Why squats hurt your back Part 2
its not them, it's you
I see 2-3 people a week that have back pain when they barbell back squat.
The injury doesn’t always come from squatting, but they never figure out how to get back to squatting.
Or worse they give up completely and BLAME the barbell for the problem.
If you’ve been dealing with back pain and hate you can’t lift weights like you want, reach out so we can solve it
Pain with squatting usually involves 2 distinct issues
I covered #1 in a previous post.
Issue #2 is just a fundamental understanding of the types of squats, which I will break down.
I’ll break those down and shows how to fix your pain so you can get STRONGER
Step 1 is to realize with a barbell there are generally 2 "techniques"
#1 HIGH BAR back squat (HBBS)
The bar sits on your traps, and you sit DOWN, so “knees over toes”
#2 LOW BAR back squat (LBBS)
The bar sits lower, around the top of your shoulder blades, resting on the shelf created by your shoulders and your back
You sit "back" and keep the shins more vertical.
The LBBS is called "hip" dominant, and the HBBS is called "quad" dominant. 100% of the people I see screw the technique up by combining the 2 techniques. They will
Put the bar on their traps (HBBS) and sit back (majority)
or do the opposite (minority)
Both put a lot of extra stress on the low back, but for different reasons. Fine when it’s lighter, a disaster when it’s heavier and
Pain increases as the weight increases
Eventually warming up hurts, you give up completely, then blame the barbell.
Choosing the right technique
Even though these 2 techniques exist, the choice has been made for you (blame your parents)
Leg length is the biggest factor. The two females in the above pic are the same height, but the one on the left has shorter legs. She's able to sit straight down easier than the girl on the right.
Hip socket shape matters to (see Part 1 of this article)
How do I stop pain?
1 - Pick the right technique (duh)
Most people can LBBS, not everyone is made to HBBS.
Shoulder mobility is the biggest limiter to the LBBS for most, so start there.
2 - Wear weighting shoes.
This is especially helpful for HBBS since it helps you sit straight down, but helps LBBS too.
Short term use small weight plates, but I find that to be unsafe at heavier weights.
3 - Stand wider and/or turn your toes slightly out.
This has the same affect as weightlifting shoes. There’s a limit and you don’t want to be so wide your knees are inside your heels at the bottom of the squat
This isn't an exhaustive list but enough to fix 99% of your issues.
Summary
Figure out your body type
Pick the appropriate squat style
Don’t mix them
If you are serious about squatting, get the shoes. At least use a wedge.
Ready to get back to squatting? Reach out for help.