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Puggy

Member
Hey all,

Been getting a bit of a sore lower back post leg day for the last few months, it hasn't been anything major but painful enough to present me with difficulty lifting everyday objects.
By the time I get to my second lot of a deadlifts for the weak the pain is gone, usually lasts 3-4 days with minimal stress to recover.
I'm not feeling it when I'm sitting down or standing only when I bend over or sit up. It's not a sharp pain, just more aching but weakens me.

My first thought goes to my squats - I may be keeping my back too straight which could be causing the problem.
Second thought, stiff leg deadlifts - is there such a thing as too low? I go all the way to the floor, but feel as if I don't round my back too much.
The last couple of months I have been building on my squat because it hasn't played a major role in my training.

If anyone has any thoughts would be good to let me know.
I'm probably going to go see the specialist who treated me for my elbow and knee stuff so I can prevent any injury occurring rather than cure it later.
 
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Both of your issues are all about form.

If the "pain" goes after a couple of warmup sets, then its just DOMS.

But.

If you are getting doms in your back and not your legs, its a sign that you are using your lower back to move the weight, not your legs and glutes. So you are not squatting with a back "too straight", if you mean squatting with a back too upright, sort of like an olympic lifter would. That won't hurt your back.

The more vertical your back the more emphasis is placed on your glutes and legs, which is what you want. Usually you rely on your back if you are using a weight to heavy for you and/or at the end of your workout when your legs are tiring and your body is looking for a way to get that weight moving. You end up losing tension in your lower back and doing a bastardised "good morning" motion to get the bar up.

The answer is to use a belt properly to push air into your core, which tightens the back, along with keeping your chest up through the entire movement. Once you feel yourself losing that tension to get the rep out, then you are done with that weight. Either stop or drop the weight to finish your workout.

Stiff leg deads: If you have the flexibility you might go all the way down to the floor. But, its rare to find someone who is genuinely that flexible, and even if you did thats not the aim of the exercise.

The way to find your "correct" depth is to take a light weight, close your eyes and focus your mind on your hamstrings. Feel them work as you lower the weight, keeping it as close to your legs as possible while keeping your knees locked (hence the term, Stiff Legged). When you feel tension in the hammy fibres, you are deep enough. Flex the hammies to come back up again. You should not be using your back or legs to do that, just your hamstrings. Work up to your normal weight, using that first depth test as your stopping point.

People make the mistake of letting their knees unlock and bend to get more depth. You don't need it. Thats not the point of stiff legged deads. Its to hit the hammies, not set a new deadlift PR.
 
More often than not weight lifters have very functional low backs, although your low back strength will be a lot weaker standing.

id be adding some hyper extension exercises and focus on strengthening it there as opposed to that 90 degree angle where most of us lifters spend most of our time under tension.
 
image.jpg

just to give to an idea you can see the change in sack strength in relation to the angle of the hip.

onther thing to note is that a man with a very strong back will usually fatigue quite quickly.
 
I'd say it's probably the form on your stiff legged deadlifts. You really shouldn't be able to go all the way to the floor if you're doing them right. When performing the movement, don't think of hinging at the hip but pushing your glutes back. If you want an extra stretch in your hamstrings (without going lower), put some plates under your toes.
 
Traditionally stevep the sldl was not a hamstring but a lower back exercise.

the legs are supposed to be stiff and straight, with movement in the spine, it's a good (like all) exercise if done correctly.

the modern day version of the sldl provides minimal benefit.
 
I'd say it's probably the form on your stiff legged deadlifts. You really shouldn't be able to go all the way to the floor if you're doing them right. When performing the movement, don't think of hinging at the hip but pushing your glutes back. If you want an extra stretch in your hamstrings (without going lower), put some plates under your toes.

You are talking about a Romanian DL not the SLDL.
 
It might be worth thinking about what you are doing AFTER you have done your deadlifts.

A couple of years ago, I gave myself a pretty bad lower back for a few weeks, like this:

I did my deadlifts in the morning, and then immediately drove the car for five hours straight (funny thing - I was going to visit my father, who was in hospital, for having done in his back).

I'm sure that what did me was the prolonged bad back posture during driving, when my muscles were soft and exhausted from doing the deadlifts.

Not exactly your case, I'm sure, but there may be something to think about from this story.
 
Ok THE
RDL
DL
SLDL
Is about maintaining the path of the bar and the movement of the hip and thigh to control it, it's pretty simple, DIFFICULT TO MASTER.
and simple leverages

RDL is primarily for the buttocks, moving the BUTTOCKS back to maintain correct positioning over the mid foot, too far forward changes the effectiveness of it and increases the risk of unessesary unsafe loading.

The DL. Is just an exercise that requires a very strong back, performance or exhibiting strength is due to how long the arms are.


SLDL, please be aware that the SLDL is primarily a lower back exercise, you need to stand on blocks and get some movement in the spine happening, the weight needs to be just enough for the lumbar to handle, sets and reps are optional to how your back responds.
 
Not trying to be a dick but what if we want to concentrate on the hammies and not the lumber. An arched back is the go?
 
Not trying to be a dick but what if we want to concentrate on the hammies and not the lumber. An arched back is the go?

No, I understand, the RDL, is a safer option, with the stiffy, you're sort, (well, you are) of limited by the weight you can use on the bar, the lower back will tire well before the ham's receive any benefit I recommend the leg curl if you really want to go after them, the lying version, most seated ones don't hold the knee in the correct position properly.
thats just my opinion.
 
My preference for lumber is weighted hypers. They pump the lumber like a muvafukker though. ?
 
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