T Nation

Lower Back Getting Worked Hard from Squats?

#1

No pain, i feel like my squat form is now amazing as hell, i’ve been doing glute activation with 50% of work sets so i put a green band around my knees and do a few reps and it has done wonders for my squat. It allows me to hit more depth, so slightly below parallel (to make sure im not going above i go aim lower than parallel) without any tightness loss or caving. just feels good.

The only thing that doesn’t feel good is how well this works my lower back. I’m doing rows right now and my lower back feels exhausted, no pain or anything.

Hopefully for my anthropometry it’s to be expected, i have slightly longer legs and long upper thighs. I wear squat shoes and squat highbar max aita style, knees foreward hips drop straight down and knees stay foreward as i go up to make it quad dominant.

So basically im asking if i’m delusional about my “perfect form” or if it’s possible i have very good form and it also works my lower back a ton. (feel it in my quads a ton too)

175lbs 3x5 @ 150lb body weight

#2

Very probably

Not likely

#3

If your lower back is fatiguing than your probably got but wink issues or the bar is not in the proper path as you executing your squat. More than likely it is probably straying away from your center of gravity causing your back to compensate.

#4

When i squat again i’ll record it then

#5

It inhibits your squat or just tired afterwards while doing rows?
-If the latter could just switch to dumbell rows on bench or hammer machine moves for a couple weeks

#6

Mike Boyle would love you -he famously stirred up some serious shit when he declared that the squat is not a leg exercise, it’s a back exercise. LOL.

Found it:

#7

I’ve had 6 weeks off squatting, I was surprised at how sore my abs were while my legs and back came off scott free after my first session back - therefore, I say they’re a core movement :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

I can finish my rows, it’s no issue, it doesn’t make me miss lifts or anything my squats go up and they go down without any really hard points in the lift. I just notice my back is quickly fatigued. Happens on low weight deadlifts too, high weight just makes me feel depleted and i don’t feel it anywhere specific (probably because my whole body is exhausted!)

Moving 45lb plates around after a while makes my lower back fatigued too. Squats do it the most. It doesn’t become weak, just feels like my lower back ran a few miles lol.

#9

Ok, as a beginner not really any need for direct lower back work but getting your abs bull-strong can really help and take some of the load of your back. Lower abs focused moves particularily helpful.

Learning how to brace can really help also…

#10

I think my knees are traveling back slightly early, i’m going to start front squatting on deadlift days i think so ill be squatting 3x a week. That or ill do monday back, friday front squat.

ill have to contemplate it, i don’t want to fuck up my deadlift by pre exhausting my self.

#11

+1 on the bracing.
Bracing properly really saves my lower back.