How to squat without lower back pain. Lower back hurts after squats with a barbell – Back and lower back hurts after squats Lower back hurts after squats: why and what to do

Lower back pain is one of the most common problems among trainees. Uncomfortable sensations bother both beginners and experienced ones.

As a rule, it appears after various multi-joint and basic exercises. Today we will figure out why the lower back hurts after squats. Let's talk in detail about the causes and consequences, as well as how to avoid it.

Let's begin with If your lower back hurts after squats, this does not mean that everything is bad. After all, discomfort can arise for a variety of reasons. And both overworked muscles and already sore joints and vertebrae can respond to this.

If in the first case there is no need to worry, then in the second you should immediately stop training with weights and start taking care of your health.

It is worth noting that there is no need to limit physical activity. In any case, it will be useful to train. The only thing is that the nature of the load and physical exercise fundamentally different. But first things first.

Why does my lower back hurt after squats?

As a rule, there can be a whole variety of reasons. Alas, beginners are not always able to determine on their own why their back hurts after squats. Therefore, it is recommended to contact a competent specialist. He will be able to help determine the origin of the pain syndrome and develop measures to counter it.

As practice shows, the main reasons for problems with the back and lower back are non-compliance with the technique of performing the exercise. This is what causes various injuries. No one is immune from this, neither experienced nor newbie.

Main types of painful sensations:

Muscle microtraumas. They arise as a result of overwork and stretching of muscle fibers. As a rule, they occur as a result of a good load. This is a natural and normal process for muscle growth. Characterized by nagging pain.
. As a rule, it occurs in the lumbar region due to deformation of the spinal column.
Pinched nerve. Due to the high mobility of the vertebrae, they can pinch nerve endings and cause very unpleasant and sharp pain.
. If the hernia is sufficient big size, it can irritate the nerve or cause inflammation of surrounding tissues. This will be accompanied by back pain.

Let's look in more detail at what each of the above problems means.

Muscle pain

We can say that it is the safest and even natural after doing squats. When we feel it, we say, “they pulled the lower back.” But in fact this is not entirely correct:

When performing squats, the back muscles at the lumbar level are actively involved in the work. Therefore, the muscles in this area may naturally ache later from fatigue.
Discomfort may remain for 2-7 days, depending on the degree of fatigue and the body’s recovery abilities. Even with correct technique execution.

When working with heavy weights, a certain part of it is compensated by the lumbar muscles. That is, your muscles are not yet ready for such weight, so the body evenly distributes the load. For muscle pain, a good remedy would be:

warm baths,
regular warm-up
warming ointments.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine

As a rule, such a disease develops over years, and squats only worsen the situation. To prevent this from happening, it is better to work with large scales, in this case, you can use a special orthopedic belt, which will give the spine additional support:

If you have such a disease, you can squat, but be careful. This means that strict adherence to execution technique is a prerequisite.
It’s better to squat an extra few times with an empty bar, but do it as technically as possible.
Additionally, sumo squats are a better solution. Due to broad setting legs near the lower back, the range of motion is reduced.

The type of pain in lumbar osteochondrosis is acute. As a rule, it can appear both during the exercise and the next day, within 12 hours after the workout.

The pain is quite unpleasant and causes discomfort when sitting for a long time and bending the lower back:

In such a situation, it is better to reduce the load or eliminate it altogether.
In case of severe pain, painkillers can be used as prescribed by a doctor.

Pinched nerve

Occurs almost instantly, as a result of compression of the nerve by muscles, cartilage or tendons. Just a second ago everything was fine and then there was a sharp pain.

The degree of pain will depend on the strength of the pressure. It can be so strong that you can hardly walk, and in the worst case, you can barely move at all. Then you need to urgently call an ambulance medical care.

If you find yourself in this situation during a squat, throw the barbell back or go as low as possible until you place it on the safety frames.

In such a situation, you should abandon the workout and go home. Do you want to improve your figure and health, without harming your spine and joints?

Get my free resources on smart fitness at the gym or at home, and learn how to exercise correctly!

They are suitable for both beginners and “advanced” fitness fans :) In most cases pain syndrome

At first it is not strong, but the next day it can become so severe that it becomes difficult to walk. It is recommended to consult a doctor.

There can be several reasons why a pinched nerve occurs:
Presence of intervertebral hernia;
Rounding of the back due to incorrect technique;

There is too much weight on the bar that the muscles cannot handle.

