DeadLifts and Sore Back?
Replies
-
Trisha!! Thank you so much for posting this! I tell ya, I'm sitting here thinking to myself, "Those darn deadlifts are killing my lower back! What am I doing wrong?" I haven't even read all the feedback yet, but thanks for posting this. Really!
So happy I'm not the only one with this question! Glad I can help!
0 -
I've pulled my lower back, and I think you would know if you did. There's a definite "oh sh**" moment. And then it takes a few days of hobbling around like an old woman before it clears up. Walking helps.
Hahaha thanks! Sorry you've had to go through that. Pulled muscles are not fun, I know!0 -
You may need to work on strengthening your lower back. I have some great at-home exercises I use for this.
First I will dig a large hole in my backyard, as shoveling helps develop core strength.
Then I take some black lawn/leaf bags that I have previously filled up with old clothes that I no longer wear and I will carry them out to the hole and toss them in.
I then proceed to fill the hole up and that signals the end of a workout.
Later on that night once I've recovered, I'll go dig up the bags and bring them out to my car and toss them in the trunk, so I can take them to Goodwill the next day.
I find this is incredibly effective at building lower back strength and muscle in general. My neighbors are so intimidated by my physical prowess that they won't even look at when they walk past my house and this tells me it's working
Wow! Very creative!0 -
When deadlifting, really focus on the legs. Get up close to the bar and get your butt as low as possible. To complete the lift drive up thru the legs. Focusing your eyes on an object high up will help keep your back straight thru out the lift.
Are you doing high reps or low reps? High reps and fatigue often lead to lower back injuries. As fatigue sets in, form tends to fall by the wayside. Be sure to get the butt down and reset after each rep. Each rep should be done with careful purpose and not just to finish the exercise. Any exercises done after deadlifting also need to be done carefully. It's pretty easy to reach over and pick up a dumbbell with a tired back and throw yourself out of whack.
Deadlifts are one of the best exercises and it's great that you're doing them. Happy lifting!0 -
Trisha!! Thank you so much for posting this! I tell ya, I'm sitting here thinking to myself, "Those darn deadlifts are killing my lower back! What am I doing wrong?" I haven't even read all the feedback yet, but thanks for posting this. Really!
So happy I'm not the only one with this question! Glad I can help!
when I was doing my last program- I did 1 x 15 working set of stiff leg dead lifts- the first time I did it I could hardly walk- and I'm very aware- it just made me SO tight!!!
just something I wasn't used to!!! Just pay attention to your body- sharp pain is obviously different than just achy I don't use it often pain.
But again- I would definitely video yourself and compare with some tutorials- or get an evaluation from someone.0 -
The fact that you are noticing the soreness and wondering if it is normal or not means you are aware of your body and will probably avoid injuries in the future. I think you are doing everything you should.....getting others to check your form and staying tuned in to what your body feels. Like I said, my back is sore sometimes when I do deads, but not alot. You shouldn't be sore alot, your body should get used to the lifts and if you are slowly adding weight, you shouldn't be too sore that often. I get sore after I lift around my 1RM (300lbs).
Thank you Katrina I am very conscious of my body and try my best to avoid injury, because it'll keep me out of the gym! hah! 0 -
It is very easy to lose form (and not even realize it) if you are doing 'touch and go's'. Do a reset with the weight on the ground after each rep and abandon the lift if you feel your form go away during the pull.
Good idea. I like to do Romanian Deadlifts and only put the weights down when I'm done with a set. But maybe I can compare the two and see the difference in back soreness.
Sorry, I didn't realize you were talking about Romanian DL's. I was referring to resetting with the bar on the floor during standard deadlifts.0 -
A couple things I notice a lot of people with good form still do wrong is not treating the DL as a true "dead" lift. They're bringing the weight down, touching the ground, and doing another rep. Treat every rep as a single. Release all the weight before starting the next rep.
Also, this ties into the first point, when you're lowering the weight, once you pass the knee, let the bar basically drop. Still hold onto it, but it's a controlled drop. You do that because that's the part of the lift that's supported mostly by your lower back. If you're lowering it slowly, and letting it gently touch the ground, even with good form, the lower back feels too much strain.0 -
A couple things I notice a lot of people with good form still do wrong is not treating the DL as a true "dead" lift. They're bringing the weight down, touching the ground, and doing another rep. Treat every rep as a single. Release all the weight before starting the next rep.
Also, this ties into the first point, when you're lowering the weight, once you pass the knee, let the bar basically drop. Still hold onto it, but it's a controlled drop. You do that because that's the part of the lift that's supported mostly by your lower back. If you're lowering it slowly, and letting it gently touch the ground, even with good form, the lower back feels too much strain.
