Lower back

maygo

Winger
My lower back is really tight when I’m in the bottom position of squats, and if I go into forward flexion at any time. I’ve tried resting for a fortnight, and it’s still the same. I’ve also tried gentle stretching before exercise, but it has no effect. Any suggestions/ experience/ similar happenings?
Cheers
 


My lowerback is awful. Any running more than 2k and it hurts so bad i can't continue. I was doing leg raises and reverse curls yesterday and today and it cracks like mad, need to go and see someone about it.
 
I’m not sure whether to go to the doctor, knowing how hard it is to get a referral these days, or just go see a physio/ chiropractor off my own bat
 
My lower back is really tight when I’m in the bottom position of squats, and if I go into forward flexion at any time. I’ve tried resting for a fortnight, and it’s still the same. I’ve also tried gentle stretching before exercise, but it has no effect. Any suggestions/ experience/ similar happenings?
Cheers

I had a similar problem that came on during deadlifts. I started doing a small set of core exercises after I’d warmed up but before starting to lift (planks/glute bridges/l sit holds) 3 minutes on each section and it’s improved no end to the point I’ve not had spasms since.
 
Docs will do fk all before August, even then there’ll be a queue. I was allocated a physio over phone which was handy but no good really as need treatment.
 
My lower back is really tight when I’m in the bottom position of squats, and if I go into forward flexion at any time. I’ve tried resting for a fortnight, and it’s still the same. I’ve also tried gentle stretching before exercise, but it has no effect. Any suggestions/ experience/ similar happenings?
Cheers
Could be absolutely loads of reasons, some people get an absolutely insane pump in there lower back and mistake this for an injury of some sort, it sounds to be like an imbalance but could be anywhere on your back or hamstrings. A percussion massage gun might help before and after but you'd need someone else to put it on ya back obviously.

A good physio will be able to do some tests to look at your mobility or imbalance, it could also be your ankle and knee position, sometimes some orthotic insoles can correct or improve things.

Basically I haven't got a clue but they're all possible.
 
My lower back is really tight when I’m in the bottom position of squats, and if I go into forward flexion at any time. I’ve tried resting for a fortnight, and it’s still the same. I’ve also tried gentle stretching before exercise, but it has no effect. Any suggestions/ experience/ similar happenings?
Cheers
Can you do good mornings and stiff leg deadlifts?
 
Yes, if I maintain good form and the natural curve of my spine. It’s only when I flex forward, and put the spine into the opposite curve- like pushing my spine backwards, causes stiffness and pain
You mean when you arch your back? Do you do low bar or high bar squats?
 
You mean when you arch your back? Do you do low bar or high bar squats?
It’s hard to describe without showing you. Imagine standing upright in normal position, with your natural s curve. Then slump your head and shoulders forward, and push your lower back backwards- that’s when the tightness occurs. If I continue to do it, like trying to stretch it out, then it aches for a few days before going back to the normal right but not yet achey feeling. If I prod about, it fees tender on the knobbly bits of spine, not sure if this is a disc problem- doesn’t feel like the bits in between. Will book a osteo appointment when I get back from this trip
After a bit of googling, I think it’s best described as doing a “butt wink”- hate this term mesel
 
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My lower back is really tight when I’m in the bottom position of squats, and if I go into forward flexion at any time. I’ve tried resting for a fortnight, and it’s still the same. I’ve also tried gentle stretching before exercise, but it has no effect. Any suggestions/ experience/ similar happenings?
Cheers
You need to fix your form. My favourite “how to squat properly” videos are by Dave Tate. You should be able to find them on YouTube.


My lowerback is awful. Any running more than 2k and it hurts so bad i can't continue. I was doing leg raises and reverse curls yesterday and today and it cracks like mad, need to go and see someone about it.
Do you have an long torso and comparatively short legs by any chance? The reason I ask is, some people just aren’t built for walking, let alone running.
 
Years ago, i had lower back problems. Brought on severe pain, cause by squash. After trying my Dr, who was crap and just guessing at the problem, i was told about Luke Ramsey, Chiropractor, who was in Whitley Bay at the time. It turned out to be my pelvic joint, and he told me that on the first visit. And which exercises to do and which to avoid. He also told me that the problem would recur if i did the wrong things. With hindsight, a lot of injuries to same problem, what he told me was spot on. Problem never troubles me now because i've given up squash. But i went to 2 or 3 Osteopaths and sports clinics in the following years, and i came to the conclusion that they were hopeless. He is still going, but now in Gosforth.
Thurston, in post above has described me. Long torso, short legs.
 
Years ago, i had lower back problems. Brought on severe pain, cause by squash. After trying my Dr, who was crap and just guessing at the problem, i was told about Luke Ramsey, Chiropractor, who was in Whitley Bay at the time. It turned out to be my pelvic joint, and he told me that on the first visit. And which exercises to do and which to avoid. He also told me that the problem would recur if i did the wrong things. With hindsight, a lot of injuries to same problem, what he told me was spot on. Problem never troubles me now because i've given up squash. But i went to 2 or 3 Osteopaths and sports clinics in the following years, and i came to the conclusion that they were hopeless. He is still going, but now in Gosforth.
Thurston, in post above has described me. Long torso, short legs.
The reason I said that incidentally, is because I have a long torso and short legs myself. And I’ve experienced far more back pain from walking and running than I ever have from squatting. Which is not to say that I’ve never had a bad back caused by squatting because I have, but the reason for that was ego lifting. It’s far more common to occur if you’re in the “one rep max range” (and there’s other posts on this section of the forum which give my thoughts on that). When the weight is too heavy, and/or you’re too tired you start bringing your back into the movement rather than using your legs and hips to drive the weight up.

I squat every week and I’ve never experienced the above in years, because I never squat with weights which I can’t do for more than 8-10 reps. Zero back pain. Given the legs are such a big muscle group, I’d go as far as to say you’d still be getting far more out of squatting (in terms of hypertrophy) even if you’re doing weights you can squat 20-30 times than you would by lifting too heavy (1-4 reps).

If load was all that mattered, then the leg press would be the king of the leg exercises, plate loaded machines would beat free weight movements, and the skinny bloke who was leg pressing 400kg in Pure Gym last Friday night would look like Tom Platz. Except it isn’t and he doesn’t.

It’s down to biomechanics. More weight doesn’t mean “better.”

If someone held a gun to my head and said I could only do either a leg press or a Zercher squat (where I can only lift around 1/4 of what I leg press) for the rest of my life, there’s absolutely no way I would choose the leg press.

This mightn’t apply to you, but I thought I’d post it anyway because if one person reads it and it stops them needlessly hurting their back or injuring themselves, then it’s worthwhile.
 

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