sore lower back after deadlifts

dogcatac
dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
hi all,
I added a considerable amount of weight to my deadlift on Monday, and woke up pretty sore on Tuesday- still pretty sore today. Is this a sign of bad form, or am I just weaker in my back? I am pretty new to lifting and I'm adding weight pretty fast, because I started out with just a bar or a bar + 10lbs. I'm about 1 month in and have never been sore in this spot before. Is it safe to lift again tonight? I am doing different lifts tonight and no deadlifts. It is definitely just very sore, not injured.

Replies

  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    If your back is sore I would wait until that goes away before lifting again.
  • dogcatac
    dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
    That's what my instinct tells me, but I have been really looking forward to my workout tonight. it's squat day :'(
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
    Maybe worth a video of yourself lifting. I've seen several threads that have offered form check advice.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    If it's DOMS then it's fine to work through it, but if you suspect an injury then hold off and watch some form videos.
  • Lady_jane_
    Lady_jane_ Posts: 37 Member
    I had some lower back pain when I first started going heavier on deads, so I watched a bunch form videos and researched a bit. I was rounding my lower back too much. What helped me was to think of the lift as more of a leg press action off of the ground, rather than pulling the bar up with my upper body. That made it much more of a full body move and took the pressure off of my back.
  • CrumCPT
    CrumCPT Posts: 30 Member
    That's it. Check your form and get it down pat with less weight before going heavy. Active recovery will help with soreness.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Post a video to make sure form is correct. Deads will hurt a whole lot more if done improperly.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Yes, I'd say be very careful that you have correct form first and foremost before adding any more weight. Even though it's doable for you, you don't want to add too quickly. No sense risking an injury that would put you out of commission for a while.
  • QuikDogs
    QuikDogs Posts: 194 Member
    Agreed, you likely need to tweak your form a little. And do be sure you only DL one day a week.
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    There is a big difference between sore and hurt. Though sore can be painful, it is a heck of a lot better than hurt. I know I over exerted myself back about a month ago doing deads, and I took a week off from squats and deads to heal up

    I imagine when you get to the gym tonight and you try to do a squat your back is going to answer any and all questions as to if you should or shouldn't do them.

    One thing you can do is hack squats on a machine to still get some work in, this will take the pressure off your back and will still give you the ability to do squats.

    Take it easy this week, take some form vids and post them up and drop the weight on your deads until you are sure your form is spot on. Grab a trainer in your gym if there is one and ask for a form check.

    Dead lifts can and will hurt you if you do them wrong.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    where are you sore? deadlifts are a full body workout. if your upper back muscles and lats are sore, thats expected. If your lower back is sore, then you probalby have bad form.
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
    I agree that sore and hurt are very different. I hurt my back from poor form when deadlifting and there was no mistaking it for soreness. Definitely give your back a rest and work some other muscles. See how you feel in two days and if you're feeling good, go back at it. If you're still hurting, it is probably a form issue, perhaps caused by a too-much-weight issue.

    Best of luck!
  • neaneacc
    neaneacc Posts: 224 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    where are you sore? deadlifts are a full body workout. if your upper back muscles and lats are sore, thats expected. If your lower back is sore, then you probalby have bad form.

    I second this opinion as it matches my own experiences with the dl. Once you feel less sore make sure to watch how you set up at the bar for the dl. If your feet are too wide (except sumo), if your grip isn't right, or if the bar isn't close enough to your body you will have a much greater chance of injury. I probably look crazy, but once I go over 200 lbs with the deadlift I reset my hands, feet, and body before each lift to ensure that I am fully mentally and bodily ready for the lift. I haven't had a problem since I've been taking my time and my new PR is 235, but I can see 250 in the near future if I start using the straps.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    where are you sore? deadlifts are a full body workout. if your upper back muscles and lats are sore, thats expected. If your lower back is sore, then you probalby have bad form.

    Seconded. After a really good pulling session my lower back can feel loose and tired for a little while but never sore. Drop the weight and get your form perfect before you ingrain bad habits.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Would you be able to post a form video so we can critique it?
  • dogcatac
    dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
    i looked up a chart quick and the muscle that is sore is the "longissimus" or the "iliocostalis". i guess its really mid back, not quite lower back, just above where my ribs end and about 2ish inches out from my spine on either side. feeling better throughout the day, and I've hurt my low back before so i know it is definitely a sore muscle and not an injury. what is a reasonable amount of weight to drop off until i get the form down better? i am only lifting about 125 lb right now.

  • mike_bold
    mike_bold Posts: 140 Member
    Form check +1. I always space out squats and deadlifts out as much possible. You wouldn't want to do on consecutive days. I squat on a Monday and deadlift on a Thursday for example. I will also do some assistance work on a Monday to build lower back strength, like reverse hypers, KB swings or SL deadlifts (pick one). I also do a bunch of lower back stretches every evening, this has helped a lot. Deadlifts are taxing! Take every 4th (or 6th maybe) week off and just do assistance work. Hope this helps, good luck.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    Sore lower back only...

    I would lean toward you are bending your back.

    Are there trainers at your gym ? You can usually just ask one a question

    Most gyms help new people get oriented to the equipment

    That isn't personal training

    But it seems like you may be doing them wrong. Squats also require good form.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    where are you sore? deadlifts are a full body workout. if your upper back muscles and lats are sore, thats expected. If your lower back is sore, then you probalby have bad form.

    This makes me feel better because I was just wondering about my upper back DOMS from dead lifts today. Lower back is always fine.
  • dogcatac
    dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »
    Sore lower back only...

    I would lean toward you are bending your back.

    Are there trainers at your gym ? You can usually just ask one a question

    Most gyms help new people get oriented to the equipment

    That isn't personal training

    But it seems like you may be doing them wrong. Squats also require good form.

    my squats are good and i'm super comfortable with them, but this is really my first time working with deadlifts, besides mandatory weight training for basketball and soccer when i was in high school/college. I've watched a dozen videos so i thought i had it down and was never sore before. i think i may be starting w/ the bar too far from my body or possibly arching my back while i lift. the weight isn't exactly heavy to me right now, either. there aren't any trainers at my gym. i could post a form video on Friday when i'm supposed to deadlift again, but i am kind of scared of them right now.
  • dogcatac
    dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
    edited June 2015
    mike_bold wrote: »
    Form check +1. I always space out squats and deadlifts out as much possible. You wouldn't want to do on consecutive days. I squat on a Monday and deadlift on a Thursday for example. I will also do some assistance work on a Monday to build lower back strength, like reverse hypers, KB swings or SL deadlifts (pick one). I also do a bunch of lower back stretches every evening, this has helped a lot. Deadlifts are taxing! Take every 4th (or 6th maybe) week off and just do assistance work. Hope this helps, good luck.

    thanks this is very helpful - which lower back stretches do you do? i have just been doing some pretty basic dynamic stretching before lifting and then maybe idk 5 min of static stretching afterwards.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited June 2015
    OP you might find this video useful, it's the one that helped me the most with DL's
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1IGeJEXpF4

    oh and this video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHiSvajoans
  • dogcatac
    dogcatac Posts: 124 Member
    thanks, I've actually watched that one before. i think i totally understand how i am SUPPOSED to be doing them, but maybe i'm not actually doing what i think i am. lol. im going to have my lifting partner take a video of me on Friday and i'll post it back here
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