Tips For Dealing With Back Pain As A Powerlifter
That nagging ache down your spine; it can immediately spiral you into deep-set fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, if unchecked. For some, it’s all too familiar- for others- it’s a scarily brand-new experience.
The majority of the population- (whether Powerlifting or not)- will experience it at some point, yet, that doesn’t make it any more fun. Back pain is a highly stigmatized, sensationalized, and fear-mongered topic, and these ideals seep into Powerlifting. While today we will specifically discuss pain related to the lower back, the truth is: these principles apply to any body region. The general perspective on pain is often warped- with many believing that one particularly uncomfortable day means they’re broken and injured, that the solution is to stop moving entirely, avoid the inflamed area, etc.
With new research emerging, one can take comfort in knowing that the best-case-scenario solution- for most situations- is to continue training- with more awareness and a few changes here and there. Your back pain is not a destroyer to you as an athlete- and can instead become a teachable moment. The goal here is to work through it in the most productive & supportive way possible.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Physical Therapist- this information is not intended to diagnose or prescribe anyone’s pain. I work with PTs and athletes in pain- and have done extensive continuing ed on pain & modifications through Barbell Rehab- but my scope of practice is limited, and this is just general information. Seek help for your unique case.
Potential Triggers of Pain
Before we discuss HOW to respond to pain, let’s identify its potential triggers.
Many individuals view pain as a direct-cause-and-effect relationship, often to a single event:
“I lifted some heavy boxes this weekend, which threw out my back,”
“I strained myself from tying my shoes,”
“I deadlifted too heavy last week, and that’s how I hurt myself”-
Etc.
And while your pain may have become more noticeable from one of these instances, usually- (the vast majority of the time), pain is a result of multiple contributing factors.
One of the best metaphors I’ve learned (thanks, Barbell Rehab-for more info on that topic, check out this incredible article: Stop Blaming Pain on Bad Form ) for describing this relationship is that pain is like a big ol’ cup of coffee. The cup represents your body, and the coffee represents contributing factors. Stress levels, sleep, job dissatisfaction, undereating, weight loss, weight gain, training volume, hydration, and activity outside of the gym can all increase the presence of pain.
The two solutions to deal with it are to:
a) Grab a bigger cup- so it can hold more liquid (become stronger & more resilient, so your body is more capable & adaptable), and
b) Pour out some of the coffee: So the cup no longer overflows (remove some of the extra load you’re applying, and reinforce better self-care habits).
Unless it is a diagnosed injury- such as an actual break- everyday aches and pains are often a result of the reasons listed above. Take an internal assessment of your day-to-day:
Has work been extra stressful lately? Are you feeling burnt out?
Are you eating enough food? How about around your training sessions? Taking in adequate nutrients?
Are you sleeping consistently, 8-9 hours per night?
Etc.
Even when you’re seemingly “doing everything right,” life can come in different phases: and sometimes these events, together, exceed your current capacity. Pain is your body reflecting that, providing a warning sign to address your shit & look inward.
Focus on controlling the changes within your reach- and you may feel drastically better over time.
2. Steps to Take: Modify your Technique
Now, let’s go over how to adapt your training when your back decides to make (too much of) an appearance. Exact protocols differ depending on the athlete, but the first step is to modify your lifts (and programming) and see if symptoms improve. If all you need- to return to typical training- is improving your positioning or changing your stance width, that will save you a lot of additional workload.
A) Squats
Upper Back Tension: Are you maintaining tension on the way up? Try slightly widening your grip, focusing on scapular retraction, and actively engaging your upper body through the lift.
Stance Width: A closer or wider stance (depending on the lifter) may reduce the stress on your lower back.
Bar Position: Does High Bar or Low Bar feel better for you?
Hip/Knee Position: Are your hips ascending straight out of the hole? This "Good Morning" Squat will increase the force on your lumbar spine. Think about pushing through your toes & maintaining your knee bend on the ascent.
