Lower back issues while squatting.

[SAD]

Alright guys, I need your help. Any ideas on how I can get through a leg workout without my lower back pumping/cramping/killing me? I can't go overly heavy due to a completely fucked left knee, but take for instance today. I supersetted light squats (185x20) with wide stance leg press (3 plates per side for 20) and by my third set I couldn't get my lower back to stop hurting. It's not my spine, it's my erector muscles on either side of my spine that swell, cramp, and generally hurt like a motherfucker. On back day I go heavy once per month on rack pull deads and wind up hitting 500+ for reps on my last set, withOUT these lower back issues. Only on leg days, (which I just started doing again after recovering from surgery a few months back), do I get this debilitating issue. Form is spot on, so any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rottenrogue]

Sad I am not gonna be much help here.But it seem to be a common thing here recently.I can name two others right now that are having the same issue. I was able to help mine by doing light ATG and pausing squats.It seemed to stretch the hell out of my back/hip muscles.
Other than foam rolling alot beforehand I'm not much help.

 

[SAD]

Sad I am not gonna be much help here.But it seem to be a common thing here recently.I can name two others right now that are having the same issue. I was able to help mine by doing light ATG and pausing squats.It seemed to stretch the hell out of my back/hip muscles.
Other than foam rolling alot beforehand I'm not much help.

Yeah, normally you'd think that an awesome pump would be a good thing, and in any other workout I love it, THRIVE on it, but it seriously decreases the effectiveness of the workout. It's funny, you'd think that sitting down and leaning forward would help, but it doesn't, in fact it kinda makes it worse. I wish I could go ATG but my knee feels like it's going to explode if I go past parallel. I'll try the foam rolling, although I HATED it when I had to do it 3 times a week for almost a year to rehab my knee after my first surgery. Thanks RR.

 

[Gstacker]

Ya im one of them and i have a bad left knee also....More than a couple times i went str8 to the massage spot after leaving the gym or i rush home to get in the jacuzzi..... Some days im lucky and it doesnt bother me that bad... I try and stay hydrated and get some bannanas or potatoes in every day, if i slack there then i pay for it..... I know u said ur forms spot on and i believe you but in my case if i go atg then i get but wink and its murder on my back... Ive been going parallel or just a lil below and it makes a big diff for me...... Idk if i told u anything u dont already know but i hope i helped in some way... Gl keep us posted as this is an ongoing problem of mine to.

 

[ajdos]

Low back pain during legs=tight hamstrings.

 

[SAD]

Low back pain during legs=tight hamstrings.

Interesting. I know how closely the hammies work with the glutes and spinae erector muscles, just didn't realize that having tight hammies would cause such major lower back pain while working primarily quads. What would you suggest then AJ? I've read enough about not doing static stretches before lifting to know that that would probably not be the best solution. I'm all ears and your advice is always welcomed.

 

[Gstacker]

Low back pain during legs=tight hamstrings.

And im sure this is alot if my problem, so i stretch but thats somthing that will take time....

 

[SAD]

Ya im one of them and i have a bad left knee also....More than a couple times i went str8 to the massage spot after leaving the gym or i rush home to get in the jacuzzi..... Some days im lucky and it doesnt bother me that bad... I try and stay hydrated and get some bannanas or potatoes in every day, if i slack there then i pay for it..... I know u said ur forms spot on and i believe you but in my case if i go atg then i get but wink and its murder on my back... Ive been going parallel or just a lil below and it makes a big diff for me...... Idk if i told u anything u dont already know but i hope i helped in some way... Gl keep us posted as this is an ongoing problem of mine to.

Wish I had a jacuzzi at home. Best I could do is pull a hot bath and have my wife hold her head under water and blow bubbles. )

 

[Ogre717]

My back used to pump and ache like hell on leg day... now take a second to consider this before you wave the homo flag... Yoga seriously has made my back pain almost non existent. I started doing my stretched before lifting and my workout partner at the time was a chick really into yoga. she showed me a few different yoga stretches and poof, back pain disappeared. I try to incorporate those stretches before my lifting. Food for thought... seriously tho, no homo.

 

[letigre]

I think everything everyone has suggested should help -- I was gonna say flexibility and tight hams.

I would foam roll the lower back and hams religiously, do some static stretching post workout and maybe add in some strengthening work for the erectors.

You say your form is right and I'm sure its decent, but what about recording yourself squatting? Maybe you'll see something you can improve or change in your mechanics, or at the very least, see if you can get a bit lower before you buttwink.

Do you low bar squat, or do you put the bar up across your shoulders? I've started low bar squatting - I resisted for ages because it hurt my upper back so much I hated it, lol... i'd have bruises the next day where the bar was -- but it is MUCH more secure when going heavy and i get a lot less forward lean, which is much much better on my lower back.

The only other thing I can think of that might help is finding a good masseuse. Hope that helps.

 

[SAD]

My back used to pump and ache like hell on leg day... now take a second to consider this before you wave the homo flag... Yoga seriously has made my back pain almost non existent. I started doing my stretched before lifting and my workout partner at the time was a chick really into yoga. she showed me a few different yoga stretches and poof, back pain disappeared. I try to incorporate those stretches before my lifting. Food for thought... seriously tho, no homo.

I'm all for stretching Ogre, just not before you workout. AFTER you workout it's not only a good idea for injury prevention, but also for hypertrophy. I do Daunte's DoggCrap stretches after every workout, but I'm not sure I could make it through a yoga class. If I give it a try, I'll be sure to NOT tell anybody, lol.

 

[Wolf]

It's also a possibility that you could have developed a weakness in other muscles which is causing the posterior chain to over compensate. More specifically the abs, some of the guys I've trained that have had lower back problems but no problem with hamstring flexibility have had an imbalance with their abdominal strength.