Regardless of form/ weight....deadlifts cause pain

pinggolfer96
pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
it sucks cause I'm young and have proper form on my deadlift.....yet my back stiff hurts after every time I deadlift. I even do sumo squat as I'm tall and it's more comfortable. No matter how low I sink my hips, how straight my back is, how much I drive with my heels, my back is always in pain after for a long time. And I don't mean discomfort, I mean pain. Is there anyone else like this whose body just simply does not accept deadlifting lol. It sucks, but what are you alternatives or methods you've done to avoid this?
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Replies

  • sevenofnine01
    sevenofnine01 Posts: 54 Member
    In for solid lifting advice.
  • jasinwilliams
    jasinwilliams Posts: 6 Member
    YES. Funny you made this because I'm dealing with this right now. I'm getting back into lifting after a while and my deadlifts aren't going well. I'm using proper form, yet the deadlifts mess up my back for days after I do them. I want to get back to 300+ bench, 400+ squat, and 500 deadlift, but my body isn't cooperating.

    As of now, the way I'm combating my deadlift problems is by giving myself lots of rest between deadlift sessions and keeping my reps extremely low. And when I say 'low', I mean I do 1-3 total reps of deadlifts each session. I do a heavier weight each time I go to the gym. My back doesn't hurt anymore when I leave the gym, but I still feel a sensation in my lower back that makes me uncomfortable.

    So anyway, the bottom line is I think you should limit your reps and give yourself more rest between deadlift sessions. Maybe on the days in between your deadlift sessions, you can do supplementary exercises that will help with your deadlift (ham/glute raises, etc).
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Deload to no pain then work up again

    Get a trainer to triple check your form

    I pulled something today on first set deadlifts and am in feck can't move pain even after ibuprofen ice and heat ..I'd swear my form was fine and it was at 60kg which should be an OK weight for me ..but I have to admit that I might have gone in too heavy for first set

    Oh well live and learn
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    My body doesn't like deadlifting either. :( My left SI joint is too mobile and pops out of place, which ultimately leads to low back pain. It can get achey during heavy deadlifts and squats, and once popped out altogether, so I was off my feet for weeks. I tried to deload and work up again, but always feel it giving around the same weight. It sucks when your muscles can take it, but your connective tissue can't!

    My workarounds are basically the same as jasin's. I cut way down on volume, up on rest. I put all my effort into hip thrusts instead.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Are you absolutely sure your form is correct? I second a deload then reload. I'm trying out some programming for my compounds right now in order to grease the groove and become more efficient at the lifts. Set your weight at 65-70% of your 1rm.

    Say 275. Then add 5 pounds every session for 4 sessions. Followed by a reset of 15 pounds. Starting you out at 280. Then repeat. Often used in the conjugate method. So you know it works.

    Ex.
    1. 275x3
    2. 280x3
    3. 285x3
    4. 290x3

    5. 280x3
    6. 285x3
    and so on. It's really helped me with maintaining core stability while upping my weights. Working on doing the reload without a belt for as long as possible.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    My back doesn't seem to react as much when I do hex-bar (or trap bar?) deads.
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
    My experience is the opposite of the OP's. I was a passenger in an auto accident about 15 years ago (in which we struck a drunk driver that was dumb enough to make a U-turn on an interstate). I came out of that accident with a bunch of soft tissue damage and some scar tissue. I managed to rehab it using a cautious multi-year system of strength training along the lines of Westside Barbell (but starting out MUCH more mellow). At this point my back is no longer in the critical path of my health and fitness. Sure there are things I can't do, but I'm happy I can hang in there with the 20-year olds. I respect that somebody else might have completely different experience. I'm not sure I know enough to give anybody advice, but I hope you find a way to maintain your health. In my opinion, core strength is critical.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Deload to no pain then work up again

    Get a trainer to triple check your form

    I pulled something today on first set deadlifts and am in feck can't move pain even after ibuprofen ice and heat ..I'd swear my form was fine and it was at 60kg which should be an OK weight for me ..but I have to admit that I might have gone in too heavy for first set

    Oh well live and learn

    and go see a doctor as well.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    edited October 2016
    ttippie2000 wrote: »
    My experience is the opposite of the OP's. I was a passenger in an auto accident about 15 years ago (in which we struck a drunk driver that was dumb enough to make a U-turn on an interstate). I came out of that accident with a bunch of soft tissue damage and some scar tissue. I managed to rehab it using a cautious multi-year system of strength training along the lines of Westside Barbell (but starting out MUCH more mellow). At this point my back is no longer in the critical path of my health and fitness. Sure there are things I can't do, but I'm happy I can hang in there with the 20-year olds. I respect that somebody else might have completely different experience. I'm not sure I know enough to give anybody advice, but I hope you find a way to maintain your health. In my opinion, core strength is critical.