B) Bench
Typically, the bench press is the lift that feels ok- for lifters experiencing back pain- (although getting in and out of position may prove difficult). But here are some options to modify, in case you feel otherwise:
Reducing your arch: Focus on creating a stable scapular position (setting the upper back/shoulders down) rather than overly extending your lumbar spine.
Legless bench variations: Try benching with your legs off the ground- or performing a floor press instead.
C) Deadlifts
Spine Neutrality: Is your spine excessively rounding off the floor? Try achieving as close to a neutral spine as possible and actively engaging your brace. One breath should get you through the entire rep: "push out" through your core before you initiate and don't let it out until the top.
Stance Width: For Conventional pullers, try a slightly closer stance (more leg-dominant), and for Sumo pullers, if mobility allows, a wider spacing (more hip-dominant).
Lockout Position: Are you hyperextending at the top of your rep? This posture may be uncomfortable for your back. Focus on tucking your chin and finishing the lift with your hips.
Bar Distance: Are you setting up with the bar too close? Is it getting away from you during the rep? For conventional Pullers, try starting with the bar over midfoot, then bring your shins to the bar as you pull. For sumo pullers, set up with your shins right against the bar. The bar should remain locked into your body during the whole rep.
Slack Pull: Are you pulling the slack out of the bar- or jerking it off the ground? Before you start the rep, get a nice tug on the bar, hear the “click” of the plates, extend the shoulders back, pull the bar into your shins, and maintain this position.
Eccentric: Are you going ultra-slow on the way down, even with heavy weights, and without resetting your brace? Unless specified, simply bring the bar down to the ground- no need to slow it down.
Hip/Knee Position: Are your hips too high or low? Do they lift immediately during the rep? Are you starting your deadlift with an RDL-esque position? Your hips should be slightly above your knees- and rise simultaneously with the rest of your body. Play around with where you set them, and focus on pushing through your big toes to start the lift.
It is important to note that form is only one contributor to pain-and the message that technique inherently causes injury is untrue and dogmatic. However, it is a factor that influences how your body feels, so exploring it is a worthwhile pursuit.
Sometimes, all it takes is making a positional change/alteration to get your body feeling better. Other times, no matter how you orient yourself, the pain lingers. The following change to address is programming, described below.
3. Steps to take: Modify your programming
When assessing your technique, you want to simultaneously analyze your programming- which directly contributes to the stress you're taking on.
Are you exceeding your maximum volume/intensity threshold? Are you constantly pushing above RPE 8, leaving the gym feeling beat up, destroyed, and struggling to recover between sessions? When was the last time you took a deload week? Are you trying some form of crazy high-volume and high-load training protocol?
These are important questions that help you identify how to move forward. As mentioned above, pain is often due to excess stress, and you may receive that in training unintentionally.
Try taking a deload week, and keep them in your program regularly (every 4-6 weeks).
Scale back your RPE. Train in that RPE 7-8 range most of the time, keeping lifts clean, relatively fast, and consistent, and only push further toward the end of a training block (with proper recovery habits in place), too.
Reduce your volume, or spread it out during the week. Maybe 6-7 sets in one day are more than you can comfortably handle (at a certain load), but you could do three, split across two days. Or, taper down your working sets from 5 to 3; for example.
Choose one to prioritize: Volume OR Load, generally speaking. Consistently pushing both- simultaneously-can get you into cautious territory. If you’re doing more reps, the weight on the bar should be lighter. If you’re doing more weight, do fewer reps. Add in backoff sets or higher-RPE accessory work to achieve that optimal training effect, but look at how hard your main movements are- and whether you have the work capacity to handle it right now. If you are in a more moderate volume/intensity phase, always ensure your RPEs are in check.
Alter your frequency. Are you squatting 3x/week? Conventional Deadlifting 2x/week? Consider changing either your frequency or variations. Try removing one of those lift days for some time, and see how you respond. Maybe you can still deadlift 2x/a week, but that secondary one is a Sumo, an RDL, or a significantly lighter, technique-focused lift.
