs as well. I also do side and upward facing planks. You may be surprised how much more challenging core work is in comparison to crunches.

One important note: When doing the exercises, make sure you have a neutral spine position, meaning, keep you hips forward. As your core strengthens, your back pain should cease....if you don't have an underlying medical condition.

Try it....it really works!

Good luck,

Eleni

[gbg]

If you could post a video of yourself doing them we could hit your problem a lot better.

[ChocoChick]

It happens with almost all abs exercises, but particularly with situps.

I've tried various forms, and it doesn't matter - the back hurts regardless.

There are a few exercises that don't hurt the back as much (e.g. a few abs machines) but I find they don't work the abs hard enough, and I get nothing out of those exercises.


Does anyone else have this problem with situps?


.

Ok. But what lower back exercises are you doing?

You can't just work the abs and not the lower back.

[RoscoPico]

Pain (Burning sensation) in the lower back is a common problem when doing crunches. Mostly caused by form. When doing a crunch, why not try to put your arms next to you or crossed over your chest instead of behind your head. It will help.

The small of your back, it seems, must always be in contact with the floor.
Make sure your knees are bent.

More info:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/henkin6nn.htm
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&cl...sit+up&spell=1
http://www.google.ca/search?client=f...=Google+Search

[tonester]

I assumed that it was common knowledge that sit ups work the hip flexors more than the abs. This causes them to shorten and tighten, which calls on the mucles of the lower back to pick up the slack. Therefore lower back pain.

I would do plank progressions and flexor stretching for a while. The reverse crunch, regular crunch and hanging leg raises (using the abs to curl the pelvis up, or else you're still using the hip flexors) would be better choices for ab work.

http://youtube.com/results?search_qu...s&search_type= might as well be doing sit ups.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vTodz_e_ovk here you can see the hip up tuck which are the abs being used to rotate the pelvis up. The progression is to go straight leg.

[chodan9]

also do you do hypers for your lower back?
I see a lot of people working lower abs but only a fraction of the do hyper extensions to balance the front and the back.

[doofusdave]

also do you do hypers for your lower back?
I see a lot of people working lower abs but only a fraction of the do hyper extensions to balance the front and the back.

X2 on that. I was having the same issue until I really started focusing on ab and lower back work, specifically hypers and good mornings. Since I've started doing those regularly, no more lower back pain and my lifts are all stronger.

[IronIc]

also do you do hypers for your lower back?
I see a lot of people working lower abs but only a fraction of the do hyper extensions to balance the front and the back.

SLDLs help with that, too

[dbx]

I assumed that it was common knowledge that sit ups work the hip flexors more than the abs. This causes them to shorten and tighten, which calls on the mucles of the lower back to pick up the slack. Therefore lower back pain.

^^^

Plus there are other ways to skin a cat . Cable crunches, sit-ups/weighted sit-ups done from a bench...not floor. SLDLs/RDLs/DLs, One arm rows, vertical knee raises, leg raises, etc., are all ways that hit/help (indirectly) strengthen lower back. I remember wanting to make or buy a hyper ext. bench a few yrs ago, but I found that doing the major compound exercises and some others, eliminated the need for such. Just give it time.

[chodan9]

I did the hypers for the first couple years, now since I do deads every week I only do hypers as an add in when I remember it maybe once or twice a month, they just dont seem as needed that often. But they helped me through my first year a lot.

[phikappa]

Ok. But what lower back exercises are you doing?

You can't just work the abs and not the lower back.

Maybe he's avoiding the question. That's the first thing that popped into my head, too.

Reminds me of when people used to say that if your back hurts, you should do abs. WTF?!

[Wooly_Ace]

It could be that your form is off.

Or it could be that your core is imbalanced and your lower back muscles are weaker than your abs. What sort of lower back exercises do you do?

It also sounds to me like an imbalance. Obviously with sit-ups, especially if you weight them, which will potentially throw your balance, you will (instinctively and otherwise) recruit the lower Back muscles more than you would with say crunches...do you do either crunches or ball crunches? How about leg raises (not hanging leg raises)? Also, do you directly train your lower Back?

Most of the machines ARE junk, but there are a few here and there that do better than others. I've found that you have to generally work within the "sweet spot" and alter your foot placement to get much out of them...full ROMs on those machines, as following the instructions on the machines, do not generally allow enough concentration to be placed on Abs.

also do you do hypers for your lower back?
I see a lot of people working lower abs but only a fraction of the do hyper extensions to balance the front and the back.

X2 on that. I was having the same issue until I really started focusing on ab and lower back work, specifically hypers and good mornings. Since I've started doing those regularly, no more lower back pain and my lifts are all stronger.

Maybe he's avoiding the question. That's the first thing that popped into my head, too.

Reminds me of when people used to say that if your back hurts, you should do abs. WTF?!

I sixth that about the imbalance. I do "core" 3 days a week. Which includes, planks, ball situps, crunches, hypers (front and sideways). It really helped my back issues when I started doing core and can tell when I miss a core day.

[gbg]

Whenever I'm doing a heavy abs workout, I feel it in the lower back before anywhere else.

E.g. I do 3 sets of 15 weighted situps (45 lbs) every week - and by the end my back is screaming for me to stop, while my abs are saying "Is that all? Bring it on!".

This isn't new for me - it's been with me all my life. I remember noticing it at rugby practice, when I was a kid in high school.



Perhaps this is normal and happens to everyone..?


Thanks!


.

The key back muscles your looking to strengthen are:
erector spinae(functions to provide dynamic intersegmental stabilization and eccentric deceleration of trunk flexion and rotation)
quadratus lumborum (functions mostly as a fronlal plane stabilizer that works together with the gluteus medius)
Lats(is the bridge between the upper extremity and the lumbo-pelvic-hip region)
Abdominal muscles to strengthen:transverse abdominals big stabilizer for the spine.
Stay away from crunches and focus on more precision training for the muscle groups mentioned above.

[JOHN GARGANI]

GB has come the closest here....


c'mon people, this one is obvious!!!

it begins with the misconception of what "Abs" do: well, here is basically ALL that they do:

THEY SHORTEN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PELVIS AND THE LOWER RIB CAGE TO ENHANCE FORCED RESPIRATION.


in other words, they assist in breathing out forcibly.......

Bending of the body, in any way or form, is NOT done by the Abs....therefore, why should anyone be surprised if someone feels it in their backs when they do situps???

it is the deep muscles of the back that are flexing the body, and the abs only come into play at the very end of the movement, hence, the reason why "crunches" were invented so as to isolate this part of the movement as much as possible.


but even with that, someone could still feel it more in their back than they want.....

[DNG]

Wow - many valuable replies here - many thanks!

Core / Back Exercises

To answer some of the questions: I have not been ignoring core and lower back exercises. I regularly do:
- Deadlifts,
- Squats,
- Barbell rows,
- One arm dumbell rows,
- Lat pulldowns, and - yes...
- Hypers. (I usually 3 sets of 20 weighted hypers, holding a 45 lb plate.)

These exercises present no problem. I also do other "abs" exercises - including cable crunches and hanging leg raises

So I'd suggest that I'm doing quite a lot of 'core' exercises, and the back strength may not be the problem.

Form

In terms of form / imbalance - it's hard to describe. My form is pretty simple:
- My lower and middle back just touch the bench (/ floor) on the way back, but my shoulders do not.
- My arms are held across my chest, especially when I'm holding a weight
- On the way up my arms touch my thighs.



I have the same problem whether I'm on the floor (with or without weights), and in the gym on a decline bench - usually with a 45 lb plate held against the chest.

I've been doing both - these "abs" and the core exercises for many years now, and have hoped - for all that time - that the problem would go away with training. But it hasn't, which is why I started this thread.

I hope this will shed more light on the problem, and thanks again for the advice so far.


.

[wulf88]

Plank exercises are an excellent way to help build and strengthen your core. I also incorporate alot of things from BUD/S training from when I was there oh 20 years ago, where core strength is key.

[Forced]

[QUOTE=tonester;171720191]I assumed that it was common knowledge that sit ups work the hip flexors more than the abs. This causes them to shorten and tighten, which calls on the mucles of the lower back to pick up the slack. Therefore lower back pain.


Indeed it does, however only if you take the situp right to the top of the motion. In other words to 90 degrees and beyond.

If one shortens the rep to around 60 degrees before returning for the next, you take the hip flexors out of play and keep the tension solely on the abs.

He is however claiming that no matter the exercise, his back hurts. I guess that include hanging leg raises as well??

He's got me stumped.

[DNG]

Today was supposed to be abs day, but I've just come home from an awful day of dental surgery so it will now be Sunday.

I'll try a bunch of different abs exercises, and will concentrate on how badly each hurts the lower back. Perhaps that will shed some light...