Hi chicas!
So, the past month I've been experiencing lower back pain after leg day (squats). The same type of pain I get (maybe not as severe) after I do deadlifts. So its more of a soreness, not bone/joint pain. But still, its annoying and I didn't get it before. I've received many comments from people are the gym about how good my squat form is and I've read a lot on squat form and would like to think its pretty darn good.
Sometimes this soreness keeps me from doing deadlifts because I often work back and legs in close proximity (day wise). I squat 185x 8,7,6,5 or as many as I can push out. Is the weight too heavy for my back? I deadlift the same amount...so, whats going on ??
thanks!
Irene
|
Thread: Lower back pain after squats
-
01-13-2010, 11:49 AM #1
- Join Date: Jan 2006
- Location: New Jersey, United States
- Age: 44
- Posts: 1,031
- Rep Power: 582
Lower back pain after squats
-
01-13-2010, 11:57 AM #2
-
01-13-2010, 12:10 PM #3
- Join Date: Jun 2009
- Location: Florida, United States
- Age: 50
- Posts: 391
- Rep Power: 234
how warmed up are you before you squat? I notice that this happens to me if I'm not quite warm enough yet. Try some hyperextensions (really light) before you squat.
It may also be that your legs are disproportionately stronger than your core. If that's the case then you could back off your squat weight-wise for a while and really ramp up your core work for a few weeks. In the meantime, you may want to add in some pre-exhaust exercises for your quads like leg extensions so you don't lose much when you're ready to go back under the bar with heavier loads on.Citius! Fortius! Altius!
www.miamifuryfootball.com
Justass of the Piece, #3.14
Miami Fury starting center, retired roller derby player and coach and continually aspiring tough chick
-
01-13-2010, 02:22 PM #4
Hi Irene,
Maybe your glutes are getting overly tight? (yay!!)...but if they are toooo tight, they'll pull on their attachment on the pelvis, which will cause the lower back extensors to "pull back" so to speak...Soooo...I would spend extra time stretching out your glutes (like 10 minutes a day as a goal), and your lower back also. And if you can, get a massage
Good luck girl...oh, also, try Arnica. You can get it in a gel or tablet; it's really good for aches.wabi sabi...the art of finding beauty in the imperfections of life.
-
-
01-13-2010, 03:57 PM #5
-
01-13-2010, 04:24 PM #6
- Join Date: Jun 2009
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Posts: 9,482
- Rep Power: 0
This is very common. It's called "using muscles you haven't used much before."
The muscles that run along either side of your spine are called the "erector spinae" group of muscles. They help your spine stay up. When you deadlift, row, squat, or anything like that, they get extra work - it's harder to keep your spine straight while you're holding an 80kg barbell than without it. After extra work, muscles sometimes get stiff and sore.
Just ensure you're using good form on your lifts. On all lifts, you want to keep your back in natural good posture. For the lower back, that means a slight curve inwards. Stand against a wall, and put one hand either side of your lower back. You should be able to have your bum and upper back against the wall, and to slide your hands freely in and out of that lower back space.
That's called the lumbar curve - lumbar's the lower back. You want to keep that while deadlifting, all the way from the first pull to standing upright, and all the way back down again. And keep it while rowing, and squatting, and so on.
At the top of the motion, consciously stick your arse out, and brace your abs as though someone's going to punch you in the stomach. Hold that brace all the way up and down with the lift. With the deadlift you'll need to pause and reset your brace with the weight on the floor, but should be able to hold the brace at the top of the lift.
If you don't keep it, then instead of your glutes (arse) and other muscles working, your lower back is working - and too much. You end up injuring yourself, and not developing the muscles you could develop.
It's very common for people to round their lumbar spine while deadlifting, squatting, etc. This is because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and there are a chain of muscles involved in each compound lift. Your body doesn't know muscles, it only knows movement. So when you tell it to move some weight, it will twist and turn your body in all sorts of way to get that movement happening.
For example, in a squat if your glutes/hams are too weak to lift the weight, it'll have you round your lumbar spine - that way the erector spinae can push the weight, too. Great for moving the weight, absolutely crap for your lumbar spine's health and for developing your glutes and hams.
Just keep a normal back posture throughout your compound lifts.
Make sense?
-
01-13-2010, 04:38 PM #7
- Join Date: Jan 2006
- Location: New Jersey, United States
- Age: 44
- Posts: 1,031
- Rep Power: 582
I warm up with some body weight squats, 1 set of 15 for instance, and then 1 set of 135x15...then I go straight to 185 and do 3-4 sets of that. I am sometimes guilty of not warming up too long, do I need a longer warm-up than that you think??
I always do core/abs 2 times per week and I alternate weeks of deadlifts and hypertensions for lower back. I guess my core may be strong, but not strong enough for 185 lbs on my back..will work it more!
thanks!
Irene
-
01-13-2010, 04:39 PM #8
-
-
01-13-2010, 04:40 PM #9
-
01-13-2010, 04:47 PM #10
- Join Date: Apr 2007
- Location: Space Cadet City, ToughCookieVille, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 47
- Posts: 46,827
- Rep Power: 55340
-
01-13-2010, 05:04 PM #11
-
01-13-2010, 05:13 PM #12
Some people accidentally round their lower back at the bottom of squats.
-Roger Stone's on the loose; quislings on the run.
-of Nolibs "Donald stumped him & everyone else in the race, even Lyin' Ted Cruz!"
-Donald trump tears a hole,destroys my self esteem... And trump could win it all,my rightful place from birth,dad i've let you down,dub i've made you...hurt
-Donald for a long time, Donald for a long time, Go tell that syphilis tongued liar
-Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack,
Through our DJT,
we lit up the cucks,
Like the fourth of July
-
-
01-13-2010, 05:46 PM #13
Similar Threads
-
Lower back pain after deads and squats
By aklap in forum ExercisesReplies: 19Last Post: 12-31-2016, 05:41 AM -
Lower Back Pain After Squats/Deadlifts
By TACstrat in forum ExercisesReplies: 11Last Post: 05-15-2008, 01:24 PM -
Severe lower back pain after squats?
By superman2269 in forum Injury Recovery And PreventionReplies: 16Last Post: 10-17-2007, 01:13 AM -
Lower back pain after dead lifts/squats.
By Eddiejt in forum ExercisesReplies: 11Last Post: 04-23-2004, 06:02 PM
Bookmarks