Deadlifting injury-how to prevent next time?

rowdylibrarian

Good morning, all! Okay, so two days ago, I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts. I tried bumping up the weight on my deadlifts from 95 pounds to 115. I suspect that perhaps it was just too big of an increase, but I'm not sure. I kept going, and finished my 3 sets of 5, because I thought that it was just difficult, even though it was hurting.

I know that you all couldn't see me, so it's a hard question, but what kinds of newbie mistakes could I have been doing to hurt my lower back? I just want to make sure I do better next time. I'm pretty sure that I was keeping my back straight, and not over-arching or humping, and I was keeping my neck neutral. I did notice that I was having a very hard time controlling the barbell on the way back down, if that helps. I appreciate any help or suggestions you all can offer! Thank you!

SideSteel

Good morning, all! Okay, so two days ago, I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts. I tried bumping up the weight on my deadlifts from 95 pounds to 115. I suspect that perhaps it was just too big of an increase, but I'm not sure. I kept going, and finished my 3 sets of 5, because I thought that it was just difficult, even though it was hurting.

I know that you all couldn't see me, so it's a hard question, but what kinds of newbie mistakes could I have been doing to hurt my lower back? I just want to make sure I do better next time. I'm pretty sure that I was keeping my back straight, and not over-arching or humping, and I was keeping my neck neutral. I did notice that I was having a very hard time controlling the barbell on the way back down, if that helps. I appreciate any help or suggestions you all can offer! Thank you!

Could be rounding of the back at any point during the lift, could potentially be from too slow of a descent. I would get your form checked once the injury is healed and I would reduce load while working on form to make sure you learn it properly before loading too heavy.

Sarauk2sf

Check out Mark Rippetoe's videos on youtube for form.

Could be you are not engaging your core enough or just need to take time to strengthen your back a little more at lower weights.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Engage your legs first. Lift it up the first few inches with just your legs then start to straighten as you come up. Try to keep it one fluid movement so that you aren't lifting legs first then back.. Keep your back straight, not round, engage your lats (think about pulling your shoulder blades together). Tight core.

meshashesha2012

are you pulling the bar too far away from your shins? every rep there should be contact with your shins and thighs

i see a lot of newbs (and some vets) who don't do that or their first rep is good but the other reps turn into something where the bar is too far away from their shins. if you need to reset after each rep then do so it doesnt take too much time to readjust.

geekyjock76

Were you shrugging your shoulders on the way up? Doing that puts a lot of stress on the middle back. Also, the bar should literally slide along your thighs during the ascent and descent and not be away from the legs.

Capt_Apollo

i video all my dead lifts. i put my cell phone on the floor, and watch my set during my rest. it's a great way to see what you are doing, how you could improve, and prevent injury.

DopeItUp

Lower back soreness is usually a result from rounding of the back/shoulders in my experience.

bahacca

I wouldn't increase load by more than 10% and you loaded it at more than 10%. If you were at 95, the max load should have been 104/105.

Capt_Apollo

Lower back soreness is usually a result from rounding of the back/shoulders in my experience.

qft.


this is mark rippatoes intro to dead lifts. watch it if you haven't and if you have, watch it again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA

DopeItUp

By the way, I only add 5lbs to the bar at a time. Going up in big chunks is generally not recommended if you can avoid it.

withchaco

i video all my dead lifts. i put my cell phone on the floor, and watch my set during my rest. it's a great way to see what you are doing, how you could improve, and prevent injury.

Genius. I think I'll start doing this!

Big_Daddy6

I wouldn't do 3 sets. I would do 1 warm up and 1 set. The warm up is about 50% the weight of my next set. Don't shrug the shoulders when u lock out. Don't round your back. When you start the bar should almost be touching the shins. Don't try to yank the weight from the floor. Your arms are just to hang on. Slow and easy. I like to reset after each rep. Watch the tutorial on strong lifts. Record your d/l with your phone. You will most likely be able to see where your technique is off. That's what I do. My d/l is the not heaviest at 365 by no means but it's steadily increasing and am so far pain free and that's what's important.

emacb123

Wow! I could have posted this exact post myself. I hurt my lower back on Wed with a 110lb deadlift (up from 90lb). It was too heavy for me, plain and simple. I misread the spreadsheet I was using and used the weight for a later session. Duh.

It has spooked me a little, and I'm going to really concentrate on form, too. I was getting a little cocky about increasing weight.

