Hurt upper back lifting bar out of home made squat rack

[rebelion1]

Let me start off with the obvious: making your own squat rack isn't neccessarily the brightest idea. Well I bought two saw horses and used them as a squat rack. The problem is that the saw horses are way too low to lift the bar out cleanly, so I had a very low and awkward starting position. I think I didn't keep my back straight when lifting the bar out and since then the part of the spine between my shoulder blades has been sore to touch and the muscles around my shoulder blade (rhomboid? Lower trap?) are very sore. Working the areas with a massage ball gives me instant relief.

Is this injury a likely outcome of me lifting the bar out with terrible form? Squat injuries usually occur in the lower back region and not in the upper back area.

[SuffolkPunch]

Starting from a low position is not necessarily bad or dangerous as long as you are able to maintain good form - keep your spine in a fixed position, not convex at any point (upper or lower).

It takes time to adapt to squats. Keep the weight down and only increase in small conservative amounts. Steadily over time you will get used to this.

Did you feel pain immediately during the exercise? Or how long did it take to stiffen up? If it subsides in a day or two, you could be OK. Otherwise you will need to rest and ideally consult a sports physio if it lingers. It can be hard to draw the line between minor pains/soreness from adapting vs. actual injuries.

[rebelion1]

Starting from a low position is not necessarily bad or dangerous as long as you are able to maintain good form - keep your spine in a fixed position, not convex at any point (upper or lower).

It takes time to adapt to squats. Keep the weight down and only increase in small conservative amounts. Steadily over time you will get used to this.

Did you feel pain immediately during the exercise? Or how long did it take to stiffen up? If it subsides in a day or two, you could be OK. Otherwise you will need to rest and ideally consult a sports physio if it lingers. It can be hard to draw the line between minor pains/soreness from adapting vs. actual injuries.

I hurt myself on Sunday and the pain has subsided but it's still present. I only started feeling the pain the next day, but it definitely doesn't feel like DOMS or any sort of "healthy pain". It's only present when sitting at the desk or when I press on my spine. I guess I'll take it easy for another couple of days and I'll consult a doctor if the pain doesn't get any better.

[SuffolkPunch]

Try to keep it moving - but don't do anything that produces shooting pains.

Next time you try squatting, use a lighter weight and maybe video yourself so you can check your spinal position.

[rebelion1]

Try to keep it moving - but don't do anything that produces shooting pains.

Next time you try squatting, use a lighter weight and maybe video yourself so you can check your spinal position.

Just to give you an idea of what the pain feels like. My spine itself is sore to touch, as if it’s been bruised. And radiating from my spine to my shoulder blades is this almost spasm like pain, which is pretty uncomfortable. I can flex my muscles and move completely painlessly, but when at rest it hurts.