4. Modifications During a Training Session: Load
If- after assessing your modifiable factors- your symptoms are the same- the first change to make on a given day is weight. Maybe the 275 you had programmed is too stressful to handle today, but 225, 185, and 135 feel significantly better. In that case: take some plates off the bar and follow your program as usual- just with less weight. That way, you can continue training the movement, especially because, as Powerlifters, we *have* to train the Big 3. With a long-term approach: the goal is to progressively increase the load- however- it can also fluctuate daily. Maybe today, 300 feels fine- and tomorrow- 155 is all you can manage. You must be willing to adapt & accept whatever your body has in store on a given day.
Being smart with both your program itself & how your body feels on a given day will help you train through seasons of pain, continuing to prioritize the movements that hold priority, but at a sustainable level.
5. Modifying During a Training Session: ROM
As you know, bodies can fluctuate. Maybe on some days, everything feels great (especially if you’re prioritizing the proper habits), but on others, your flare-ups exceed your baseline level. In this case, changing the variation on your program is a good idea. This method can also work as a secondary lift day: during the rehab process, to receive a training effect from a less-stressful option.
To preserve specificity as much as possible, still training the given movement- but with less pain: we want to look at modifying the range of motion. For deadlifts, this would be a block pull- or potentially an RDL- if getting the bar off the ground hurts. For squats, if hitting depth triggers you, squat to a higher box/pins- above that pain point. Of course, if the entire movement is irritating, and this offers zero relief, it’s not a plausible option for you. But, for those who experience pain most at these particular parts of the movement, this is a way you can continue performing your competition lifts with decent loads and minimal symptoms.
6. Modifying During a Training Session: Exercise Swaps
If you’ve exhausted other options or are early in the post-rehab stages, where even with light loads, modified technique, and volume, changes to ROM are not enough to relieve you, change the exercise itself. For back pain specifically, this could be a trap bar deadlift, Romanian deadlift, Kettlebell deadlift, Kettlebell RDL, Back Extension, Hip thrust, Glute bridge, etc., depending on what feels comfortable. For squats, this could be a High bar, a Front squat, a Goblet squat, a Hack squat, a Belt squat, a Split squat, etc. Modify down to your current threshold, then focus on building back up over time. Choose a weight that feels challenging- and slightly uncomfortable- but not exceeding a 5/10 on the pain scale.
With those main movements, it’s a good idea to incorporate another exercise that slightly exposes you to some level of discomfort/stress- but in a controlled manner. If extension is what hurts, this could be a back extension, RDL, good morning, with light weight. If it’s flexion, a Jefferson curl, something where you’re putting your body in a painful position- but with minimal loading and volume. Just- for example, 3x5, even body weight, could be all you need.
7. Adding Daily Movement
I also recommend adding a daily movement routine. Avoiding movement is not the answer, and getting in some consistent blood flow to that area can both be healing + help you gain more data on what is supportive vs. not. Going for daily walks is a great idea, and adding a few mobility exercises to the area experiencing pain. For the back, this could be some cat cows, Jefferson curls, hinges, bird dogs, dead bugs, plus: lat stretches, upper back mobility, and hip work- because there are often other contributors outside of the source of pain, as well.
Essentially, the goal is to continue training and exercising regularly through pain, just more cautious, mindful, and tolerable. Movement can be both the cause and solution to pain- and it’s all about figuring out how to adapt and keep moving forward. We rarely ever must avoid lifting entirely, and in fact, it can be therapeutic, as denoted by this 2020 Meta-analysis.*
8. When to refer out
At some point, even with the best training tools, your pain is simply beyond your scope, and you need a professional to meet you where you’re at.
