A new problem :I

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KaleDOG
KaleDOG Posts: 37
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I've been dealing with a new issue while doing dumbbell squats, my lower back is killing me always sore, I push past the pain every gym day. I do not seem to have any way to solve my form problem since I can't look at my side while squatting.

Any tips? I literally have no real friends so I cant ask someone for help in the gym.

I've included far more protein in my diet every since I stopped my vegan diet, which helped me get energy.

Replies

  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    Ask a member of the gym staff, that's part of what you pay for. And for the love of Pete, do it soon because ruining your back.is a bad bad bad thing...
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    Ask a member of the gym staff, that's part of what you pay for. And for the love of Pete, do it soon because ruining your back.is a bad bad bad thing...

    I agree....meantime, I'd check out some youtube videos to make sure your form is as good as you can get it.
    This might help you:

    http://stronglifts.com/squat/back-pain/
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    If you have a phone or digital camera, bring it to the gym and record yourself squatting from different angles. If there's no one there to hold the phone for you just prop it up on a bench or something (I do this all the time). You can post links to the videos here for critique if you don't spot any problems on your own.
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    You need to do some stretching. see here: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Lower-Back-Stretch-Safely --- scroll down to that video strech- OMG that's my Fav....
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Stretching is great, but it won't fix bad form. Squats shouldn't hurt your back.
  • ZaCkOX
    ZaCkOX Posts: 115
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    Form comes from practice, heavy weight on the back will hurt without building up the foundation. Your balance will come too, just do it a lot with lower weight and once the form is very good, move up slowly.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Is it hurting your upper or lower back? When I was doing dumbbell squats, they started bothering my upper back near my shoulders. Once I switched to barbell squats and got used to the weight of hte barbell, I was able to squat heavier and had no pain.

    Ask for help with form, practice with just your body weight, consider barbell squats instead as well, or at least goblet squats if you need to stick to dumbbells.

    Otherwise, stretching does really help, especially if the soreness/pain is a lot of tightness. How often do you work out, are you doing squats back to back or do you have proper rest periods? And are you trying to ego lift? There was this really skinny kid at my gym, I saw him dumbbell lunging once and he was shaking and literally dropping the weights down with so much momentum that it was clear the weights were too heavy for him. Which could easily get you in trouble when it comes to injury. So that plus poor form will be your biggest issues. But it could even be poor form for your body. E.g. when I was doing straight-leg deadlifts, my upper back was rounding a bit... which is normal with these types of deadlifts. But I started having lower back soreness from it, so I switched to conventional deadlifts and it solved the problem. Now I'm moving on to Romanian dead lifts so I can maintain that straight back but work my hamstrings and lower back better. So maybe you need to adjust your form a bit for your specific frame.
  • zac775
    zac775 Posts: 199 Member
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    I agree with other post, get the gym staff to help. Sort out your form first with lower weights once you have that cracked you can increase the weight. Good lifting.
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
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    I would definitely get gym staff to check your form. You can SERIOUSLY mess your back up doing squats with incorrect form. I'm talking like slipping discs out of place bad. You need to keep you back as straight as possible. It helps to fixate at some point high up a wall (ceiling is usually too much and will also mess up form). I typically stand about 6ft away from the wall and look up at the crack where the wall stops and the ceiling starts and fixate on that point while keeping my back ultra-straight. If your form is right, pretty much the only thing you should feel is the tension in your glutes. You will feel the weight pressing mostly on your heels as you push up, very little on your toes. I would watch some YouTube videos, and maybe practice squatting form with an unloaded bar before adding more and more weight.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    no mirrors in the gym??? stand sideways and turn your head- it's not a fatal flaw when you are doing lighter weights and need to analyze form.

    I would second
    Staff member and or Video yourself.

    I tape monthly to see what types of flaws I have and can be working on correcting.

    <<<< that avatar is taken from screen shots from videos I took - learned I have an ankle issue on some of my heavier squats- and I'm not a newb- there are always things to correct and be adjusting so no one is above doing some self evaluation.

    Back off the weight- figure out what you're doing wrong before you really hurt yourself.
  • KaleDOG
    KaleDOG Posts: 37
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    Thanks everyone I'll use your advice, II'll record a video while I'm at the gym as soon as possible after that i'll ask the staff for help with my form.
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
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    I've been dealing with a new issue while doing dumbbell squats, my lower back is killing me always sore, I push past the pain every gym day. I do not seem to have any way to solve my form problem since I can't look at my side while squatting.

    Any tips? I literally have no real friends so I cant ask someone for help in the gym.

    I've included far more protein in my diet every since I stopped my vegan diet, which helped me get energy.

    Ask a trainer at your gym!! They should be willing to help you out with form, most often they're willing just so you don't hurt yourself. If they feed you a line of crap about paying them or something, find another trainer who works there.

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