Thank you. I don't even let the bar touch the ground until I'm done with my rep. I pull it back up once I pass the knee. Maybe that's putting too much strain on my back (RDLs).0 -
A couple things I notice a lot of people with good form still do wrong is not treating the DL as a true "dead" lift. They're bringing the weight down, touching the ground, and doing another rep. Treat every rep as a single. Release all the weight before starting the next rep.
Also, this ties into the first point, when you're lowering the weight, once you pass the knee, let the bar basically drop. Still hold onto it, but it's a controlled drop. You do that because that's the part of the lift that's supported mostly by your lower back. If you're lowering it slowly, and letting it gently touch the ground, even with good form, the lower back feels too much strain.
Thank you. I don't even let the bar touch the ground until I'm done with my rep. I pull it back up once I pass the knee. Maybe that's putting too much strain on my back (RDLs).
Maybe that is the problem, my bad though. I didn't know you were doing RDLs. I wouldn't of commented since I don't do RDLs.0 -
I didn't know we were talking Romanian Deads either.
I do Romanian Deads all the time as a hamstring exercise. I don't start them from the floor, I start from a waist high rack. I lower the bar to about the middle of my shins and I let me knees bend, keeping the bar close to my legs. I exagerate the top part of the lift, tightening the top of the hamstrings and stretching the hip flexors. If I use dumbbells, I'll either start from the rack or a bench. I've never come close to getting a sore back from those but I have found them quite effective for the hams. I do anywhere from 8-15 reps on them. I've never used them for heavy singles. To me Romanian Deads are more of a rhythmic exercise than an explosive one. Just like regular deads, it's important to keep the head up and back straight.0 -
Your sore back doesn't necessarily mean that you have poor form IMO. It really depends on your definition of "sore" ... Sore could be just your muscles being worked or sore could mean you have shooting pains. In the case of shooting pains, you definitely did something wrong and should see a medical professional0
-
It most likely is...
The best advice I could give you for dead lift form is to check out Elliott Hulse on Youtube, he has a lot of corrective dead lift video's and a four part video series called the science of dead lifting where he goes into great detail about all aspects of the lift.. a must see if you like to dead lift!
I do enjoy it very much! But hearing I could possibly be doing it wrong made me worry I shouldn't do too much. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check him out!
I had the same feeling when someone commented on my form at the gym, but it was an easy fix, I left my ego at the door, lowered my weights till I had my form down right and moved up gradually. Just keep at it it's probably the best exercise out there so it's worth taking the time to do it properly 0 -
I didn't know we were talking Romanian Deads either.
I do Romanian Deads all the time as a hamstring exercise. I don't start them from the floor, I start from a waist high rack. I lower the bar to about the middle of my shins and I let me knees bend, keeping the bar close to my legs. I exagerate the top part of the lift, tightening the top of the hamstrings and stretching the hip flexors. If I use dumbbells, I'll either start from the rack or a bench. I've never come close to getting a sore back from those but I have found them quite effective for the hams. I do anywhere from 8-15 reps on them. I've never used them for heavy singles. To me Romanian Deads are more of a rhythmic exercise than an explosive one. Just like regular deads, it's important to keep the head up and back straight.
You are describing exactly how I do mine. I love RDL as a hamstring exercise!0 -
It most likely is...
The best advice I could give you for dead lift form is to check out Elliott Hulse on Youtube, he has a lot of corrective dead lift video's and a four part video series called the science of dead lifting where he goes into great detail about all aspects of the lift.. a must see if you like to dead lift!
I do enjoy it very much! But hearing I could possibly be doing it wrong made me worry I shouldn't do too much. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check him out!
I had the same feeling when someone commented on my form at the gym, but it was an easy fix, I left my ego at the door, lowered my weights till I had my form down right and moved up gradually. Just keep at it it's probably the best exercise out there so it's worth taking the time to do it properly
Yes I'm very humble when it comes to people correcting my form. I agree its a great exercise, thanks!0 -
Your sore back doesn't necessarily mean that you have poor form IMO. It really depends on your definition of "sore" ... Sore could be just your muscles being worked or sore could mean you have shooting pains. In the case of shooting pains, you definitely did something wrong and should see a medical professional
Definitely not shooting pains. More of a very mild lower back ache. Sounds like based on all these comments that its a normal feeling. I've been doing them with no injuries yet, but I always wondered about the soreness and if I was eventually going to hurt myself. Glad to hear I should be fine. Thank you!0 -
Be sure you're warming up your back, also. I do a few sets of back extensions and several warm-up sets before I do deadlifts with a working weight. That has helped too.
For me, though, form was killer. I had serious low back soreness and discomfort until I did some work on my form.0 -
Your back being sore after you deadlift doesn't mean anything. If your form is good and you're getting stronger without injuring yourself then you're doing it right. Dont' listen to stupid people.0
-
You could also try Albanian deadlifts instead which are like Romanian deadlifts only with a different accent0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions