Deadlifts giving me lower back pain!

Alfonso Bandera · 12-10-2006, 06:52 PM

I try to be very strict on my deadlifts, but the day after my deadlift workout, my back is so sore I'm terrified of it "going out" (meaning, I guess, a muscle spasm). I have to walk around gingerly all day!

Should I do some other supplemental stuff for lower back?

Cameron Mochrie · 12-10-2006, 07:15 PM

How long have you been doing deadlifts? It took me several months and a lot of technique improvement before a day of dl's didnt kill my back for the next few days. It could just take time. Again standard recs of making sure to warm up/stretch/cool down etc. etc.

Mike ODonnell · 12-10-2006, 07:34 PM

Stretch, stretch, stretch.
Form, Form, Form.

If you can't do a heavy weight, go lighter and master good form first. Try Good Mornings if you are looking to strengthen the lower back.

Don't be afraid to hire a coach for a teaching session...he might be able to point out exactly what you can not see and solve all your problems.

Hone Watson · 12-11-2006, 03:38 PM

According to Stuart McGills book certain stretches can actually put a lot of stress and load on your back.

Becca Borawski · 12-11-2006, 04:21 PM

Which stretches?

Adrian Bozman · 12-11-2006, 06:12 PM

Remeber that a 'sore' low back is not neccissarily a bad thing. The erector spinae (muscles that suport your lumbar spine) are hugely important muscles and are, in my opinion, underdeveloped in most people. If you are new to deadlifting etc. chances are your spinal erectors are just not used to being that active. It will pass. Muscular sorenss in the lower back is not to be feared (unless you have some sort of pre-existing condition, or it's the bad kind of sore...sharp/electric pain...joint pain etc)

Kenneth R Davis · 12-11-2006, 07:36 PM

If it hurts you're doing something wrong or you should't be doing it. The orthopedist's #1 rule: if it hurts don't do it. Pain means STOP! (not weakness leaving the body) If you hurt your back without serious repercussion, consider yourself fortunate. But, I'd strongly recommend you not repeat the exercise. Change something; weight or technique. The number of deadlifts on some of the WODs (21-15-9, for time) is too many for beginners and many experienced people. Form inevitably suffers towards the end of this effort and as form suffers the chance of injury increases.

Scale back until you can do the WOD without risk of pain and/or injury. One is an extension of the other.

Brian Reckdenwald · 12-12-2006, 07:34 AM

Becca, your standard hang stretch that targets the hamstrings usually ends up being a dangerous back stretch due to a loss of lumbar curvature. I'm sure 98/100 people do this stretch wrong and put the loading directly on the lower back. I did it that way for years and now have chronic back pains.

Aushion Chatman · 12-13-2006, 08:01 AM

Alfonso, agree you just need to find a good coach. As long as you're doing deadlifts correctly you have nothing to fear.

I go "too heavy" everytime I try to PR my 1 rep max and fail...but with correct form there's nothing wrong with trying to lift more than you can....that's a misconception

Aush

Joe Schwab · 12-13-2006, 05:19 PM

Alfonso-

I also used to get a sore back the day after DL's. One form technique that helped me was to be sure the bar is in line the the mid point of my shoulderblades (scapula, i think). This helps with the power transfer from the legs, and, combined with a rigid spine, lowers the torque on the lower back. If you go back about a wk and a half ago there was a disertation on DL's that went with the first Crossfit Total workout. Read that, it has mucho good information.

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12-10-2006, 06:52 PM	#1
Alfonso Bandera Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bethel NC Posts: 20	I try to be very strict on my deadlifts, but the day after my deadlift workout, my back is so sore I'm terrified of it "going out" (meaning, I guess, a muscle spasm). I have to walk around gingerly all day! Should I do some other supplemental stuff for lower back?

12-10-2006, 07:15 PM	#2
Cameron Mochrie Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Amherst Ma Posts: 23	How long have you been doing deadlifts? It took me several months and a lot of technique improvement before a day of dl's didnt kill my back for the next few days. It could just take time. Again standard recs of making sure to warm up/stretch/cool down etc. etc.

12-10-2006, 07:34 PM	#3
Mike ODonnell Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,566	Stretch, stretch, stretch. Form, Form, Form. If you can't do a heavy weight, go lighter and master good form first. Try Good Mornings if you are looking to strengthen the lower back. Don't be afraid to hire a coach for a teaching session...he might be able to point out exactly what you can not see and solve all your problems.

12-11-2006, 03:38 PM	#4
Hone Watson Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Auckland New Zealand Posts: 194	According to Stuart McGills book certain stretches can actually put a lot of stress and load on your back.

12-11-2006, 04:21 PM	#5
Becca Borawski Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Portland OR Posts: 1,231	Which stretches?

12-11-2006, 06:12 PM	#6
Adrian Bozman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: May 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 252	Remeber that a 'sore' low back is not neccissarily a bad thing. The erector spinae (muscles that suport your lumbar spine) are hugely important muscles and are, in my opinion, underdeveloped in most people. If you are new to deadlifting etc. chances are your spinal erectors are just not used to being that active. It will pass. Muscular sorenss in the lower back is not to be feared (unless you have some sort of pre-existing condition, or it's the bad kind of sore...sharp/electric pain...joint pain etc)

12-11-2006, 07:36 PM	#7
Kenneth R Davis Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Antonio Tx Posts: 132	If it hurts you're doing something wrong or you should't be doing it. The orthopedist's #1 rule: if it hurts don't do it. Pain means STOP! (not weakness leaving the body) If you hurt your back without serious repercussion, consider yourself fortunate. But, I'd strongly recommend you not repeat the exercise. Change something; weight or technique. The number of deadlifts on some of the WODs (21-15-9, for time) is too many for beginners and many experienced people. Form inevitably suffers towards the end of this effort and as form suffers the chance of injury increases. Scale back until you can do the WOD without risk of pain and/or injury. One is an extension of the other.

12-12-2006, 07:34 AM	#8
Brian Reckdenwald Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: hoboken nj Posts: 517	Becca, your standard hang stretch that targets the hamstrings usually ends up being a dangerous back stretch due to a loss of lumbar curvature. I'm sure 98/100 people do this stretch wrong and put the loading directly on the lower back. I did it that way for years and now have chronic back pains.

12-13-2006, 08:01 AM	#9
Aushion Chatman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 3,342	Alfonso, agree you just need to find a good coach. As long as you're doing deadlifts correctly you have nothing to fear. I go "too heavy" everytime I try to PR my 1 rep max and fail...but with correct form there's nothing wrong with trying to lift more than you can....that's a misconception Aush

12-13-2006, 05:19 PM	#10
Joe Schwab Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mildenhall Suffolk Posts: 5	Alfonso- I also used to get a sore back the day after DL's. One form technique that helped me was to be sure the bar is in line the the mid point of my shoulderblades (scapula, i think). This helps with the power transfer from the legs, and, combined with a rigid spine, lowers the torque on the lower back. If you go back about a wk and a half ago there was a disertation on DL's that went with the first Crossfit Total workout. Read that, it has mucho good information.