deadlifts and squats hurt my back

"David K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The way I do squats and deadlifts hurts my upper back. My lower back
is fine, no problems. The obvious answer to me is to stay away from
both of them and do leg exercises using machines, but I was hoping for
suggestions on a different way to do one of these exercises or a
similar alternative.

I'm 6'1" or 6'2", 185lbs, so my height may be making it more difficult
for me than shorter lifters.

MY SQUAT:

-snip-

Try working on your shoulder flexibility. Kettlebells are especially
well suited for this because the weight hangs off the back of your arm,
making it feel right to let the weight pull you back a little at the top
and thereby gradually increasing your shoulder flexibility in the
fore/after plane. Anything that puts the kettlebell overhead can be
used this way but, just based on my own experience, the military press
and the [censored] would work the best. The nice thing here is that you
don't have to do anything extra or special in the way of "stretching",
just lift kettlebells using these movements and with the goal of trying
to keep the weight behind your ear - the rest will take care of itself.

And no, oh ye of little faith, this one ain't the same with a dumbbell.
🙂

Quoted message said:

MY DEADLIFT:

-snip-

Try pullups or chinups instead of rows.

Deadlift in a rack, starting with the bar somewhere below the knee
instead of on the floor, get comfortable with a particular weight there,
and gradually lower the bar. I know some folks who stack sheets of wood
shelving and lower themselves very gradually, 1/4-1/2" at a time - you
add a piece of wood to get a little higher and when you're high enough,
you get rid of the wood and use the next lowest pin on the rack, with
the goal of pulling from the floor. And deadlift in bare feet to give
yourself all the height advantage you can.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

Steve Freides said:

"David K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The way I do squats and deadlifts hurts my upper back. My lower

back

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is fine, no problems. The obvious answer to me is to stay away from
both of them and do leg exercises using machines, but I was hoping

for

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suggestions on a different way to do one of these exercises or a
similar alternative.

I'm 6'1" or 6'2", 185lbs, so my height may be making it more

difficult

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for me than shorter lifters.

MY SQUAT:

-snip-

Try working on your shoulder flexibility. Kettlebells are especially

Quoted message said:

well suited for this because the weight hangs off the back of your

arm,

Quoted message said:

making it feel right to let the weight pull you back a little at the

top

Quoted message said:

and thereby gradually increasing your shoulder flexibility in the
fore/after plane. Anything that puts the kettlebell overhead can be
used this way but, just based on my own experience, the military

press

Quoted message said:

and the [censored] would work the best. The nice thing here is that you
don't have to do anything extra or special in the way of

"stretching",

Quoted message said:

just lift kettlebells using these movements and with the goal of

trying

Quoted message said:

to keep the weight behind your ear - the rest will take care of

itself.

Quoted message said:

And no, oh ye of little faith, this one ain't the same with a

dumbbell.

Quoted message said:

🙂

Quoted message said:

MY DEADLIFT:

-snip-

Try pullups or chinups instead of rows.

Deadlift in a rack, starting with the bar somewhere below the knee
instead of on the floor, get comfortable with a particular weight

there,

Quoted message said:

and gradually lower the bar. I know some folks who stack sheets of

wood

Quoted message said:

shelving and lower themselves very gradually, 1/4-1/2" at a time -

you

Quoted message said:

add a piece of wood to get a little higher and when you're high

enough,

Quoted message said:

you get rid of the wood and use the next lowest pin on the rack, with

Quoted message said:

the goal of pulling from the floor. And deadlift in bare feet to

give

Quoted message said:

yourself all the height advantage you can.

Steve, do you eat kettlebells for breakfast?
Are they crunchy? If you eat too many, do you get a kettlebelly?

(in desparate need of java)

"elzinator" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Steve, do you eat kettlebells for breakfast?
Are they crunchy? If you eat too many, do you get a kettlebelly?

Kettlebells, the brakfast of the Pavelites.

"elzinator" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Steve Freides said:

"David K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The way I do squats and deadlifts hurts my upper back. My lower

back

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is fine, no problems. The obvious answer to me is to stay away from
both of them and do leg exercises using machines, but I was hoping

for

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suggestions on a different way to do one of these exercises or a
similar alternative.

I'm 6'1" or 6'2", 185lbs, so my height may be making it more

difficult

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for me than shorter lifters.

MY SQUAT:

-snip-

Try working on your shoulder flexibility. Kettlebells are especially

Quoted message said:

well suited for this because the weight hangs off the back of your

arm,

Quoted message said:

making it feel right to let the weight pull you back a little at the

top

Quoted message said:

and thereby gradually increasing your shoulder flexibility in the
fore/after plane. Anything that puts the kettlebell overhead can be
used this way but, just based on my own experience, the military

press

Quoted message said:

and the [censored] would work the best. The nice thing here is that you
don't have to do anything extra or special in the way of

"stretching",

Quoted message said:

just lift kettlebells using these movements and with the goal of

trying

Quoted message said:

to keep the weight behind your ear - the rest will take care of

itself.

Quoted message said:

And no, oh ye of little faith, this one ain't the same with a

dumbbell.

Quoted message said:

🙂

Quoted message said:

MY DEADLIFT:

-snip-

Try pullups or chinups instead of rows.

