I am a 50 year old male who recently got back into lifting weights. This morning I was doing squats with 165 pounds and tweaked my lower back a bit. It was enough to scare the hell out of me because I felt like I was going to drop the weight and not be able to get up. I did stop the set right after. I was feeling great until this randomly happened. My question is regarding how to strengthen my lower back (core?) to help eliminate the possibility of this happening again. What gym exercises are best for the lower back muscles? Hyperextensions?

Apologies for the long post, but this has been my white whale since I started lifting again 4 years ago...

Agree with the above two posters. But, I have found with my squat that my low back pain stemmed from multiple other issues, including strength.

Your ankle and hip mobility could be playing a part - if you are trying to reach depth, but your mobility does not allow you to do so, you will compromise your form and put a lot of stress on your back. When I starting pushing progressive overload, when I started to notice this occurring, I would do a huge deload and focus on very slow, controlled reps to depth so that I could focus on the stretch. Over time, my squat mobility improved a lot.

The second thing is, when squatting, are you leaning forward excessively? This will put a ton of strain on your lower back. If you notice your butt/hips shooting up first out of the hole, it could be that your quads are weaker relative to your posterior chain so your posterior chain is taking over and this issue with form can also place undue stress on your lower back.

Bracing, as mentioned before, is another big one. When you brace, you want to imagine you're about to be punched in the stomach, or imagine yourself "pissing up a wall". I used to put my spine in extension without really realizing, slightly sticking my butt out backwards when I started my squat, when that is the opposite of what I needed to be doing. I was not stacking the weight over my core and put my lower back in a compromised position from the start of the lift.

My back was acting funny last week and that normally would have led me to skip my heavy deadlift day or go light. But since I have learned how to brace better, I was able to get my top set deadlift with zero back issues because I was bracing properly and the muscles that were supposed to be doing the work did the work.

I found a lot of "lower back exercises" didn't do me very much good when my mobility was trash. Other than back extensions in the roman chair, it felt like I could never get the muscles in my lower back activated.

I know this is a lot more than you asked for, but it's often a lot more complicated than "I just need to get stronger".

I would advise looking up Sebastian Oreb/Australian Strength Coach on Instagram and watching any videos he has where he talks about squats. His coaching style is very accessible (to me at least) and has completely changed how I view my form when lifting.

Best for me is deadlifts. If looking for something that isolates lower back more or is less complex, I like back extensions like you mentioned.

Coincidentally I'm kind of evaluating this as well. My gym changed out the thigh padding on their hyperextension benches and now there's no way to not crush your junk unless you set the pads real low.

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Your ankle and hip mobility could be playing a part - if you are trying to reach depth, but your mobility does not allow you to do so, you will compromise your form and put a lot of stress on your back. When I starting pushing progressive overload, when I started to notice this occurring, I would do a huge deload and focus on very slow, controlled reps to depth so that I could focus on the stretch. Over time, my squat mobility improved a lot.

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All of these are great suggestions. Since we'd have to see your squat to truly know as there could be a few things we could tweek or something someone might see that could help, all of these suggestions are a greast place to start.

As for ankle mobility, one thing that has helped me is doing seated calf raises. The primary focus of seated calf raises is the soleus muscle in most people. That is the muscle underneath the gastrocnemius. The gastro is the part of the calf we see. The part most people want to grow as it is what people see. The soleus is underneath that and part of it's function is the aid in stablizing the ankle



But here is how I would approach this while doing the seated calf raise (and any standing for that matter). I would almost exclusively focus on the lengthened portion of the movement, meaning going as low as you can (safely) in that portion of the lift. It's the bottom of the movement while doing calf raises. Slowly work on getting lower and lower safely over time. Doing that under load truly increases your ankle's range of motion and mobility. You really only need to raise it to parallel and not really extend all the way up. Just lower to bottom then raise to parallel and back down. Given the amount of studies out there showing that the calf muscles grow the most in loaded stretch or lengthened portion and not in the shortened or concentric portion, it's also the most growth promoting technique you can use to train the calf. So, extra bonus!

Agree with all of the above. A wide variety of exercsises that challenge your ability to stabilize your core during dynamic movements will likely be the most beneficial overall in the long term.

That being said, Stuard McGill is a PhD that has researched the back for a long time. Some physical therapists call it the McGill Big 3, that are 3 exercises that are really good for rehabilitating injuries, and building a good foundation of core and back strength. Might be something to look into.