Intervertebral hernia

A fairly common occurrence not only among athletes, but also among ordinary people. As a rule, it occurs due to lifting heavy weights with a rounded back, or failure to comply with squatting technique. The vertebrae cannot withstand such a load. At intervertebral hernia You can train, but you need to do it correctly.

It is recommended to undergo regular examinations and monitor the condition of the hernia.

How to squat correctly so as not to cause back pain? Errors and negligence in execution technique lead to injuries.

And, as a result, all this is reflected in the form of pain in the lower back.

Let's consider the main ones: Narrow foot placement.
This position not only increases the amplitude of the lower back, but also forces the body to lean forward strongly. It turns out that when you extend your legs, the weight is pushed by your back, not your legs. Therefore, it is not recommended to squat with a narrow stance with heavy weight, especially for beginners. Errors in technique can easily cause injury. Incorrect position of the bar. Many beginners place it on the neck rather than on the trapeze. In this case it is easy to get cervical osteochondrosis
. Also, the load on the lower back increases significantly. No warm-up.
Muscles must be prepared for work. They must be well warmed up to work with weights. Train in a warm place.

Muscles love warmth. The warmer the room, the more elastic they are. This rule should not be neglected. This is especially true for girls training in the same top. During the training process, the muscles will warm up and cool down, which can affect the efficiency of work.

The most important and important thing is not to panic! It is very important to correctly determine the type of pain and, based on this, build a strategy for further action. If you cannot figure out on your own whether the pain is muscle or pathological, then it is better to contact a qualified specialist who will help.

It can be not only a doctor, but also an experienced trainer. If it turns out that the pain is pathological, then you will have to do an x-ray, an MRI and see a doctor with the pictures.

In case of pathological pain, it is not recommended to delay a qualified and competent examination. Treatment should be done as soon as possible so as not to worsen the situation. If you don’t do this and continue to train, then you won’t have anything good to look forward to.

Ignoring the problem is too high a price in the future. Therefore, you should not hope for a “miracle”. How to treat - a qualified doctor will tell you, who will clarify all the points and determine a recovery plan.

Is it possible to squat if you have lower back pain?

Above, we have already listed the main sources of discomfort.

If it is muscle pain, then you can squat, but it is better with a light or moderate weight. The fact is that at this moment the muscles have not yet fully recovered and working with heavy weight will cause even more microtrauma. The result is slow recovery and fatigue.
If the cause of the pain is not muscle, then it is recommended to contact a competent specialist so that a diagnosis can be made.

In any case, squats are not recommended if pain is present. It is better to wait until the muscle fibers are restored and give the body a rest.

Definitely, before performing the exercise, you should consult with an experienced trainer on the question - “is it possible to squat with a sore back?” He will help determine the type of pain and develop a further strategy of behavior, recommend research and draw up training program

taking into account pathological features.

Very often I heard about how many athletes in the gym complain of lower back pain after doing squats with a barbell. Moreover, this problem haunts not only beginners, but also quite experienced athletes. What is the reason and how to avoid it? Let me start with the fact that pain can be different - it can be either painful sensations in the muscles or quite specific joint pain in the lumbar region. The first type is normal and does not pose any threat to health, since such pain is associated with microdamages, which recovers quickly. The second type is more serious and indicates the presence of a traumatic load on the spine due to a violation of the technique.

Why does my back hurt after squats with a barbell?

The main cause of lower back pain after performing squats is flexion at the bottom of the exercise. Most athletes, when performing barbell squats correctly, allow a slight lumbar flexion at the very bottom of the amplitude, while the shoulder blades can be retracted and the back can be perfectly flat. When the working weight is not very heavy, such a violation of technique does not lead to pain, however, as the working weight increases, the traumatic load on the lower back also increases, which leads to pain in this area. Over time, if left unaddressed, it can lead to severe, chronic back injuries.

How to avoid lower back pain after barbell squats?

First, learn to perform the exercise correctly, avoiding bending your lower back at the lowest point. To do this, reduce the working weight and try to squat less deeply.

Secondly, try to move your pelvis as far back as possible. Also ask your training partner or coach to observe your technique to see if you are bending your lower back at the bottom of the exercise.

Thirdly, as a preventative measure, after performing squats, perform hyperextensions - 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions. This will strengthen your lower back and is guaranteed to relieve pain.

