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YAET: Squats...

K

Kipper

Diamond Member
I would ask this question over at GeekFitness but I can't register because the numeral counter image just refuses to load in IE or FireFox. Anyway...

I was squatting with no problems for well over a year until recently, I would get pains in my lower back after I'd finished my set and re-racked my the bar. I guess my form is the problem - I dropped the weight to something obscenely easy and the same problem happened, so it's not the weight.

I start the squat by pushing my hips/buttocks back and as I do, my knees extend forward. As I descend closer to parallel and past, I try to keep my back straight with a slight arc in the lower back by keeping my chest up, and then push back up with my heels.

I think the problem is when I bottom out or even go to parallel, the arc in my back is nearly gone and that's what could be aggravating it. Either that, or my hamstrings can't support me in this position and I'm unknowingly leaning forward. This could explain why I don't feel the problem with a trap bar deadlift.

Should I give up back squats entirely and try something different (and presumably safer for my back) like a hack squat or a front squat, or ditch squats entirely and replace them?
 
I do dumbell squats myself, 30lbs per side, keep my back straight and squat til my upper legs are parallel to the floor. Haven't had any back problems with it, but it is a different sort of exercise from a bar squat.
 
Couple of questions:
Can you get someone experienced at the gym to check out your form? Do you still get pain if you do them on a guiding machine (where the bar goes up and down a rail)?

I'm wondering if you've done damage to your back that the squat exacerbates. It would seem to me that in a trap bar deadlift you use a lot more shoulder/upper back muscles as stabilizers than with a full squat, so you're not putting as much strain on your lower back.

I'm only an amateur, so this thought may be wrong. Hopefully some of the more qualified members can help.
 
I do already have a fairly weak low back - herniated a disc about ten years ago. I've strengthened it considerably since then, but I suppose it's might not necessarily be my form...in terms of using a Smith press for the squats, I don't like using it because it moves the bar in a perfectly straight line, which is hardly the case when I'm doing a squat in the rack. The two are almost completely different exercises, as far as I'm concerned.

I've been working out in a small gym with very little in terms of equipment. I am thinking about going out to Gold's tomorrow and getting a membership...
 
Are you doing any new excercises since your back has started hurting? Not legs, just anything in general. It could be something else that's aggrevating it.

Try this - look in a mirror and squat down like you're doing squats. See where your form is going wrong. You could also try a weight belt as well, but you tend to use a sloppier form because you think you have extra protection.
 
Originally posted by: Gurck
push back up with my heels
Click to expand...
I'm no expert, but that doesn't seem right... I keep most of my weight on the balls of my feet when doing squats, works well enough for me.
Click to expand...

No, you need to push up through your heels. Putting the weight on the balls of your feet will eventually cause you to fall forward due to lost balance...especially when squatting large amounts.
 
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Are you doing any new excercises since your back has started hurting? Not legs, just anything in general. It could be something else that's aggrevating it.

Try this - look in a mirror and squat down like you're doing squats. See where your form is going wrong. You could also try a weight belt as well, but you tend to use a sloppier form because you think you have extra protection.
Click to expand...

Nope, nothing really new at all, which is weird because it just came out of the blue. Sure, my back would feel like it'd been working a bit, which wasn't surprising, then all of the sudden I started getting the pain as soon as I'd re-racked the weight, and my back felt more sore.

I've also tried doing Hindu squats and seeing where my form goes wrong, and I think it's where I'm about to hit parallel - I have trouble maintaining my balance, then I think I shift the weight somehow, probably by moving my buttocks/hips out furtherand it ends up hitting my lower back.

If so, does that mean weak glutes and hamstrings?
 
Keep your back arched, if you can't you are using too much weight.

If your back is the weak point, switch to deadlifts. With LOW WEIGHT and PROPER FORM. This will do MUCH more to strengthen your lower back. Eventually once your back is strong enough, reincorporate squats.
 
Originally posted by: Kipper
I started getting the pain as soon as I'd re-racked the weight, and my back felt more sore.
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Yep. Definately need to maintain that arch.

Hop on a machine instead of freeweighting it for awhile to prevent you from losing balance and to provide stability while giving your back some leeway to recover from stress.
 
Originally posted by: Deeko
Keep your back arched, if you can't you are using too much weight.

If your back is the weak point, switch to deadlifts. With LOW WEIGHT and PROPER FORM. This will do MUCH more to strengthen your lower back. Eventually once your back is strong enough, reincorporate squats.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the trap bar deadlifts I've been doing or just straight out stiff-legged deadlifts?

I guess that would hit my hamstrings a bit harder and let them strengthen up...
 
I do squats all the time. I also used to do deadlifts all the time, but I didn't have time to do it lately. It definitely strains the back muscles more when you don't do deadlifts. Doing deadlifts will strengthen those muscles and allow you to squat more, since your lower back won't feel like it's under as much strain.
 
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