Sore lower back after deadlifts

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  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Make sure your form is good like others have said. If you are injured wait until you are better. If you are just sore then rest a little and try it again.

    I would recommend doing this routine at least twice a week also. Helps a ton with low back and hip tightness.

    http://youtu.be/FSSDLDhbacc
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    I'm somebody who deadlifts who has a lower back spinal injury (I have the MRI's to prove it). My experience with deadlifts is that it takes someone a long time to get the form truly right, many months of practice. If this is new to you, likely thats the issue.

    But I can also attest to the fact that its possible to do deadlifts with some light spinal damage present. It's not necessarily a blocker. So it makes me think that if you're feeling pain, your form is probably off in some way or another. Just about the only time I felt real pain was when I was doing it wrong, failing to protect my spine.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Thanks Cait. Will have a look.
    Another thing maybe is that I'm not warming up properly! I was warming up by doing 10 mins on elliptical but maybe I need to do some warm up sets. especially for deadlifts and squats.

    I've been lifting for well over a year now and do on occassion still get lower back soreness from dead lifting so it may not be anything serious. If it's not gone in 2-3 days, if it's affecting your day-to-day activites or causing you to lose sleep then go get a professional opinion. You should definitely be warming up by doing the same exercise with a lighter weight. I would never jump straight up to my highest weight on a squat or dead lift.

    You also might want to consider having a PT check out your form and check to see if you 're doing it right. If this isn't an option you may want to take a video of yourself and post it online for a a form check
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
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    Thanks Cait. Will have a look.
    Another thing maybe is that I'm not warming up properly! I was warming up by doing 10 mins on elliptical but maybe I need to do some warm up sets. especially for deadlifts and squats.
    In Starting Strength, which is written for novices, Rippetoe stresses always doing warmup sets, starting with the empty bar. And has you do squats first in the routine, saying that the squat helps to warm you up for the upper body sets and the deadlift. I start my warmups with the empty bar for squats, but with 65 for deadlifts - because one, I'm already warm from squats like he says, and two, I have a hard time lifting from flat on the floor without rounding so I'd rather start with bumper plates loaded instead.

    I've had lower back soreness once or twice after deadlifts. It was quite sore the first time and I worried that I might have hurt myself. But it was greatly diminished within 24 hours and gone by the next workout session. If this was a new exercise for you, some soreness would be normal.

    Please do check your form carefully to prevent injury. Starting Strength is a great book to accompany the Rippetoe videos online, especially if you're a mathy geek type like me. :smile:
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    Yeah always do light weight warmup sets. Always always always. It's an important part of the process, it helps you lift heavier weights more effectively and keeps you from suffering injuries. Too important to skip.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I had to widen my stance when I do DLs makes it easier on my back
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    If the soreness causes you to want to curl forward its probably a mild injury due to poor form.... In my experience, doms doesnt make you want to curl up. Now, thats not to say that the lack of this curling desire would mean you arent injured, I;m just saying that if you do feel that sensation than you probably did tweak your back a bit. Same goes for a desire to flex backwards.

    Bending backwards would make me thing you rounded your lumbar spine and wanting to curl up would make me think that you over arched it and hyper extended it...
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    This isn't hard.

    Was the onset of soreness delayed or not? If delayed, it's delayed onset muscle soreness. If not delayed, it's an injury.


    It's almost like they call it DOMS for a reason relating to the definition.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Thanks a mil for the advice and links to videos everyone.
    I'm really not sure if it's an injury or DOMS. It's so whenever I move but fine when I'm sitting, lying in bed, etc. My thighs and legs are also really sore but the soreness feels different somehow.
    I think I'll take a rest from lifting til Wed then do workout a which involves a squat not a deadlift. Then on Friday try the deadlift again if my back feels better and get someone to check my form or video tape it. I am new to it so I could be doing it wrong, and I don;t want to keep on doing it wrong.
    Thanks again :smile:

    Generally, the lower back feels wierd when it's stressed out. Even DOMS feels kinda funny for the lower back, where the rest of your body generally feels like you would expect it to. You will figure this out with some time though, as you feel it out.

    So for your deads, I would say just feel it out and make sure you're starting LIGHT. Starting light is a virtue in lifting, and it helps you ease in. Just start off with the bar if you have to, or lighter if need be, no shame in that.

    Also, make sure that you are locking in your back and not rounding the lower back (YouTube it). You might also be overarching (like, really really sticking your *kitten* out), and that can make it feel wierd too.

    Over all, just make sure you're taking the time to learn the movement and feel it out for yourself.... and starting light so you have some wiggle room to learn :)
  • nixism
    nixism Posts: 258 Member
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    When I was doing deadlifts even with a smallish weight my form was off and I got a sore lower back... once my PT corrected my form I was away... you need to be sure to keep the weights close to your legs etc and back nice and flat/straight... and don't be shy to stick out your booty!! :) Goodluck :)
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    When I used the Smith Machine to do deadlifts, I injured my back. I haven't had any problems since I stopped using it.

    Smith machines should be taken out of gyms and burned.

    Nah, I like it for inverted rows :) I also started push-ups on the Smith, gradually lowering the bar until I could do standard. It's got its place ;)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Check form. Look up "So You Think You Can Deadlift." I respect Rippetoe, but honestly I don't think I he gives the best advice on form, he's way too one size fits all for my liking. Jim Wendler's book 5/3/1 is good for form, as are the videos from EliteFTS.
  • EricaFaythe
    EricaFaythe Posts: 37 Member
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    Your back shouldn't be sore after deads.. I would ask a trainer to check your form, this is a lift where you can really easily hurt yourself if your form is not good.

    You can also tape yourself and post to the eat, train, progress group here on MFP for form critique.

    Couple videos to suggest:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8jgCFXYTU

    Actually, depending on the type of deadlift you're doing, it SHOULD be targeting the back.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    I would recommend doing this routine at least twice a week also. Helps a ton with low back and hip tightness.

    http://youtu.be/FSSDLDhbacc

    Tagging for this routine, thanks.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Your back shouldn't be sore after deads..


    o_O

    It's a back exercise. Using almost every muscle in the body. The erectors and rhomboids, in particular, are worked very hard during the deadlift. It is completely reasonable to have a sore back after deadlifting.

    That having been said, I'll echo those who commented that you really need to keep the bar against your body throughout the lift to keep the bar over the center of your foot and keep as much advantageous leverage as you can.

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