Generally speaking, I recommend to clients that if, after 2-4 weeks of controlling their recovery, modifying with the framework listed above, improving programming variables, and moving in some way each day- their symptoms have not improved, are the same, fluctuating drastically, or getting worse- it’s time to seek help from a PT. Look for a Physical Therapist with a Powerlifting background, if you can (Ironside has the great Josh Davis, @btbrehab on IG: who does both in-person and online work), because you’re more likely to meet with someone who will advocate for vs. against continual training. Going to a PT who tells you to "never squat or deadlift again-" is an unhelpful experience- and there are many knowledgeable, up-to-date individuals in the field.
9. Checklist
To sum it all up, the TLDR, here are some potential steps to take when experiencing back pain:
Reflect on your recovery variables. How are your nutrition, sleep, stress levels, mental health, self-care, daily movement habits, hydration, etc.? Any changes you can make there?
Reflect on your programming. How high are your volume and intensity? Frequency? What variations are you choosing? Any modifications you/your coach can make there?
Address your technique. Try making changes to your big lifts to see if symptoms improve.
When your pain is triggered during a training session: first modify the load. If taking some weight off the bar reduces your symptoms, do that to whatever feels tolerable. Stay below a 5/10 on the pain scale. Remove your ego.
If the lighter weight is still painful, try reducing the ROM of your lifts. Lockout-focused deadlifts and modified-depth squats can be helpful.
If both options still exceed your pain threshold, modify the movement pattern itself: changing to a different knee/hip-dominant movement entirely.
Include an exercise in your training program that lightly exposes you to stress- in a position that feels vulnerable- with low loads and volume.
Stay moving! Get walks in, as well as mobility work focused on the painful areas.
If after 2-4 weeks of doing all of the above- symptoms lack improvement, reach out to a PT for individualized care.
When it's necessary to deviate from the barbell lifts (temporarily)- the eventual goal is to reintegrate these movements. Choose a tolerable variation to build for 4-6 weeks before re-introducing your typical SBD lifts. When doing so, start far below your work capacity (like RPE 5), then gradually add until you reach an RPE 7-8, and then return to regular programming.
Also, differentiate between low back soreness/pain. Sometimes, after a hefty training week, you may feel a “pump”/sensation in your spinal erectors (large muscles running up your lower back), and this is normal from time to time: it should go away within a day or two. Pain impacts individuals differently, but generally speaking- will hinder your movements & daily life to a greater degree- and is longer-lasting.
Remember that pain does not necessarily indicate injury. You can be in pain but not injured, and the inverse is also true. Pain happens just as a result of living life as a human, regardless of whether you’re Powerlifting. Even with the best preparation and intentions, we cannot account for everything, and pain can still occur. Pain does not indicate that you are broken and must resort to bedrest- instead, it is a learning opportunity as an athlete, helping you adapt to obstacles and experience working through them. It can make you better, more self-aware, and more objective with your training in the long run. Try not to catastrophize, dreaming of all the possible conditions you could have- that is not supportive. Focus on doing what you can, continuing to move, leaning on your support system- and you can get back to squatting and deadlifting as usual at some point. For more info on this topic, check out our blog post around pain mentality (linked here: https://www.ironsidetraining.com/blog/training-with-pain-a-mindset-shift ).
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Back pain. It is an unfortunately common yet disheartening and potentially fear-inducing experience. The fear-mongering surrounding it is even more scary- with messaging such as, “One wrong move, and you’ll break your back!” or, “You shouldn’t be lifting that heavy, you’re putting yourself in harm’s way.” These statements are untrue- and extremely unhelpful- potentially contributing to symptoms further. Approach your pain experience with all the tools at your disposal, a support system, and backup plans, as needed. This doesn’t have to be a debilitating, complicated, disheartening phase- while it is frustrating, the good news is that there are ways to keep training. With the proper modifications listed above, and the introspection to improve your daily habits, you can set up for success to feel better & continue moving. Movement supports your healing process. Know that your body is capable and resilient- and can adapt over time. You can get through this- your path is your own, so listen to your body and seek the necessary support.
*References: Tataryn, N., Simas, V., Catterall, T. et al. Posterior-Chain Resistance Training Compared to General Exercise and Walking Programmes for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med - Open 7, 17 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00306-w
