Where does it hurt when you squat?

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xcmum
xcmum Posts: 136
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been doing the 30 day squat challenge and i'm onto day 5. I have noticed now that my lower back (towards the sides) are getting sore while doing them. Am i going to low or something? Is this normal? Do you get this or another pain?

Replies

  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    I have no idea. I don't think the 30 Day Squat Challenge is considered normal.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    There's no such thing as too low with squats. However they shouldn't hurt anywhere, and if your form is not good, that can affect your back. Look up how to do squats with good form.

    It's impossible to tell over the internet whether the pain you have is because of a back issue or bad form... or if it's just normal pain from exercise (i.e. DOMS).

    check your form, look up DOMS if you're not familiar with this, and if you're still in a lot of pain from doing squats then see a doctor who understands sports, who will give you advice about how to deal with this and carry on exercising as much as possible (doctors who are like "back pain? rest and avoid all exercise" should be avoided, because some back issues are made better through the right kind of exercise).

    If it is just DOMS, ignore it and keep going.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    I have no idea. I don't think the 30 Day Squat Challenge is considered normal.

    Agreed.
    It's absurd.

    Where's the recovery time?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I have no idea. I don't think the 30 Day Squat Challenge is considered normal.

    Agreed.
    It's absurd.

    Where's the recovery time?

    I've never heard of it... I skim read the OP and thought she said 30 day shred...

    I concur with weight/strength training exercise programmes needing to have built in rest/recovery days!
  • mummycotto
    mummycotto Posts: 1
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    Im also on day 5. While doing squats i can feel it in my thighs and glutes. My brother is a PT and showed me how to do them. He said if i ever had any back pain from doing them, i was doing them wrong.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I have no idea. I don't think the 30 Day Squat Challenge is considered normal.

    Agreed.
    It's absurd.

    Where's the recovery time?

    Yeah, overuse injuries...no fun.
  • skinnytayy
    skinnytayy Posts: 459
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    I'm only on day 1 so I don't really know yet. But I do Insanity which has lots of squats .. I don't really remember having pain there but it could be possible. As of now, its the front of my thighs and my glutes burning. I did notice a dull, aching pain in my lower back, in general but I probably had bad form. You're supposed to keep your back straight and I was bending over some due to being sore from Insanity. Oops. =/
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
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    my knees pop if i do squats straight up and down, i'd give to just have some side pains :(.

    Maybe you are putting stress on your discs by arching your back or your spine is not aligned to start with, i know i naturally have had a crooked spine all my life which makes things alot more painfull then someone with a relatively "normal" spine curvature.

    as for the you shouldn't hurt anywhere, thats bogus, if you aren't feeling the strain you are are either really fit/strong or you aren't doing anything worthwhile, there should be aching/pain as your muscles are building and repairing themselves every workout

    you could try a decent stretch after each session or get someone else to do it to you which is better and a massage is very beneficial.. I'm think thing the lower back to the sides is your hip joints? or the muscles connected to in which case that'd be perfectly normal to strain that if you weren't use to doing it. But better to get professional opinion from a physio or a sports doctor/trainer
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I have no idea. I don't think the 30 Day Squat Challenge is considered normal.

    it does seem a tad extreme...
  • NattyInx
    NattyInx Posts: 2
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    Well I'm on day 3 and my tight muscles hurt so bad that I can barely move :/
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    as for the you shouldn't hurt anywhere, thats bogus, if you aren't feeling the strain you are are either really fit/strong or you aren't doing anything worthwhile, there should be aching/pain as your muscles are building and repairing themselves every workout

    Define hurt though....?

    I don't define normal muscle tiredness/achiness during exercise, or DOMS as "hurt"

    I think it's very important to learn the difference between how it feels when your body aches from exercise, and what DOMS feels like, from pain that means something is wrong.

    The wrong kind of pain can tell you you're doing something wrong form wise, and you need to fix it so you don't injure yourself.
  • F1uffy123
    F1uffy123 Posts: 121 Member
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    Your back shouldnt really be hurting. If its your lower back then you are probably rounding your back too much. Try to remain neutral and concentrate on squeezing your glutes. This helps prevent you rounding your back.
  • Beautifulsoull
    Beautifulsoull Posts: 136
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    Yo need rest days for your thighs. Doing them 30days is pushing it to injuries. For the pain, you should only feel the pain (if your not use to them) in your thigh and but area. You can never go to low in squats, BUT you should never push it low if it hurts your knees or you can't get back up. Look up videos on youtube on how to do a correct squat. I have back issues and if I do squat the wrong way I do feel it in my lower back.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    There are rests in the 30day squats thing. My concern would be more with the unecessary repetition. If you can do 30 consecutive squats with good form, you'd gain more from adding weight, rather than endlessly repeating them bodyweight only.

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