Lower Back Reoccurring Injury - Need help with routine adjustment!

[NMOY]

I have had some form of squats and deadlifts incorperated into my workouts for about a year now, but have recently experienced my THIRD lower back muscle pull for the year. It has happened in the exact same spot every time, and I believe it is due many factors. I think that, though I warmup and stretch, I havn't build up enough flexibility in my lower back to be putting as much stress on it as I do. Either way I intend to really lay off my lower back for a while, and will be getting into flexibility training and yoga for a while in hopes of loosening up my entire body.
--My problem;

I still want to continue with a solid leg workout, and would still love to see strength and size results.

For Legs I now intend to just use:
Quads: Leg Press or Lunges
Hams: Glute-Ham Kickback or Leg Curls
---
Without Squats or Deads I can give my lower back the ample time it needs to recover FULLY and grow in flexibility, while still getting a strong leg workout.

Do you think this will be sufficiant? Any advice or comments will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

~Zack.

 

[GFR]

I have had some form of squats and deadlifts incorperated into my workouts for about a year now, but have recently experienced my THIRD lower back muscle pull for the year. It has happened in the exact same spot every time, and I believe it is due many factors. I think that, though I warmup and stretch, I havn't build up enough flexibility in my lower back to be putting as much stress on it as I do. Either way I intend to really lay off my lower back for a while, and will be getting into flexibility training and yoga for a while in hopes of loosening up my entire body.
--My problem;

I still want to continue with a solid leg workout, and would still love to see strength and size results.

For Legs I now intend to just use:
Quads: Leg Press or Lunges
Hams: Glute-Ham Kickback or Leg Curls
---
Without Squats or Deads I can give my lower back the ample time it needs to recover FULLY and grow in flexibility, while still getting a strong leg workout.

Do you think this will be sufficiant? Any advice or comments will be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

~Zack.

It is bad form, not enough recovery time or too much weight. See a sports Doctor then take time off to heal.....the spine is one thing you do not want to take chances with.

 

[CowPimp]

You have some good alternatives in there, nothing that directly loads your spine. Be careful though. You might want to lay off long enough that you don't reinjure it on any of those exercises either. I wish I could take a look at your form and tell you if that is the cause; that is my suspicion. Do you have any idea which back muscle is pulled? It could also be synergistic dominance occuring among your spinal extensors or possibly your spinal extensors trying to compensate for weak hip extensors (Usually the glutes in this case). It could be many other things, but just some ideas...

 

[Arnold]

how do you know what you're experiencing is a just "muscle pull"?

 

[NMOY]

Thanks for all the replys. I saw a sports specialist the 2nd time this injury happened, and after a full examination he said it was a muscle pull for sure, and I would be fine in 3 weeks or so --and I was.
The pain is not EXTREME, but defintely present. It is located in my Lower Right Erector Spinae in the lower portion. Every time I have pulled it has been on a deadlifting day. I've never worried about my squatting form, I got a chance to master that early on -Deadlifts are newer to me, so if there is a form issue it would be there.
I have a theory: I always keep such a straight back when I do DL, that I think i even OVER-compensate sometimes. Meaning: I hyperextend my butt back out of line with the rest of my body, so instead of having a rounded back, I have a slightly arched back the opposite way, llike this: ')' instead of this: '|' or this: '(' which puts extra stress on my lower back. I think this because when i push my butt out like that it triggers the pulled muscle, and also do to the fact that I once went swimming, and was letting my butt bend too far back, and had a similar pull.
I know that getting the same injury over and over can cause scar tissue that is then easier to break, but luckily I don't think any of these pulls have been aweful, and my spine is fine as far as I can tell. I never felt like I was doing too much weight on DL, but had felt that my stretching and warmup sets may've been insufficiant, so i would do my heavy sets, then go to spot someone on bench and pull my lower back as it was pre exhausted and ready to rip.
I was thinking that in several months, when this is hopefully feeling better, I could ease into lower back activity with no weight back extensions, just to feel out the full ROM and get a good stretch, Before deadlifts I always did weighted back extensions, and never experienced any lower back trouble.
Should I also avoid doing any sort of ROWING for the next while? I know that the lower back acts as a stabilizer in many of those activities, but I wanted to check. Thanks so much for the input and advice, its really helpful to hear.


Zack

 

[CowPimp]

That pull could also be in the multifidus. It's a visceral muscle that helps resist unwanted rotation, which can easily occur even if you are maintaining a neutral spine in the lumbar portion. This can definitely result in injuries like you have mentioned.

You should consider doing some multifidus activation work once your pain dissipates. Lie on your back and perform a glute bridge, being careful not to posteriorly tilt your pelvis or hyperextend your spine. You should be able to feel that you have a nice flat back. Now you "march;" that is, you lift one foot while not allowing your torso to rotate and hold it there for a brief pause, and then alternate feet. These are incredibly hard. Perform a few sets of whatever you can handle before a workout. Once you get to 3 sets of 10-12 on each leg there probably isn't a need to progress much beyond that; you are sufficiently activating this muscle. If you feel your torso rotating as you do it then the muscle isn't firing sufficiently, but this will improve over time.

