Lower back pain is common when squatting; however, it’s not normal. If you are experiencing lower back pain while squatting, you need to address the root cause.
I’ll explain everything you need to know about the causes of lower back pain during squats and the best way to approach your training to address the pain and still progress in the gym.
Key Takeaways
Squat Overview
The squat is a movement pattern that involves bending both the knees and hips, resulting in the lifter sitting in a low position. Most commonly, when someone says the squat, they refer to the exercise done with a barbell on the back; however, the squat is an umbrella term for any movement in which the person performs a “squatting movement”.
Squats primarily train the quadriceps (top of the thighs) and the glutes (when you squat low). Other muscles, such as the back, hamstrings, and calves, play a supporting role; however, squatting is NOT an exercise that develops these muscles (they are not primary movers).
The benefits of squatting are building the leg muscles (quads and glutes), improving mobility and stability of the knees and hips, and increasing functional strength to support everyday movements (e.g., walking, jumping, running, stairs, etc.).
To maximize stability and protect your knees during squats, consider wearing knee sleeves to support your joints and improve your performance.
Lower Back Pain vs Muscular Discomfort
Many lifters panic when they feel any sensation in their lower back during or after squats, so it’s important to understand that there is a difference between muscular discomfort (due to fatigue) and pain (due to structural damage, such as lumbar disc issues or nerves).
When training squats, your erectors (lower back muscles) work to keep your torso upright. The erectors can easily be overworked due to increased training volume, lack of recovery, poor form, or too much weight.
Using a lifting belt during heavy squats can provide added support to your core and spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure, which helps maintain proper form and reduces stress on the lower back. However, it’s crucial to address underlying form issues before relying on a belt.
When the erectors become sore and overworked, a few days of rest are needed to alleviate symptoms. After 2 to 3 days of rest, you should be “back to normal”.
If, however, you have shooting pain during workouts, burning, tingling, and extreme pain in the lower back, even at rest, then you should seek a medical professional to ensure you do not have any structural damage. This pain will often be very debilitating, not only in the gym but in day-to-day life.
4 Reasons For Lower Back Pain While Squatting
The four main reasons for lower back pain with squats are:
Excessive Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Pelvic control is critical when loading the spine. Your pelvis can move into anterior tilt (imagine your belt buckle angled towards the floor), posterior tilt (imagine your belt buckle pulled up towards your chest), or anywhere between.
When squatting, especially when the load is on the back (e.g., barbell back squat), many people shift into an anterior tilt, straining the lumbar spine and erectors. This anterior tilt also forces a lifter to lean forward (see below), aggravating the issue.
It is best to keep your belt buckle facing forward, with your chest up and your rib cage tucked. This pelvic position will ensure you maintain a neutral spine and allow your trunk muscles to work as intended.
Too Much Forward Lean
As discussed, excessive forward lean can result from an anterior pelvic tilt or poor squat technique.
Ideally, the barbell would remain positioned over the middle of the foot (viewed from the side angle). If you lean too far forward, the barbell will line up with the toes (or further forward), which results in the hips shooting upwards in the air as you squat.
This forward position limits the quads' ability to move the load and places more loading on the hip extensor muscles (hamstrings, glutes) and lower back.
It is best to distribute your weight equally between the knees and the hips as you squat. I find it helpful to think about touching the back of my hamstrings to the back of the calves at the bottom of the squat and then having my chest and hips rise together on the way up out of the squat.
Other Exercises Creating Residual Fatigue in the Lower Back
If your pelvic positing and squat form are correct, then it’s likely that most of your lower back pain is a result of residual fatigue. Your other workouts and exercises may interfere with your ability to recover between sessions, causing the lower back muscles to become overworked.
Many people who squat also do hinging movements like deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts. While this is a great idea, it can be troublesome if those movements are fatiguing the lower back (either in other sessions or in the same session and done before squats).
If you’re performing hinging and squatting movements in the same workout, I recommend lowering the intensity of subsequent exercises. For example, if you deadlift before your squats, keep your squats lighter and focus on your technique.
Even if the volume and intensity of your training are reduced, you may experience discomfort or pain due to poor technique in squats or other exercises involving the lower back.
For example, if you have poor deadlift technique that stresses your lower back, you may feel it while squatting since both deadlifts and squats place a higher demand on your erectors.
Your solution is to fix your form on all exercises (not just squats), as each exercise you do in each workout affects how your body develops and recovers.
Too Much Loading
Loading errors are often the leading cause of lower back pain while squatting because we often overestimate what we are capable of and how recovered we are from previous training sessions.
Although you may think that going heavier each session and pushing yourself to failure is the best way to improve your squat and grow your legs, you must know your limits.
If your reason for squatting heavily is to grow your legs, you should rethink your training plan. You don’t actually need to lift maximal loads to develop your legs, as the limiting factor is typically your trunk muscles, not your legs. Decreasing the loads will help you keep the focus on your legs without adding as much stress to the lower back.
