Back Pain From Lifting Weights: How Extra Pounds Affect Your Spine
Whether you're brand new to weightlifting or you've been pumping iron for years, back pain when lifting weights is common. Most people associate this pain with their lower back (lumbar spine). And while loading up heavy weight onto your traps can wreak havoc on your spine, proper form, bracing (breathing), and listening to your body can prevent back pain when lifting weights.
In this article, we dive into how the biomechanics of weightlifting can impact your back and provide you with tips to keep your spine healthy as you lift heavy.
How Weightlifting Biomechanics Impact Your Back
Compression vs Shear Force On Your Spine
The spine is capable of handling large amounts of compressive force. This downward force travels through your discs when you're standing upright or lifting a weight. But did you know your spine also experiences shear force?
Shear force causes your vertebrae to slide against one another much like a deck of cards. When you flex, extend, or rotate your spine under load, you increase the amount of shear force on your discs and ligaments.
Weightlifting exercises like the deadlift force your spine to handle compression AND shear force if you're rounding your back. This combination puts you at risk for a weightlifting-related back injury.
Length of the Lever Arm
The farther away the weight is from your center of mass, the harder your lumbar spine must work.
If a barbell begins to move forward during a Romanian deadlift, your lower back must absorb tremendous amounts of stress.
The Fix: Keep the weight close to your center of mass as much as possible. This will save your spine and allow you to lift heavier without experiencing back pain from weightlifting.
Popular Lifts That Cause Back Pain When Lifting Weights
Romanian Deadlift: Rounded Back (Flexion Intolerance)
If there was one exercise that causes back pain from lifting weights, it would be the deadlift. Why? Because it's almost impossible to perfect your form with every rep.
The primary mistake that leads to back pain during deadlifts is rounding of the lumbar spine.
Flexion intolerance refers to activities that cause low back pain when flexing the spine. Deadlifts require a considerable amount of flexion under load, which can irritate or injure your discs overtime if your technique is sloppy.
Fix: Keep a neutral spine and braced. Focus on squeezing your lats to keep your spine stacked. Also, lift a weight you can control. There's no need to lift heavy if it compromises your form.
Squat: The "Butt Wink" & Lumbar Flexion
The squat is a fundamental human movement. But did you know performing a squat with poor mechanics can cause back pain when lifting weights?
It's often caused by either poor ankle and hip mobility, or simply squatting too low for your body.
Fix it: Improve your ankle and hip mobility. Bottom line, don't squat lower than you can without losing a neutral spine.
Overhead Press: Hyperextension aka "Arching" Too Much
Like the deadlift and squat, pushing weight overhead can also cause back pain from lifting weights.
When you lack shoulder mobility or weak core muscles you often compensate by arching your lower back…LOADING YOUR SPINE WITH EXTRA STRESS.
Fix: Increase shoulder mobility and core strength. Also, lighten the weight until you can maintain a neutral spine while pressing the weight overhead.
How to Prevent Back Pain From Weightlifting
Breathing & Bracing for Heavy Lifts
One of the best ways to prevent back pain when lifting weights is by utilizing proper breathing and bracing techniques.
By taking a deep belly breath (NOT chest), holding it, and bracing like you have a belt around your waist, you create intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). IAP acts as a protective padding for your spine when lifting heavy weights.
Practice your bracing technique before each rep of every compound movement. Struggling with bracing? Lie on your back and press your abs into your hand.
Warm Up Properly With Warm Up Sets
Performing no warm-up sets is one of the sure-fire ways to injure yourself weightlifting. Not only will adding a warm up routine help prevent weightlifting back injury, it will help you dial in your form before adding weight.
Before your squat, grab the bar and practice your form. Add weight until you reach your work set. Simple as that.
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Focus on adding a little weight each week or an extra rep. There's no need to go balls to the wall every time you step foot in the gym. Progress over time will yield better results and keep you safe.
Using social media or the dudes at the gym as a competition will only lead to an injury that could set you back months. Train smart, friends.
Active Recovery for Lifters
The concept of active recovery is revolutionizing the way hard-training lifters stay injury-free. Instead of completely relaxing on your rest days, athletes are focusing on movement quality and strengthening their stabilizer muscles. Like we mentioned earlier, this is where Ironhorse Physical Therapy and Pilates can help you.
By strengthening your deep core stabilizers and scapular stabilizers with Pilates, you'll be less prone to injury during heavy lifts. Plus, your stabilizer muscles will get so strong that you'll be able to lift more weight more safely over time. Some of the top lifters in the world are using Pilates to stay healthy and free of back pain when lifting weights.
Active recovery can include a variety of low intensity activities that promote blood flow and help correct muscular imbalances without creating additional fatigue.
Take a Smarter Approach to Lifting Weights
Strength is built by lifting heavy, right? Not exactly. Lifting weights is about lifting smart, not harder. Focusing on active recovery methods and stability will help keep your body healthy and allow you to perform your best year round.
If you're ready to learn more about how you can recover smarter, not harder, reach out to the professionals at Ironhorse Physical Therapy. Let us help you optimize your recovery today!
Related Topics:
- Pilates for Back Pain
- Lower Back Pain When Running
- Pilates Exercises For The Back
- Lower Back Pain After Running
FAQs on Back Pain From Lifting Weights
Should I take a break from lifting if my back hurts?
If you experience a sharp pain that doesn't feel like your typical workout soreness, stop training that muscle group and seek professional help. This type of pain can be a sign of nerve compression or structural damage. If your pain is more of a general soreness or mild discomfort, taking days off may do more harm than good. Movement is medicine! Try modifying your training by either cutting weights in half or switching out the exercise that's causing you pain for something that doesn't hurt. Partnering with a professional who understands training as well as rehabilitation is important. They can help you distinguish between pains that need to be rested and pains that can be worked through. As long as you're using proper lifting form, you should be able to continue training through minor back pain from lifting weights.
Does a weightlifting belt really prevent injury?
Weightlifting belts are great for increasing intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) by up to 40% (1). This extra pressure provides support for your spine when lifting heavy weights. BUT… They're not magical injury prevention tools. You have to first learn how to properly brace your core. If you have a loose belt on with poor bracing technique, it's pretty much worthless. That being said, your belt should only be used when lifting heavy weights (over 85% of your 1rm). You want to train your core to get strong, then utilize a belt to help give you that extra boost on max effort lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc.
Is leg press really better than squatting?
The leg presses pain free. Many people lean back, allow their pelvis to tilt forward, and round their lumbar spine. This position is equally as detrimental as bad squat form! The downside to the leg press is you're stuck in that machine and can't adjust your weight or positioning mid-set like you can with a free-weight squat.
Are there any safe exercises for my lower back?
It's not the exercise, it's how you perform the exercise. Once you learn how to perfect your squat, deadlift, and overhead press form, you can add weight and continue to lift without fear of hurting your back.
How can I fix my "rounded back" deadlift?
Mobility. If your hamstrings or hips are super tight, they can prevent you from achieving the proper starting position for a deadlift. Your back will compensate by rounding to compensate for the lack of mobility. So first, check your mobility! Stretching your tight areas should be step 1.
Setup is also crucial. Before you break the floor, scream your chest up and take the slack out of the bar. This will put your back in a strong neutral position to begin the lift. Lastly, is it possible that you're just trying to lift too much weight? Don't be afraid to drop the weight down until you can perform the exercise with proper form.