It happens that after squats, your lower back hurts, although you did not feel any discomfort during the exercise. This happens when you have done something wrong, putting too much stress on your muscles and spine. But also Bottom part back pain can also occur for other reasons. Let's figure out exactly why pain can occur and how to deal with it.

Why does my back hurt?

The lumbar region of the back can hurt for various reasons.

Here are the main ones:

Muscle pain. As a rule, in the case of squats, this is a nagging pain in the lower back.
Manifestations of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
Pinched nerve.
Intervertebral hernia.
Consequences of hypothermia.

Muscle pain

When your lower back starts to hurt after a squat, we say this: you pulled your back, or tore it off. In fact, if we are exercising for the first time or if we have given too much load, the lumbar region of the back will hurt in 90% of cases. Also, if you haven’t warmed up your lower back enough, which is most often the case, long-lasting pain will appear.

The discomfort will continue for 2-7 days, depending on how much the muscle has been overworked.

With proper squat technique, your lower back should not hurt much.

Excessive pain is a consequence of what you have been compensating for. overweight barbells work the muscles of the lower back. Most likely, you leaned your body forward more than necessary. And from the bottom point they came out using the muscles of the back and only then the legs. Or you rounded your back at the lowest point. These are incorrect variations of squats and are dangerous for your joints and muscles. This is where you can break your back.

If you have muscle pain (you will understand when it is a joint and when it is a muscle), use warm baths and pain-relieving ointments. Follow the instructions included with the ointments. Ask someone to knead the sore muscle with their hands, it will hurt, but it is necessary! If the pain is not too severe, you can do a set of hyperextension as a warm-up to get the blood flowing in the aching muscle.

If the pain intensifies, and a bruise or yellowness has formed on the lower back, it is better to consult a traumatologist.

Usually the area that hurts is from the tailbone to the bottom of the chest.

Osteochondrosis

For osteochondrosis, it is recommended to squat with light weights and strictly in a special belt. We recommend using an orthopedic belt with solid stiffeners instead of athletic belts. Your spine needs additional support.

You can find out which belt you need from a doctor at any ultrasound center in your city. At the same time, clarify the diagnosis.

If you have a sore lumbar region, you should especially not tilt or round your back while squatting. Be careful not to let the bar pull you forward. To do this, spread your legs wider. Remember how in? The wider the legs, the smaller the range of motion in the lower back. It's good for your back.

By the way, by improving your technique, you reduce to zero all the risks of aggravating the situation with your back.

With osteochondrosis, you may feel sharp pain during back exercises. More often, it happens that discomfort occurs the next day or within 12 hours after training. You cannot bend without pain, it is difficult for you to sit for a long time, because the pain intensifies.

What to do? While you have acute pain, avoid putting stress on your back. It's better not to go to Gym generally until the pain subsides. You need to see a neurologist, or visit an ultrasound center, where they will advise you on the right orthopedic belt. The latter will become your best friend for life.

Doctors may prescribe pain-relieving injections or special vitamins for the nervous system. Then, when the pain subsides, you can start training. And be careful - pay attention to any discomfort. And don’t listen to coaches who convince you to ignore all these precautions. They are not doctors and never have been. And, if anything happens, it will be your back that will hurt, not theirs.

Pinched nerve

It happens suddenly and instantly. You just did a normal rep. And then a sharp pain, and now you can barely walk. Sometimes pinching occurs at the bottom of the squat and you are unable to stand up. Well, if you worked at Smith, you can put the barbell on the nearest block. What about the barbell if you're not at Smith? And if there are no insurers?

Throw it back. If there are people behind you, warn them so that no one gets hurt. Then be guided by the circumstances.

If you cannot walk, or do it with difficulty, call emergency medical help directly to the gym.

Most often what happens is that the pain during exercise is not so severe that it prevents you from walking home. But in the evening or the next day it worsens so much that you cannot move. In this case, you also need to call for help. It is necessary for doctors to relieve pain and eliminate pain problems.

Why did this happen:

You had a hernia and it pinched a nerve.
You have rounded your back
You lifted too much weight, causing your exercise technique to suffer.

There should be no self-medication here. Only qualified medical care.

Intervertebral hernia

During training, you need to monitor the dynamics of changes in the hernia. If it grows, under no circumstances should you squat.