Deadlift in a rack, starting with the bar somewhere below the knee
instead of on the floor, get comfortable with a particular weight

there,

Quoted message said:

and gradually lower the bar. I know some folks who stack sheets of

wood

Quoted message said:

shelving and lower themselves very gradually, 1/4-1/2" at a time -

you

Quoted message said:

add a piece of wood to get a little higher and when you're high

enough,

Quoted message said:

you get rid of the wood and use the next lowest pin on the rack, with

Quoted message said:

the goal of pulling from the floor. And deadlift in bare feet to

give

Quoted message said:

yourself all the height advantage you can.

Steve, do you eat kettlebells for breakfast?

Yes.

Quoted message said:

Are they crunchy?

Yes. Very high in iron, too.

Quoted message said:

If you eat too many, do you get a kettlebelly?

No, they are magic, as I've mentioned many times here before.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

mmmmmm kettlebells

"David K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The way I do squats and deadlifts hurts my upper back. My lower back
is fine, no problems. The obvious answer to me is to stay away from
both of them and do leg exercises using machines, but I was hoping for
suggestions on a different way to do one of these exercises or a
similar alternative.

I'm 6'1" or 6'2", 185lbs, so my height may be making it more difficult
for me than shorter lifters.

MY SQUAT:

About 2 x 10 x 95lbs.

Bar is chest-high on rack. I step under it, lift off rock, step back,
dot he squats. I go down to thighs parallel with floor.

I'm okay immediately afterward, but by a day later I'm feeling lots of
tension in my upper back. I do try to keep my upper back from rounding
when doing the lift, but I think it may be happening because of the
placement of my hands. I feel as if it would solve the problem if I
didn't have to try to push my arms back so far that my hands can grip
the bar on my shoulders (I can't make my arms go back that far while
trying it without the bar).

I've considered different bar placement on my shoulders, but any
further back and I feel like I'm about to drop it behind me or hurt my
arms, and any further forward and it would be on my neck.

I've tried wide and narrow grips, but they don't seem to make a
difference.

It feels better when I keep my gaze on an area of the wall in front of
me high above me, but it hasn't solved the problem.

MY DEADLIFT:

About 2 x 10 x 185lbs.

Squat down, feet shoulder width apart, feet slightly turned out, bar
touching shins. Hands grip just outside of feet, alternating grip.
Legs bent with thighs parallel to floor. Back is almost parallel to
floor, which might be one problem, but I can't have my back titled any
further up because otherwise I can't reach the bar on the floor.

This often exaberated twinges in my upper back, and it got to the
point where it hurt every time, so I stopped it.

I also tried sumo-style, feet far apart, feet pointed out more, hands
close together, palms down, and it helped a little, but the pain in my
upper back occurred eventually.

I can't do an alternating grip with sumo-style without twisting my
body around, one shoulder farther forward than the other.

And just for kicks, any type of rows make my upper back feel even
worse than deadlifts or squats, and immediately.

Any suggestions?

Dave

While pressing up (squats) are you pressing with your toes or heels? you
should press from your heels, if you feel like your pressing from your toes
your rocking forward. I've also found that looking staight ahead and not up
will help to maintain balance.

Chris

Steve Freides said:

Try working on your shoulder flexibility. Kettlebells are especially
well suited for this because the weight hangs off the back of your arm,
making it feel right to let the weight pull you back a little at the top
and thereby gradually increasing your shoulder flexibility in the
fore/after plane. Anything that puts the kettlebell overhead can be
used this way but, just based on my own experience, the military press
and the [censored] would work the best. The nice thing here is that you
don't have to do anything extra or special in the way of "stretching",
just lift kettlebells using these movements and with the goal of trying
to keep the weight behind your ear - the rest will take care of itself.

And no, oh ye of little faith, this one ain't the same with a dumbbell.
🙂

No kettlebells at my gym, but I'll do shoulder stretches and see if
that helps. My left shoulder is a little less flexible than my right,
due to some knots that someone who was working on my shoulder pointed
out.

Quoted message said:

Try pullups or chinups instead of rows.

The gym has no straight pullup bars with rough hand grip areas, so I
just stick to pulldowns. And those work fine, no back problems. I'll
just avoid the rowing motion, no problem with that. I don't like
boats anyway.

Quoted message said:

Deadlift in a rack, starting with the bar somewhere below the knee
instead of on the floor, get comfortable with a particular weight there,
and gradually lower the bar. I know some folks who stack sheets of wood
shelving and lower themselves very gradually, 1/4-1/2" at a time - you
add a piece of wood to get a little higher and when you're high enough,
you get rid of the wood and use the next lowest pin on the rack, with
the goal of pulling from the floor. And deadlift in bare feet to give
yourself all the height advantage you can.

No rack at the gym, but I could try taking off my shoes, which, being
the only "athletic" shoes I have, are running shoes with probably an
inch padding at the heel.

I know that's not going to be enough to prevent my back strain, so I
think I might also try lowering the weight down from 185 to 135 and
see how it goes.

Dave

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 03:24:14 GMT, "Chris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

While pressing up (squats) are you pressing with your toes or heels? you
should press from your heels, if you feel like your pressing from your toes
your rocking forward. I've also found that looking staight ahead and not up
will help to maintain balance.

With pretty much all things I generally keep most of my weight on the
balls of my feet. I feel off balance if I try pushing with my heels,
like I'll fall backwards with the weight, but that could be due to the
thick running shoes I'm wearing.

The reason I was looking upwards was to help me keep my back as
vertical as I could, but with heel pushing without shoes I'll see if
it's even needed.

Thanks for the replies!

Dave