How much important it is to keep a neutral spine during heavy squat and deadlift?

Asked by: Eric Williams

Why is it important to maintain a neutral spine position during the deadlift?

Keeping a neutral spine during deadlifts and bent rows and thus protecting your lower back is simple with the hip hinge. This takes away the stress from your lumbar spine and effectively transfers the force to your glutes, hamstrings and core – the muscles that support your lower back.

Should you keep a neutral spine when lifting weights?

A neutral spine is the optimal position to handle stress and heavy loads. The vertebrae are aligned to handle forces without placing abnormal stress on the cartilaginous discs between them. A disc injury is one of the primary causes of back pain.

Why is it important to maintain a neutral spine while performing exercises?

Keeping a neutral spine is very important whilst exercising, as it distributes your weight evenly throughout the discs and joints in your back, as well as cushioning impact and other forces present throughout exercise.

How do you maintain a neutral spine when squatting?

From there the knees and hips are fully extended he's got his belly nice and braced. He's going to initiate this squat by driving his hips back and down staying rooted in those heels the whole.

Should your back be straight when deadlifting?

The bar should be over your shoelaces or even touching your shins, and your shoulders should be straight over the bar. This creates the optimal power position to keep your back flat and to get your glutes and hamstrings involved in the movement.

Why can’t I keep my back straight when I squat?

Move only your hip, knee and ankle joints when doing squats. Start with a light weight until you are comfortable with the movement. Increase your weight gradually and only use heavy weights once you have perfected your technique. Wear a lifting belt to support your lower back and help keep your back straight.

How do I protect my spine when lifting?

Bend at your knees, not your waist.



Lifting with your legs works best when you can straddle the object you are moving. Bend your knees—not your back—to grab the object and then use your leg muscles to lift, keeping your back straight.

In what shape should your spine be maintained when lifting?

Lift carefully



Ensure you lift properly by: keeping your back straight whilst lifting and bending your hips rather than your lower back, keep objects you are lifting as close to your body as possible and, lead with your hips when changing direction to avoid placing strain on your back.

Why is maintaining a normal lumbar curve important during lifting?

The shape of the spine during the lift then becomes important, and it has been suggested that maintaining some lordosis during lifting is advantageous for spinal stability.

What does neutral spine look like on deadlift?

In a neutral position, our lumbar spine is what’s called lordotic (slightly curved inward towards the stomach). What is this? When people set up the deadlift, this slight curve is actually considered the ‘neutral position’, which needs to be maintained throughout the entire lift.

How do I stop my back from arching when I squat?

And compression in the bottom of the squat. Regardless of how you're bracing as long as you got a belly full of air and you're pushing your ABS out you're gonna be super tight.

Are you supposed to arch back when squatting?

Some weightlifters deliberately arch their back while doing a barbell squat, a topic that is discussed on sports sites. The experts agreed that too much arching over the long term can cause back pain and injury. It’s best to keep your back neutral during squats, in a natural, slightly curved position.

Why does my back arch so much when I squat?

Arching (lumbar extension) doesn’t need to be excessive in order to be effective in improving tolerance to compressive loads. In most cases, that “arch” cue simply keeps a person in neutral spine as they go into hip flexion in the bottom of a squat or deadlift (or comparable strength exercise).

Why does my back curve when I squat?

The low back rounding in the squat looks like the hips tucking underneath of you causing excessive lumbar flexion. It usually happens when you’re performing ass to grass squats, as you drop your hips below parallel. Low back rounding can occur with light loads, as often the cause is not weak muscle groups.