Lower Back Strained...

Heres the story: Two weeks ago, I was going hard and heavy with 5/3/1. I decided I wanted to throw in more conditioning, so I starting doing circuits with a good amount of compound lifts. When I was doing DB swing in one of my circuits, my lower back (literally that direct lower middle, near tail bone) feels like it became strained.

So I took 2 weeks off from any lifting, but did Muay Thai (probably TOO much as I should have been resting). Well this week I started 5/3/1 again, light, and my lowerback still feels strained. Today I did Front Squats, and it was tight going down and up. It loosened up, but now, hours later, I feel my lower back is really week. Difficult to bend over without whincing.

I really don’t want to go to the docs, and don’t want to fork out $ for a chiro. Should I take off from lifting even longer, and continue light Muay Thai?

I kinda have the same issue. I have had an x-ray, MRI, physical therapy, and have been seen by a surgeon. No one could tell me what was wrong with me. The MRI came back showing nothing. I’ve been injured for about 8 months now. It could of been for only 1 month. I should of stopped fighting and lifting all together and just rest.

But I thought like you, stop lifting and just fight. That didn’t work too well. I injured my back even more. What could of been a 1-2 month heal, has now turned into a big wall that I can’t get over. So please take a long break, I wish I did and I regret it that I didn’t.

I strained my lower back 10 weeks ago and I’m just getting back into deadlifting/squatting (unloaded). It can take a while to heal. I would address your mobility first, and use a liniment on the are before your training session and in the morning to keep it warm and aid in cirulation. any other quesitons just let me know

Why does everyone suggest mobility when something is injured? Mobility is the last thing you need when you have an injury. However, yes you do need it, in the right areas, ie. hips. Stability is what you initially want, and my guess is that you lack core stability, if you had it you wouldn’t have lower back pain.

Sounds like you are bending too much at the spine and don’t have enough range through the hips. Strengthen up glutes and hamstrings via hip thrusts and back extensions. Strengthen the core with curl-ups, leg lowers, side lying leg crunches/leg lifts, oysters or side-lying single leg lift for glute medius…

thanks eric, can that stuff be done in combination with slowly increasing my deadlift/squat/ and press loads? I was thnking of going up 20lbs per week on deadlift/squat and 10 on press. The stiffness is still there though.