If you squat for strength and have lower back pain during squats, you should decrease the weights because continuing to squat through the pain will only result in more pain (and at some point, you won't be able to train).
Getting stronger is a long-term pursuit, and many people rush the process, which results in injury. Check your ego, and train at a sustainable and pain-free intensity.
Decrease the loading and see if there is a point at which you can squat without lower back pain. Meeting your body where it is may not be fun or “cool”, but it is the best approach to recovery from lower back pain.
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4 Pro Tips For Squatting Without Lower Back Pain
If you’re struggling with lower back pain while squatting, here are my top four tips:
Tip #1: Stick with Front Loaded Squats
Front-loaded squats force you to maintain a more upright torso position to avoid dumping the weight in front of you, which can decrease the strain on the lower back.
Additionally, front-loaded movements reinforce the proper pelvic position and core bracing, which can help strengthen the torso and prevent the spine or erectors from being hyperextended under load.
Tip #2: Train Single-Leg Variations
When training single-leg squat variants, you can train each leg independently and push the intensity without placing too much stress on the lower back. The overall loading on the torso and lower back is significantly less with single-leg squatting variations, which is great for overall load management.
Single-leg squat variations can also help address muscle imbalances, which may be causing your form to break down during barbell squats, which could be the reason you are having lower back pain.
Tip #3: Train Machines First and Squats Last
When your lower back is a limiting factor on leg days, you should start your workout with machines that do not aggravate the lower back.
Exercises like hack squats and leg presses are great ways to train the lower body muscles hard for general strength and muscular development. You can then add squatting movements to ensure you maintain proper patterning and perfect your form with lighter weights.
Tip #4: Decrease Loading on Squats
You may find that you are just training too heavily on squats, which results in your form breaking down and your back being loaded (rather than the legs).
Try taking 10, 20, or even 30+% off the bar and see at what load you feel the lower back becomes more involved. Train under that threshold and slowly progress it.
It may mean you are “taking a step back” for a few weeks (or months), but you can still train the legs hard with machines and other squat alternatives that don’t result in lower back pain.
Squat Alternatives For Lower Back Pain
Below are seven alternatives for the squat that you can attempt if you have lower back pain while squatting. If you still have pain with these exercise alternatives, you should seek medical attention.
Front Squat
The front squat allows you to train the legs with heavier loading. However, the front-loaded weight often forces you to find the neutral pelvic position and keeps you in a more upright torso position.
Goblet Squat
You can perform the goblet squat with any load in front of the body (dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, etc). Like the front squat, it forces you to stay more upright with your torso positioning and shift more of the load to the quadriceps.
Also, add a plate under your heels to elevate them, as this will help you stay upright and decrease forward lean.
Zercher Squat
The Zercher squat is another front-loaded squat variation that reinforces an upright torso, proper pelvic positioning, improved bracing, and upper back strength.
Bulgarian Split Squat (Front Loaded)
The Bulgarian split squat can be trained with any form of loading; however, I recommend placing it in the front rack, Zercher position, or goblet position (to get the same benefits of forcing an upright position and helping establish a more neutral pelvic position).
Front Foot Elevated Split Squat
The front foot elevated split squat is a single-leg exercise that helps you train the legs without needing as much loading.
Elevating the front foot allows you to take the knee and hip joint into deeper ranges of flexion, mimicking a deep squat and further helping you build strength (often, people struggle at the bottom of the squat and end up placing much of the loading in the lower back).
Hack Squat
The hack squat is a machine that places all the loading on the quadriceps and keeps the lower back out of the movement. This exercise is for those with lower back pain because you can train the legs with heavier loads for direct strength work or moderate loads for higher volume.
The pad behind the lower back also provides feedback. You should keep your lower back flat against the pad to resist excessive lumbar extension and pelvic tilt.
Leg Press
The leg press can be a great alternative to the squat if you lower the weight under control, reach the deepest range of motion with full knee flexion, and keep the lower back flat.
I recommend using the leg press to train the quads by lowering the weight so that the hamstrings touch the calves (or as close to this as possible with a flat back) and encouraging deep knee flexion.
Should You Squat With a Belt?
Squatting with a belt can help improve bracing abilities and trunk rigidity during squats, which can help minimize lower back pain IF you do everything else correctly (form, pelvic positioning, programming).
If you have lower back pain when you squat, slapping on a belt will not solve the problem. Belts provide lifters with a false sense of security, especially if they are not able to squat pain-free without one.
Learn to squat pain-free without a belt first, then throw on a belt during heavier lifts or for added support.
If you are a beginner and want a versatile belt, check out this Quick Locking Weightlifting Belt. If you are more experienced and want a belt solely for heavier squats and deadlifts, try the Double Prong Leather 7mm or 6mm Belt.
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