If my lower back feels tired after squats, am I doing something wrong?
2 min read
Asked by: Erik Cook
Why does my lower back get tired when I squat?
Squatting can cause lower back pain when the neutral curve in our back is not maintained throughout the movement. A telltale sign of this is a rounding of the back and a loss of a curve in the lower back, often seen towards the bottom of the squat.
Is it normal for your lower back to hurt after squatting?
Your knees become less stable due to foot arches collapsing inwards, which will affect your form and can lead to back pain. Proper spinal alignment is facilitated by maintaining a straight-ahead or upward gaze when squatting. This reduces the urge to lean too far forward, which places more stress on the spine.
How do you know if you are doing squats wrong?
6 Signs Your Squat Sucks
- Your quads are more sore than anything else. Good squats build the thigh muscles evenly. …
- Your knees hurt. This is the telltale indicator of bad squatting. …
- Your low back is sore. …
- You deadlift a lot more than you squat. …
- You squat a lot more than you deadlift. …
- No one compliments your squat.
How do I protect my lower back when squatting?
With lower back injury prevention in mind some additional tips from me:
- Only squat as deep as you can maintain a neutral spine position.
- Perform a lumbar extension manoeuvre at the turning/deepest point of the squat to help maintain lumbar lordotic curve.
- If squatting deep don’t overload it.
Do squats make your back stronger?
Not only that, but a strong core can improve your balance, ease pain in your low back, and also make it easier to maintain good posture. A 2018 study that compared core muscle activation during a plank with back squats found that back squats resulted in greater activation of the muscles that support your back.
Can squats damage your back?
Squatting has a higher risk of lumbar spine injury than many other exercises. It requires a degree of control and concentration that you cannot let lapse for a fraction of a second.
