Lower back burn

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Power
Power Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so as I said, I have a lot of experience weight training... been through the phases of slapping on slabs of muscle back in my early days and I am plenty comfortable with my knowledge of how to build muscle, from what exercises to do to what to eat... and I love the burn... usually

But.... something that has always puzzled me.. for about 15 years now, whenever I do any type of aerobic exercise (running, plyo, whatever) my lower back feels like it is going to burst into flames... i don't mean "my back is really getting a good burn because i am doing exercises that really work my lower back"... i mean it doesn't feel good. This is not a happy burn!

Honestly it feels like I am going to snap in half backwards... i can only assume it is due to weak abs...

Anyone else feel this?

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  • Power
    Power Posts: 27 Member
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    Ok, so as I said, I have a lot of experience weight training... been through the phases of slapping on slabs of muscle back in my early days and I am plenty comfortable with my knowledge of how to build muscle, from what exercises to do to what to eat... and I love the burn... usually

    But.... something that has always puzzled me.. for about 15 years now, whenever I do any type of aerobic exercise (running, plyo, whatever) my lower back feels like it is going to burst into flames... i don't mean "my back is really getting a good burn because i am doing exercises that really work my lower back"... i mean it doesn't feel good. This is not a happy burn!

    Honestly it feels like I am going to snap in half backwards... i can only assume it is due to weak abs...

    Anyone else feel this?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    It could be an ab problem, but it could also be due to hip flexors or hamstrings. Or it could actually be the extensor muscles in your lower back!
    Can you get to a personal trainer? Try to find one who knows how to do a postural analysis. A lot of things can cause back pain, because if one area of your back is out of alignment due to some muscular imbalance, another area will shift into an unnatural position to compensate. A lot of people have tight hip flexors because they walk a lot and never stretch, and it pulls the pelvis forward, stretching the muscles in the lower back. Or they have weak abdominal muscles, so they hunch forward, pulling the muscles in the lower back and between the shoulder blades. Without looking at your posture, it's hard for me to guess what might be wrong.

    So my only advice is to stretch a lot and do deadlifts and Roman chairs with as much intensity as you do abdominal work. :flowerforyou:
  • Power
    Power Posts: 27 Member
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    Wait... lol... you assumed I do abdominal work :laugh:

    That has always been my biggest problem, even when I used to be in shape. My ab work was probably a 1:20 ratio with my other workouts.

    I stand VERY upright, no hunching here. But the hips flexed forward a little... I think I might do that a little as I once had someone tell me that I walk with my hips forward.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Wait... lol... you assumed I do abdominal work :laugh:

    That has always been my biggest problem, even when I used to be in shape. My ab work was probably a 1:20 ratio with my other workouts.

    I stand VERY upright, no hunching here. But the hips flexed forward a little... I think I might do that a little as I once had someone tell me that I walk with my hips forward.

    Well you can do a rough postural analysis if anyone's there to stare at you for a couple minutes. :laugh:

    They'd need to look at your feet (are you standing on the insides, outsides, or normal)
    Your knees (bowing in, out, or normal)
    Your shoulders (is one higher? usually that's the case)

    Then they'd look at you from the side
    Is your ear pretty much in line with your shoulder?
    Are the front of your hips lower or higher than the back?
    Do your shoulders point forward, backward, or just look centered?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    And I'd definitely work on the abs. You do use them a lot in pretty much every other exercise, but nothing beats doing some planks. I'm really big on planks because your abdominals are made for support, not movement, so it's better to use them in a way that's specific to their purpose. But tight hip flexors are incredibly common so that's something to watch out for as well.
  • Power
    Power Posts: 27 Member
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    thanks for the response...

    unfortunately i'm not going to ask the one person who works in this office with me to check me out... at 6'1 and 254 lbs i think it might come off as a little creepy :wink:

    can't wait to get to the ab day in P90X, that ought to help
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    thanks for the response...

    unfortunately i'm not going to ask the one person who works in this office with me to check me out... at 6'1 and 254 lbs i think it might come off as a little creepy :wink:

    can't wait to get to the ab day in P90X, that ought to help

    LOL yea I can understand that :laugh:

    I hope it does help! And don't forget to stretch, because a lot of ab work and no stretching will actually make it worse.:smile:

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