Lower back issues w/ weight lifting and rolling

MrNN

White Belt
@White
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
The past year when doing heavy lifts like DL and squats I get a tense feeling in my lower back, couple of weeks it been worse and just by standing up for a long time I get that tense feeling in my lower back. Been looking at some technique videos and correcting my DL and Squat tech (see vid below).

Anyone have been dealing with lowerpain issues due to weights or rolling? How do you handle it, is it a technique issue or what? can you still roll etc?


 
how old are you and how many times per week are you squatting and/or deadlifting? Are you doing a lot of Standing Military Pressing? The reason I ask is because many forget that rolling can be lower back intensive too. If you have to train with much larger team mates and have to lot of bridging and shrimping, along with getting stacked bad, it can put a lot of extra work and strain on your lower back.

All of this combined can do a number on you.
 
how old are you and how many times per week are you squatting and/or deadlifting? Are you doing a lot of Standing Military Pressing? The reason I ask is because many forget that rolling can be lower back intensive too. If you have to train with much larger team mates and have to lot of bridging and shrimping, along with getting stacked bad, it can put a lot of extra work and strain on your lower back.

All of this combined can do a number on you.

Thanks for answer! im 28 roll about 3-5 times a week squat/DL maybe 2-3 times a week + all the other musclegroups. Yepp im about 155 bluebelt often roll with bigger guys. Maybe thats the problem, not as young anymore! Gonna try cutting DL/Squat to 2 times a week.
Yes, ive recently start doing Standing military press and I like it, focus on stabilizing the lowerback/Core during the exercise performance. Would you recommend that I continue with that?
 
squat/DL maybe 2-3 times a week

Are you deadlifting each time you're squatting? If so, rather than dropping back to 2 a week of both, consider sticking to 3 a week of squatting and dropping the deadlifts to once a week. For me, my lower back starts to bug me when I'm deadlifting heavy more than once a week (though I'm a lot older than you, and roll less).
 
Are you deadlifting each time you're squatting? If so, rather than dropping back to 2 a week of both, consider sticking to 3 a week of squatting and dropping the deadlifts to once a week. For me, my lower back starts to bug me when I'm deadlifting heavy more than once a week (though I'm a lot older than you, and roll less).

No I often just deadlift or squat. I often tho start deadlifting as a warm up not heavy around 155 pounds, 5-8 rep, 5 set. If it was for me I would deadlift everyday! But maybe I should cut it down to once a week, especially if im rolling 3-4 times a week
 
I'm nearing 42 years old and some of these workouts I read on here blows my mind. I pulled 540 about 2 months ago at ~185lbs and got 550 to my knees. I did that with training the deadlift every other week. I alternate heavy squats and deadlifts every week. I do light squats before I deadlift as it seems to be the best warmup for my old hips. I lift 2 days per week and I train BJJ/Judo 2x per week. I also do 2 days of easier aerobic exercise, almost as if its recovery level stuff.

If I did what I see on here my body would crumble. I'd have so much fatigue and pain that it would do me in. You just simply don't have to train this much and you don't have to grind yourself to death every time you step into the gym. I want my lifting to compliment my grappling, not destroy it.

You can keep the Military Press in but I'd reduce the squatting and deadlifting frequency. Don't box yourself in thinking you have to squat 50x per week to make gains. I quit squatting last year around June I think, and just deadlifting. I just started back squatting in April and with 3 workouts(yes, every other week) I squatted 405x5 with little effort. So it doesn't take much.

I can't tell how advanced you are or exactly what program you are using. Give more details and maybe we can give you some more help. If you are a beginner/intermediate lifter I'd do something like below.

Week 1
Day 1
Squat- Heavy
Bench- light

Day 2
Deadlift- light
Military Press- Heavy

Week 2
Day 1
Squat- light
Bench- Heavy

Day 2
Deadlift- Heavy
Military Press light

only 2 heavy main lifts per week.
 
Hey MrNN,

I can totally relate to you and been through the exact situation. I focused on olympic lifting all of 2016 and 12 months into it with rolling 4-5 times a week, my back was in constant pain and every morning was a mission getting out of bed. I tried a lot of different training formats, Vit D, supplements, and nothing really helped until I adopted hip mobility exercises.

Training Jiu Jitsu and performing olympic lifts puts a lot of strain and use on your Posterior chain, and the rest of your body gets really tight in the process. Stretching is the first wave of injury and pain prevention. But as you get more advanced and train longer you have to start looking at the source of your power and taking care of it; your hips.

I now do a routing every day before weight lifting and before rolling and I found that it completely relieved my lower back pain:

Warm Up:
Squat x 15
Lunge Alternating x 30

Main:
Deep Squat Hold x 60 seconds (Go into a deep squat position with your elbows pushing your legs apart and hold)
Child's Pose Yoga Pose x 60 seconds
Up Dog Yoga Pose x 60 seconds
Down Dog Yoga Pose x 60 seconds
Figure Four Stretch x 45 Seconds Each Leg
Scorpion Stretch x 45 Seconds Each Leg

Cooldown:
Lying Groin Stretch x 60 Seconds

Supplement the above with regular Core Work and you'll find your back pain disappear. Also, there is nothing wrong with pulling back on the load of your DL's and focusing on Volume until you find your back is 100%.


Hope the above helps mate.

Zeid
 
"Foundation training" it's a type of yoga specifically for the back. I didn't believe it til I tried it....shit is wondrous. Give it a go. You can find a few things on youtube.
 
Last edited:
well how much are you lifting? if you are taller than 5'7 you probably should gain weight
 
I'm nearing 42 years old and some of these workouts I read on here blows my mind. I pulled 540 about 2 months ago at ~185lbs and got 550 to my knees. I did that with training the deadlift every other week. I alternate heavy squats and deadlifts every week. I do light squats before I deadlift as it seems to be the best warmup for my old hips. I lift 2 days per week and I train BJJ/Judo 2x per week. I also do 2 days of easier aerobic exercise, almost as if its recovery level stuff.