    This is really inspiring! My problems come from an accident too. I was hit by a car as a pedestrian and have a rod in my left leg. The soft tissues around my hip got all stretched out and don't stabilize the joint as well anymore. What sort of professional did you go to for your strength program/rehab? The docs I've seen just tell me to stop trying to lift more. :(
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 846 Member
    My chiro. took an x-ray and discovered that I have an extra vertebra, so a little lower back pain is usually something I expect when I do the deadlift. It's a good reminder to keep my back position as neutral as possible and pull in my stomach when I do the lift.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Are you lifting with a belt? Or at least pushing out hard with the abs and holding your valsalva hard? If the abs and air aren't doing their part, your back is going to have to carry way too much of the load.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 514 Member
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    it sucks cause I'm young and have proper form on my deadlift.....yet my back stiff hurts after every time I deadlift. I even do sumo squat as I'm tall and it's more comfortable. No matter how low I sink my hips, how straight my back is, how much I drive with my heels, my back is always in pain after for a long time. And I don't mean discomfort, I mean pain. Is there anyone else like this whose body just simply does not accept deadlifting lol. It sucks, but what are you alternatives or methods you've done to avoid this?

    I injured my lower severely a few years ago doing deadlifts with bad form. Didnt go near them for years afterwards. In the last year & half I have gone back to them but after attempting normal deadlifts a good few times and always ending up with severe lower back pain, even with my form being checked by my PT, I've given up doing normal deadlifts. Life is too short and I would rather have a healthy pain free lower back. I can do deadlifts with the hex bar and while I know that is not a proper deadlift, I don't get the same level of pain in the lower back using it. Try doing them with the hex bar @pinggolfer96
  • CarlKRobbo
    CarlKRobbo Posts: 390 Member
    Have to ask - How Many people have you had look at form? Whatever the number, ask some more, make sure they are properly Knowledgable.

    Are you Sure it's not Mobility related? I only ask down to your comment of "I even squat sumo, as I'm tall and It's more comfortable".... Just wondering as I've seen guys 6 foot 4 squat High bar, A2G with no problems..

    Advice-wise, I'd Echo the reload method. Reload at 50-60% of Max, Have form stripped down, re-analysed, and go from there
  • JonDrees
    JonDrees Posts: 161 Member
    Post a video of you deadlifting.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    lemmie177 wrote: »
    ttippie2000 wrote: »
    What sort of professional did you go to for your strength program/rehab? The docs I've seen just tell me to stop trying to lift more. :(

    I've gotten hooked up with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (20+ years of experience) who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, works with pro and college athlete. I've worked with him for a couple years (3-4 visits a year, it's about a 3 hour one way drive to his facility) on specifically shoulder and general mobility issues.

    See if you can find somebody like that. He's been exceptional in telling me what to do and not do.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    Video?

    I'm curious about how low you "sink your hips", as you mentioned. You pulling sumo, right? You said squat in your OP but I think it was a typo.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Video?

    I'm curious about how low you "sink your hips", as you mentioned. You pulling sumo, right? You said squat in your OP but I think it was a typo.

    Yeah that was a typo. I meant to say deadlift in sumo. I'll try and get a vid if I can
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i know nothing. that's the initial disclaimer.

    but i'm wondering: if you're that tall, have you tried chunking out the whole range of motion into isolated pieces to see if there's a specific segment of it that's more of a trigger for you? you could do rack pulls from above the knees, for instance, and if that doesn't hurt drop the rack a few inches and do them again.
  • schenkzachary2016
    schenkzachary2016 Posts: 11 Member
    I notice this a lot in my clients and even experience low back pain myself on 'leg' days. The fact of the matter is that dead lifting puts too much stress on the lumbo-pelvic region. If you are training for competition, there really is no alternative training methods to increase your deadlift RM. If you are training for health or body composition, I have a few suggestions. IMO using a hex bar for deadlifting can reduce the stress on the low back. The weight is more evenly distributed in front and in back, whereas a traditional barbell deadlift has all the weight in the front. An alternative exercise you can implement in your program is single leg RDLs. In no way does this exercise have the same muscle recruitment as the traditional deadlift, however one leg is kept in line with the trunk and spine reducing the amount of pelvic tilt. On a similar note, I have clients ranging from high school athletes to menopausal women -- I have all of them do unilateral leg presses as opposed to bilateral. With one foot planted on the floor and the other on the leg press, it greatly reduces posterior pelvic tilt. When the pelvis is tilted backwards it can impinge parts of the lumbar spine, especially when loaded. One last recommendation is to properly warm up. 5-10 minutes on the bike along with some dynamic movements is sufficient.

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