If a person with a hernia experiences back pain from squats, you need to try different options: from losing weight to changing the variation of the exercise (maybe you should switch to a Smith machine).

Treatment is carried out according to indications. If you have found your individual way of squats, you have no pain - everything is fine, do it. Just check your hernia regularly for changes.

Hypothermia

The cold may be due to gym, or maybe not relate to it at all.

Most often, in the gym, sweating, you can get caught in a stream of cold air from the air conditioner. At risk are girls who like to expose their lower back.

Exposure of bare skin to cold can cause inflammation of the spinal nerves. It's very painful. Pain will appear within 12 hours of exposure to cold.

However, most often the pain after a cold has nothing to do with the gym; it is a consequence of a careless attitude towards your health.

Inflammation is treated on an outpatient basis, but sometimes you need to go to the hospital for a week for better treatment.

How to squat without back pain

Let's look at the main mistakes or negligence that lead to back pain after a squat.

The legs are set narrowly. With this placement of the feet, the back is forced to bend strongly forward. It turns out that when standing up, the weight is pushed not by the legs, but by the back. It turns out that this is not a squat, but some kind of strange deadlift. Feet should be spread wide. At the same time, do not forget to spread your socks to the sides, as well as your knees.
The barbell is located not on the back muscles, but on the neck. In this case, you also risk developing cervical osteochondrosis. Squatting with a barbell around your neck is also dangerous because the load on your lower back will increase significantly.
You kept your head down during the exercise. That is why such mistakes should not be made. Your gaze should always be straight while squatting. If you bend your neck, it affects your entire spine. Including on the lower back.
You don't warm up well. Always good . Pull it.
Poor stretching is a common cause of many injuries and pain. Any exercise can be performed correctly only with good stretching. And again - stretch.
Keep your lower back warm.

When coming to the gym, remember that although athletic results are important, health should always come first!

It happens that after squats, your lower back hurts, although you did not feel any discomfort during the exercise. This happens when you have done something wrong, putting too much stress on your muscles and spine. But the lower back can also hurt for other reasons. Let's figure out exactly why pain can occur and how to deal with it.

Why does my back hurt?

The lumbar region of the back can hurt for various reasons.

Here are the main ones:

Muscle pain. As a rule, in the case of squats, this is a nagging pain in the lower back.
Manifestations of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
Pinched nerve.
Intervertebral hernia.
Consequences of hypothermia.

Muscle pain

The discomfort will continue for 2-7 days, depending on how much the muscle has been overworked.

With proper squat technique, your lower back should not hurt much.

Excessive pain is a consequence of the fact that you compensated for the excess weight of the barbell by working the lower back muscles. Most likely, you leaned your body forward more than necessary. And from the bottom point they came out using the muscles of the back and only then the legs. Or you rounded your back at the lowest point. These are incorrect variations of squats and are dangerous for your joints and muscles. This is where you can break your back.

If the pain intensifies, and a bruise or yellowness has formed on the lower back, it is better to consult a traumatologist.

Usually the area that hurts is from the tailbone to the bottom of the chest.

Osteochondrosis

You can find out which belt you need from a doctor at any ultrasound center in your city. At the same time, clarify the diagnosis.

If you have a sore lumbar region, you should especially not tilt or round your back while squatting. Be careful not to let the bar pull you forward. To do this, spread your legs wider. Remember the sumo deadlift? The wider the legs, the smaller the range of motion in the lower back. It's good for your back.

By the way, by improving your technique, you reduce to zero all the risks of aggravating the situation with your back.

What to do? While you have acute pain, avoid stress on your back. It is better not to go to the gym at all until the pain subsides. You need to see a neurologist, or visit an ultrasound center, where they will advise you on the right orthopedic belt. The latter will become your best friend for life.

Pinched nerve

It happens suddenly and instantly. You just did a normal rep. And then a sharp pain, and now you can barely walk. Sometimes pinching occurs at the bottom of the squat and you are unable to stand up. Well, if you worked in Smith - you can put the barbell on the nearest block. What about the barbell if you're not at Smith? And if there are no insurers?

Throw it back. If there are people behind you, warn them so that no one gets hurt. Then be guided by the circumstances.

If you cannot walk, or do it with difficulty, call emergency medical help directly to the gym.

Why did this happen:

You had a hernia and it pinched a nerve.
You have rounded your back
You lifted too much weight, causing your exercise technique to suffer.

