Why Your Back Hurts During Deadlifts and What to Do About It

Do you ever experience back pain when you deadlift? If you do, you aren't alone. 

When we talk about back pain when deadlifting, we aren't talking about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which you may feel after deadlift day or during your deadlifts because of your strength training sessions earlier in the week. We're referring to the lower back pain that can potentially lead to future injuries.

Proper form is a key part of performing any heavy lifts, so in this blog post, we will discuss what causes lower back pain after deadlifts or while doing them, modifications you can use, and how to deadlift safely.

Why You Should Deadlift

Before we get into why you might feel pain when you deadlift, we want to go over a few reasons why we love deadlifting at KJO Coaching.

Deadlifts engage multiple muscle groups at the same time, making them a compound exercise. They target your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, forearms, traps, and core muscles.

This means you get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of muscle engagement and growth.

They also mimic a fundamental movement pattern — lifting objects from the ground, which makes deadlifts a functional exercise that can improve your ability to perform everyday tasks safely and effectively.

Not to mention, deadlifts encourage proper posture by strengthening the muscles responsible for maintaining a straight back. This can help alleviate back pain associated with poor posture.

Back Pain While Deadlifting

Deadlifts are one of the most common causes of an L5 pars defect (or even just tweaking your back!). This is also known as spondylolysis or a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis, which is a specific type of spinal condition that primarily affects the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) in the lower back.

We can break this down a little further to help you understand why you feel back pain after deadlifts and while performing deadlifts.

An L5 pars defect is often caused by poor positioning, over-extension, or improper form.

Spondylolysis is the breaking down of bone in the vertebra, usually caused by repetitive stress or trauma.

Spondylolisthesis is a progression of spondylolysis where the bone actually breaks, and a portion of it slides forward. Spondys are often caused by repetitive, forceful extension of the spine, which causes excessive compression in the pars interarticularis. 

In other words, heavy lifting with improper form can result in serious injury. 

We are not saying this to scare you from lifting heavy weights because you definitely should include strength training in your fitness routine! We're telling you about this so you can avoid injury and find modifications for your deadlifts if you are dealing with lower back pain after deadlifting.

Does Deadlift Form Really Matter That Much

We can guarantee you that your form when lifting heavy weights matters at least as much (if not more than) you think it does. Trust us, the healing process is not a fun time. Nor is the shooting pain you might experience in your lower back or lower body if you injure your back.

One of our coaches hurt her back several years ago due to poor positioning and bracing during her heavy lifts.

She started having intense back pain after deadlifting and squatting heavy weights, so she saw a few doctors and ended up having a series of treatments. 

She had an epidural, facet injections, SI joint injections, PRP, nerve blocks, dry needling, and about a year of weekly physical therapy. With the help of her physical therapist, she worked hard on mobility, posture, core strength, glute strength, and breathwork.

She eventually went back to lifting. However, she modified my deadlifts to accommodate the injury and reduce the likelihood of future back pain.

Modified Deadlifts for Back Pain

Once our coach could start doing deadlifts again, she switched from conventional barbell deadlifts to trap bar/hex bar deadlifts.

But why?

Look at this image and notice how the amount of force decreases as you switch from a conventional deadlift to a sumo deadlift to a trap bar deadlift.

The trap bar deadlift offers a similar pulling variation targeting many of the same muscle groups as the conventional barbell, but the trap bar has been shown to decrease the amount of spinal loading and stress on the lumbar spine, specifically due to increased back/torso angle and knee flexion.

 So, the trap bar gives you the ability to reduce your risk of injury to the lumbar spine, which is especially important for those with a prior injury.

 That said, we are not encouraging anyone with a previous back injury to jump right back into deadlifts. Depending on your type of injury, you may have to go through treatments such as physical therapy to get to the point where it's safe for you to deadlift again. 

 But here's our argument for the trap bar if and when you decide to return to deadlifts. 

The trap bar allows for more flexibility in the movement, doesn't require a mixed grip, is easier to learn, allows for higher velocity and higher power output, and is safer for a lot of people, especially post-injury.

All that said, you need to address weaknesses and posture and properly re-pattern these movements before you get back into any deadlifts!

Reduce Your Risk of Injury When Deadlifting

While you can't necessarily prevent injuries (because things happen, people move funny, etc.), you can do things to minimize your risk of getting injured and experiencing pain when deadlifting or doing any other exercise.

Proper Form

As mentioned above, proper form is key to avoiding injury with any exercise. This is where it can be helpful to have a fitness coach who can guide you through proper movement.