Camille0502

Perhaps perfect your form using lighter weights **then** go to the heavy weights. You may also want to consider hiring a personal trainer to help you with your form. When lifting such heavy weights you want to make sure and do it right!

californiagirl2012

I agree with starting with using lower weight until you get your form. We all have slightly different body mechanics and I've had a lot of lower back injuries in the past. I also have a strange birth defect in my lower spine. Recently I had a trainer (I didn't hire him, he saw me in a Golds Gym and started chatting with me) tell me I shouldn't use my weight lifting belt. So I took it off for a week and injured my lower back somehow. So now I'm back to using my belt. I don't care of it's right or wrong, my body looks good from what I do and I'm not injuring myself so it works well for me. Then I had another trainer tell me that the reason a deadlift is called a deadlift is because the weights come do a dead stop on the floor before you come up for the next rep. Typically when I do them the bar only goes down to about halfway down my shin between my knee and the floor. I tried going lower using smaller weights and I injured my lower back again. Typically I have 45lb plates and with my short height that is perfect but I still don't slam the weights on the floor. I've never had a trainer, but so far on my own I have not injured myself in over 30 years of lifting except when these recent trainers saw me at the gym and "offered" advice.

DopeItUp

I agree with starting with using lower weight until you get your form. We all have slightly different body mechanics and I've had a lot of lower back injuries in the past. I also have a strange birth defect in my lower spine. Recently I had a trainer (I didn't hire him, he saw me in a Golds Gym and started chatting with me) tell me I shouldn't use my weight lifting belt. So I took it off for a week and injured my lower back somehow. So now I'm back to using my belt. I don't care of it's right or wrong, my body looks good from what I do and I'm not injuring myself so it works well for me. Then I had another trainer tell me that the reason a deadlift is called a deadlift is because the weights come do a dead stop on the floor before you come up for the next rep. Typically when I do them the bar only goes down to about halfway down my shin between my knee and the floor. I tried going lower using smaller weights and I injured my lower back again. Typically I have 45lb plates and with my short height that is perfect but I still don't slam the weights on the floor. I've never had a trainer, but so far on my own I have not injured myself in over 30 years of lifting except when these recent trainers saw me at the gym and "offered" advice.

Both instructors were correct. Using a belt is basically a crutch. Some people use it to try to set new PRs and such but using it all the time means your lower back doesn't have to work as hard.

Furthermore, deadlifts are always starting from the floor from each rep. Hence "dead" lift. By not doing full range of motion you're probably not hitting your lower back.

As a result of these things, your back is weak and when you try to do it the right way you get injured. You'd have to sort of start over with really low weight and work your way back up again and do it right this time.

Sublog

Check out Mark Rippetoe's videos on youtube for form.

Could be you are not engaging your core enough or just need to take time to strengthen your back a little more at lower weights.

This ^^^ When I first started, same issue. Also. make sure you keep the bar as close to or touching your legs. A lot of people wear long socks and drag the bar up your shins to ensure you're not getting away from your body.

PetulantOne

i video all my dead lifts. i put my cell phone on the floor, and watch my set during my rest. it's a great way to see what you are doing, how you could improve, and prevent injury.

That's an awesome idea!

mmapags

Good morning, all! Okay, so two days ago, I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts. I tried bumping up the weight on my deadlifts from 95 pounds to 115. I suspect that perhaps it was just too big of an increase, but I'm not sure. I kept going, and finished my 3 sets of 5, because I thought that it was just difficult, even though it was hurting.

I know that you all couldn't see me, so it's a hard question, but what kinds of newbie mistakes could I have been doing to hurt my lower back? I just want to make sure I do better next time. I'm pretty sure that I was keeping my back straight, and not over-arching or humping, and I was keeping my neck neutral. I did notice that I was having a very hard time controlling the barbell on the way back down, if that helps. I appreciate any help or suggestions you all can offer! Thank you!

Could be rounding of the back at any point during the lift, could potentially be from too slow of a descent. I would get your form checked once the injury is healed and I would reduce load while working on form to make sure you learn it properly before loading too heavy.

This was my first thought.

zaph0d

Like others have said, rouding of the back could be an issue. I think back too parallel with the ground is another potential issue (forcing you to basically do a good morning for the first part of the movement).

For all lifts, engage your core. Take a deep breath into your belly (not chest), engage those core muscles and keep them tight for each rep.

Then I had another trainer tell me that the reason a deadlift is called a deadlift is because the weights come do a dead stop on the floor before you come up for the next rep. Typically when I do them the bar only goes down to about halfway down my shin between my knee and the floor.

That's not a deadlift. OP: don't do this.