There should be no self-medication here. Only qualified medical care.

Intervertebral hernia

During training, you need to monitor the dynamics of changes in the hernia. If it grows, under no circumstances should you squat.

Treatment is carried out according to indications. If you have found your individual way of squats, you have no pain - everything is fine, do it. Just check your hernia regularly for changes.

Hypothermia

The cold may or may not be related to the gym.

Most often, in the gym, sweating, you can get caught in a stream of cold air from the air conditioner. At risk are girls who like to expose their lower back.

Exposure of bare skin to cold can cause inflammation of the spinal nerves. It's very painful. Pain will appear within 12 hours of exposure to cold.

However, most often the pain after a cold has nothing to do with the gym; it is a consequence of a careless attitude towards your health.

Inflammation is treated on an outpatient basis, but sometimes you need to go to the hospital for a week for better treatment.

How to squat without back pain

Let's look at the main mistakes or negligence that lead to back pain after a squat.

The legs are set narrowly. With this placement of the feet, the back is forced to bend strongly forward. It turns out that when standing up, the weight is pushed not by the legs, but by the back. It turns out that this is not a squat, but some kind of strange deadlift. Feet should be spread wide. At the same time, do not forget to spread your socks to the sides, as well as your knees.
The barbell is located not on the back muscles, but on the neck. In this case, you also risk developing cervical osteochondrosis. Squatting with a barbell around your neck is also dangerous because the load on your lower back will increase significantly.
You kept your head down during the exercise. That is why such mistakes should not be made. Your gaze should always be straight while squatting. If you bend your neck, it affects your entire spine. Including on the lower back.
You don't warm up well. Always stretch your lower back well. Pull it.
Poor stretching is a common cause of many injuries and pain. Any exercise can be performed correctly only with good stretching. And again - stretch.
Keep your lower back warm.

When coming to the gym, remember that although athletic results are important, health should always come first!

Article last updated: 08/30/2014

Back pain is a very common problem among people who exercise. by force sports, in particular bodybuilding. What is the reason for this, when does this pain occur and how to avoid all this. Today we will talk about this problem.

Everyone knows that basic exercises are the key to success in.
Unfortunately, many experienced, novice athletes sometimes overdo these exercises, in particular, without adhering to basic safety rules.

What should you do to avoid back injuries?

In order to minimize the possibility of back injury, as well as avoid lower back pain, you need to follow very simple rules:

When you perform any exercise, you must always adhere to the correct technique for performing the exercise. Especially if you do heavy compound exercises that put a lot of stress on your back.
Do exercises that help, for example:
If you have pain when performing squats with heavy weights, find alternative exercises. In this case, a great exercise would be “dumbbell squats.”
Always use when doing heavy, compound exercises if it involves heavy weights.
Always control your movements.

Some points you should be aware of.

The weak link in our body is the lower back. It needs to be constantly strengthened by doing all kinds of exercises, for example: exercise “ Good morning", hyperextension, deadlift (not for beginners), etc. Such exercises will help you strengthen your back and the muscular frame of the spine. This will give you the opportunity to control and carefully work the leg muscles during squats. Of course, do not forget about the abdominal muscles, which are also important in supporting the entire body during a squat.

Deadlifts should not be performed if you are a beginner; in the first couple, isolation exercises, bench press, and squats (with light weights) will be enough for you. And only then, after some time, when your body gets stronger, you can gradually include deadlifts in the program.

Always, before doing squats with a barbell, you should always warm up thoroughly. Of course, this should always be done, but in this article we pay more attention to the back and squats. Before performing working weights, you need to thoroughly stretch not only your back, but also your legs, performing several warm-up sets with a large number of repetitions. Before squats, you need to wear an athletic belt to protect your vertebrae. If you are a beginner and the weights are very light, you can do without a belt. But over time, it should become a must-have device in your training.

Squats should be performed strictly according to technique, so that the main load is not on the back, but on the thigh muscles. Thus, this will significantly reduce the possibility of back pain.

There is such a simulator called the Smith machine. It can make your life much easier, because exercising in this machine significantly removes the load from your back and increases the load on your hips. However, don't think that using this machine will weaken your legs. Even Dorian Yates praised this machine in his interview, where he said that his legs became more massive precisely because of doing squats in the Smith machine.

If your back still bothers you, then it’s better to temporarily exclude squats from