You should also do some research on abdominal bracing. It is a co-contraction of the local (Deep/visceral) and global (Superficial/parietal) muscles of the abdomen. It will essentially create a belt of contracted musculature around your waist line. Basically you want to "puff" out your abdomen and contract the muscles. You should be able to feel all around your abdomen and find virtually no soft spots. Imagine someone is (You can even do it to yourself) pressing down on your abdomen with stiff fingers and you are trying to push the hand away. Again, wait until the pain dissipates before you practice doing this. You should also practice maintaining this tightness while breathing, holding yourself in various stances, moving your arms above your head, etc.

 

[NMOY]

Wow, thank you so much, I REALLY appreciate the advice, and hope to try that out as soon as I am able! That info is great.

 

[NMOY]

Two more questions!:

-I was just showing my girlfriend (whos a dancer) the movement I was doing when I injured myself, and showed her the deadlift movement, and how I thought sticking my butt too far out was causing me the trama.
~She said "your not squeezing your butt, that'l keep you from bending your back too far!" -I was skeptical at first, but tried the deadlift motion just standing, while squeezing my butt in on the upward motion, and it seemed to keep my whole body aligned!
*Is that possibly what was wrong with my DL Form? Should you squeeze your butt on the upward pull to help keep everything inline?
AND
*Should I avoid Rowing exercises while im still injured, or will I be ok as long as the lower back isnt directly stressed?

Thanks for the answers!

Zack

 

[fUnc17]

Thanks for all the replys. I saw a sports specialist the 2nd time this injury happened, and after a full examination he said it was a muscle pull for sure, and I would be fine in 3 weeks or so --and I was.
The pain is not EXTREME, but defintely present. It is located in my Lower Right Erector Spinae in the lower portion. Every time I have pulled it has been on a deadlifting day. I've never worried about my squatting form, I got a chance to master that early on -Deadlifts are newer to me, so if there is a form issue it would be there.
I have a theory: I always keep such a straight back when I do DL, that I think i even OVER-compensate sometimes. Meaning: I hyperextend my butt back out of line with the rest of my body, so instead of having a rounded back, I have a slightly arched back the opposite way, llike this: ')' instead of this: '|' or this: '(' which puts extra stress on my lower back. I think this because when i push my butt out like that it triggers the pulled muscle, and also do to the fact that I once went swimming, and was letting my butt bend too far back, and had a similar pull.
I know that getting the same injury over and over can cause scar tissue that is then easier to break, but luckily I don't think any of these pulls have been aweful, and my spine is fine as far as I can tell. I never felt like I was doing too much weight on DL, but had felt that my stretching and warmup sets may've been insufficiant, so i would do my heavy sets, then go to spot someone on bench and pull my lower back as it was pre exhausted and ready to rip.
I was thinking that in several months, when this is hopefully feeling better, I could ease into lower back activity with no weight back extensions, just to feel out the full ROM and get a good stretch, Before deadlifts I always did weighted back extensions, and never experienced any lower back trouble.
Should I also avoid doing any sort of ROWING for the next while? I know that the lower back acts as a stabilizer in many of those activities, but I wanted to check. Thanks so much for the input and advice, its really helpful to hear.


Zack

How tall are you?

 

[NMOY]

5'11', 155 lbs and rising.

 

[CowPimp]

-I was just showing my girlfriend (whos a dancer) the movement I was doing when I injured myself, and showed her the deadlift movement, and how I thought sticking my butt too far out was causing me the trama.
~She said "your not squeezing your butt, that'l keep you from bending your back too far!" -I was skeptical at first, but tried the deadlift motion just standing, while squeezing my butt in on the upward motion, and it seemed to keep my whole body aligned!
*Is that possibly what was wrong with my DL Form? Should you squeeze your butt on the upward pull to help keep everything inline?
AND
*Should I avoid Rowing exercises while im still injured, or will I be ok as long as the lower back isnt directly stressed?

Thanks for the answers!

Zack

Yes, you should definitely try to squeeze your butt! You were probably trying to hyperextend your spine in an effort to make up for your lack of glute usage; the glutes extend the hips. Glute activation is a big problem with a wide variety of people.

I would avoid bent rows. I could see doing some chest support rowing or possibly some seated cable rowing if it doesn't bother you.

 

[NMOY]

gotcha thanks. I'm glad I cought that, it makes a lot of sense, and also explains why squats never quite felt right for me, pushin out my butt the wrong way heh! Wow, It will be nice to really take some time and correct all this, I had an interview for a job today at 24hour fitness, and if I get it, free membership! Would be nice as well thanks for all the help.

Z