If I did what I see on here my body would crumble. I'd have so much fatigue and pain that it would do me in. You just simply don't have to train this much and you don't have to grind yourself to death every time you step into the gym. I want my lifting to compliment my grappling, not destroy it.

You can keep the Military Press in but I'd reduce the squatting and deadlifting frequency. Don't box yourself in thinking you have to squat 50x per week to make gains. I quit squatting last year around June I think, and just deadlifting. I just started back squatting in April and with 3 workouts(yes, every other week) I squatted 405x5 with little effort. So it doesn't take much.

I can't tell how advanced you are or exactly what program you are using. Give more details and maybe we can give you some more help. If you are a beginner/intermediate lifter I'd do something like below.

Week 1
Day 1
Squat- Heavy
Bench- light

Day 2
Deadlift- light
Military Press- Heavy

Week 2
Day 1
Squat- light
Bench- Heavy

Day 2
Deadlift- Heavy
Military Press light

only 2 heavy main lifts per week.

That's really enough to get such numbers? What rep range would you use with that schedule?
 
I'm no expert but I switched my squats to Zurich squats to relieve the weight I'm stacking on my spine and I'm using a shrug bar for deads so it's more leg based and I'm also hanging from a chin up bar to relieve and decompress my spine as well. I also foam roll it daily and my spine as never felt better. Hope this helps ya out bro.
 
I've had back problems off and on for years. I've recently (within the last 6 months) moved to sumo deadlifts and front squats and I never go below 5 reps. I also attempt to get to hot yoga once a week and I find that helps me greatly.

Good luck. Better to reel things back a bit (weight and frequency wise) than to get injured and be out for a month plus.
 
That's really enough to get such numbers? What rep range would you use with that schedule?

Yes. Its also works for my 62 year old father. He only trains Incline Press and Deadlifts. Understand I am talking about main lifts only. We do assistance work also. For reps and sets, we use them all. Check my blog out to see some of what I am doing.
 
I'm nearing 42 years old and some of these workouts I read on here blows my mind. I pulled 540 about 2 months ago at ~185lbs and got 550 to my knees. I did that with training the deadlift every other week. I alternate heavy squats and deadlifts every week. I do light squats before I deadlift as it seems to be the best warmup for my old hips. I lift 2 days per week and I train BJJ/Judo 2x per week. I also do 2 days of easier aerobic exercise, almost as if its recovery level stuff.

If I did what I see on here my body would crumble. I'd have so much fatigue and pain that it would do me in. You just simply don't have to train this much and you don't have to grind yourself to death every time you step into the gym. I want my lifting to compliment my grappling, not destroy it.

You can keep the Military Press in but I'd reduce the squatting and deadlifting frequency. Don't box yourself in thinking you have to squat 50x per week to make gains. I quit squatting last year around June I think, and just deadlifting. I just started back squatting in April and with 3 workouts(yes, every other week) I squatted 405x5 with little effort. So it doesn't take much.

I can't tell how advanced you are or exactly what program you are using. Give more details and maybe we can give you some more help. If you are a beginner/intermediate lifter I'd do something like below.

Week 1
Day 1
Squat- Heavy
Bench- light

Day 2
Deadlift- light
Military Press- Heavy

Week 2
Day 1
Squat- light
Bench- Heavy

Day 2
Deadlift- Heavy
Military Press light

only 2 heavy main lifts per week.

I agree with this as it has been my accidental experience. Due to a history of back issues I decided to give up powerlifting for a while (3 years to be exact) and in the mean time I had some elements of the ol' glory days in my bodybuilding routine. I did do Romanian deadlifts and front squats but on my other leg days I would do some unilateral stuff or Smith machine squats. I recently started getting back into powerlifting with the help of a coach and slowly reaching the strength level I had but at a bodyweight 30lbs lighter.

Sure you absolutely need to train the lifts to be proficient with them but if you work the necessary muscles in a relatively similar manner it's never too far away from your grasp.
 
That's really enough to get such numbers? What rep range would you use with that schedule?

Lets expand on this a bit. This is actually a great question and lets focus on the original poster and not my personal lifts.

What if what I suggested is still too much for him? This is a problem that has become a plague with strength training. Always more, more, more. I have guys at my work constantly come up to me asking my advice on training and I can't count the amount of times I've heard "I'm training 3 days per week and its working great, do you think I should go to 4 or 5 days per week?" What? I just can't grasp the thought process of some people.

We need to understand what we are actually training for. For me I want as much strength and lean muscle I can have(well, maintain at my age) without the process of getting it destroying my ability to perform in my BJJ training and my aerobic conditioning. These 3 physical activities require balance and if I push one much too far the others will get pulled back. The pull back can come by way of physical injury or burnout.

There is just far too much I want to be a powerlifter, olympic lifter, shot putter, 100meter up hill sprint champion, swim to China, climb Everest, and be a UFC Champion in 3 different weight classes. Something has got to give. I have come to the realization that I am never going to be a world champion in anything at this stage, and thats fine. I can still be good, and thats great for me.

Sit down and get a piece of paper and write out your priorities. For me, right now, my main priority is my BJJ training and getting my purple belt. My other physical training has to fit into the puzzle perfectly. If I do too much heavy lifting I'll be too sore and tired to perform in class. Too much hard conditioning, my lifting will suffer and my body will be tired for BJJ. I have found my balance and all things are progressing.

A quote that I use in the book I am writing comes from my cousin and he said "Jeff, enough is enough, but too much is nasty."
 
Back
Top