Our clients get demonstration videos with form cues and can record their workouts to show their coach to get tips and pointers for improving form.

Improper form puts excessive stress on your lumbar spine, which can cause shooting or sharp low back pain.

To maintain good form when performing a barbell deadlift:

1. Set up the barbell: Position the barbell over the middle of your feet. Have the bar close but not touching your shins.
2. Stance: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Your toes can be slightly turned out. The barbell should be about mid-foot, so you can see your shoelaces behind the bar when you look down.
3. Grip: Bend at your hips and knees to reach down and grip the barbell. There are different grip options: a double overhand grip (both palms facing you), a mixed grip (one palm facing you, one palm facing away), or a hook grip (both palms facing you with your thumbs under your fingers). Choose the grip that's most comfortable for you.
4. Hand placement: Your hands should be just outside your knees.
5. Back position: Maintain a neutral spine from your head to your lower back. Your back should not be rounded (flexed) or arched (extended). Keep your chest up, and look forward or slightly upward, not down.

And for the actual lift, you'll want to:

1. Engage your core: In your starting position, take a deep breath and brace your core muscles. This helps stabilize your spine. (You may want to practice core stability exercises like dead bugs during your warmup to help with this.)
2. Hip hinge: With your core engaged, begin the lift by pushing your hips back while keeping your chest up. This hip hinge movement is crucial. Your knees will bend slightly as your hips move back.
3. Grip the bar: As you hinge at the hips, reach down and firmly grip the barbell. Your hands should be just outside your knees.
4. Lift smoothly: Push through your heels, engage your glutes, and lift the barbell by straightening your hips and knees simultaneously. Keep the barbell close to your body throughout the lift.
5. Full extension: Stand up tall with your hips fully extended. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels.
6. Shoulder position: At the top of the lift, your shoulders should be pulled back, and your chest should be proud. Avoid shrugging your shoulders forward.
7. Hold for a moment: At the top of the lift, pause briefly to ensure you have full control of the weight.
8. Lowering the bar: Initiate the hip hinge by pushing your hips back while maintaining a neutral position in your spine. Lower the bar under control, and once it clears your knees, you can bend your knees to set the barbell back on the ground.

This may seem like a lot of steps, but once you get comfortable with everything from the starting position to the lowering of the barbell, you'll find that you can do the movement without too much thought.

Warm Up Before Lifting Heavy

Warm up your muscles and prepare your body for the exercise before you start lifting any type of heavy weight.

Dynamic stretches, mobility drills, and light cardio can all help increase blood flow to your muscles and improve flexibility, which will reduce your likelihood of getting hurt.

You can warm up your muscles for your deadlift by doing a set with very light weight or even just your body weight to ensure your form is spot on and you're confident in the movement pattern. If you're new to deadlifting or haven't done it in a while, begin with lighter weights to allow your body to adapt to the movement.

You can add more weight as you become comfortable with the exercise and your muscles get stronger. A common mistake among even experienced lifters is to add too much weight to the barbell, which can quickly result in lower back injuries.

Breathe When You Lift Weights

You have to remember to breathe when lifting heavy! Actually, you should remember to breathe at all times, but you know that.

With big lifts, people often tend to "bear down" on the pelvic floor when creating abdominal pressure, so we recommend that you exhale through your mouth (while keeping your core engaged) during the lifting phase of your deadlift.

So, inhale, fill all sides of your stomach, and exhale on exertion.

Listen to Your Body

If you experience sharp pain or feel discomfort during a deadlift, stop immediately. Again, we aren't referring to muscle soreness but actual, sudden pain, likely in your lower back.

Pushing through pain can lead to an injury like what our coach experienced (or worse).

Depending on the kind of pain you feel, a moist hot pack and stretching can help alleviate the pain within a couple hours.

You may need to see a physical therapist if it's more severe.

A Coach Can Help You Deadlift Without Pain

One of the great things about the team at KJO Coaching is that we have over 20 combined years of experience in health and fitness (not to mention other high-level education). 

This experience allows us to help women in all stages of their health and fitness journey, including those with injuries. When you start looking for a fitness coach, you'll want someone who can help you overcome your obstacles, not someone who gives you the same exercise plan they give to every other client who walks through their door. 

 You want someone who considers your lifestyle, goals, and any injuries you may have to ensure you reach your goals safely and sustainably. 

 If you're interested in working with us, click here to learn more!

 And if you want a sneak peek at what a KJO Coaching training program looks like, check out this FREE 4-week training guide.

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