What's funny about me is that I used to have a lot more back issues before I started doing strength blocks dedicated to focusing on the 4 big lifts: Squat, deads, bench and overhead. That, more than anything, really helped my back. I was VERY focused on form and technique and very conservative in regards to progressing. But I have a 3 inch Dominion double ply belt and 4inch Inzer belt and learned how to brace properly. I really feel doing this not only built my overall core strength but also my erectors. While I no longer do strength blocks, I have maintained that core and erector strength. I did do a lot of loaded carry variations as part of my accessory work which helped. But every one is different.

In addition to what's been recommended I'd do some kettlebell exercises, especially swings. Another thing you can try, specifically when doing squats, is to hang some of the plates from resistance bands. This will force you to slow down and engage your stabilizer muscles more to go down, pause, and back up in a controlled manner. Start out with just the bar and hang a 25 lb plate on each side to start getting the feel for it.

I bought the camber bar attachments from Titan Fitness and have been using them for my deload.

Total gamechanger for recognizing when you're missing the groove. Great investment for me.

damn CC... you are starting to really know your shift.

Do that with a bench - will really humble you. We called them powerlifter wind chime cuz the plates banged together.

Hoosegow said:

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Do that with a bench - will really humble you. We called them powerlifter wind chime cuz the plates banged together.

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Yea I used to do them on flat bench and incline, but thanks to the arthritis in my right shoulder any pressing activity hurts too much these days. It was most beneficial to make me slow down and concentrate on my form. The surgery to fix it sounds like it's no guarantee of pain-free results so I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on it.

I hear you. I have no labrum in my right shoulder. My bone spurs have bone spurs. Only fix is a replacement. Doc told me to wait another 11 years before he'd cut on me. Should replacement is one and done. Doc said (this was almost 9 years ago) I could keep lifting but I needed to stop to preserve what I could. I have to limit the damage from then until I can have surgery.

No pressing exercises for me since.

Think about this. I pressed 700 to a one board the night before I got the news. I had a legit shot at pressing that in a meet. Next day... all that work... all that time... for nothing. But it is what you have to do.

There was an old man I used to correspond with on another website. Was a really good site back in the 2000/2010s. We had a thread one time about lifting and different disciplines. It came down to this (this was a reflection of the time). The lifting game is no different than the car game. We are just body mechanics. The body builder - is like the show car guy - just want to look good. Cross fit - cool car performs better than most but not really good at anything. Powerlifting- muscle car guy. TimD (the old man) was a guy that had a ton of information. I learned so much from him. I used to kid him as being the shade tree mechanic. He was the car guy that just tried to keep the old jalopy running. That is me now, minus the wealth of knowledge. I am just trying to keep this old jalopy running for as long as I can.

Hoosegow said:

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I hear you. I have no labrum in my right shoulder. My bone spurs have bone spurs. Only fix is a replacement. Doc told me to wait another 11 years before he'd cut on me. Should replacement is one and done. Doc said (this was almost 9 years ago) I could keep lifting but I needed to stop to preserve what I could. I have to limit the damage from then until I can have surgery.

No pressing exercises for me since.

Think about this. I pressed 700 to a one board the night before I got the news. I had a legit shot at pressing that in a meet. Next day... all that work... all that time... for nothing. But it is what you have to do.

There was an old man I used to correspond with on another website. Was a really good site back in the 2000/2010s. We had a thread one time about lifting and different disciplines. It came down to this (this was a reflection of the time). The lifting game is no different than the car game. We are just body mechanics. The body builder - is like the show car guy - just want to look good. Cross fit - cool car performs better than most but not really good at anything. Powerlifting- muscle car guy. TimD (the old man) was a guy that had a ton of information. I learned so much from him. I used to kid him as being the shade tree mechanic. He was the car guy that just tried to keep the old jalopy running. That is me now, minus the wealth of knowledge. I am just trying to keep this old jalopy running for as long as I can.

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A few questions. How did you injure the labrum? Why 11 years? I couldn't wait that long. Has there been any advancements in those 9 years that would have allowed and why did you have to wait so long? Could you get a 2nd opinion?
What do you do to train given your limitations? Can you do lateral raises for mid delts and anything for rear delts? Can you do flys for chest?

I will say that as I get older, I have learned to train through full ranges of motion very very deliberate form. I get you were a powerlifter, so focusing on hypertrophy might not be as interesting to you. But watch Eric Janicki and the way he does each rep with methodical focus on technique. Watch Dr. Mike Israetel do a bench. Lowering with control. Pausing at the bottom for the deep stretch and carefully and deliberately pressing back up. Is it possible for you to train lighter, higher RIR and possibly doing it safely? I honestly do not know.

A few questions? Lol!

How did i hurt it - no clue. Doc said it was probably an injury from football. Powerlifting, over time ground away the labrum i guess. Ulcers and bone spurs developed over time. Pain got to the point I had to do something.

11 years I'll be 65. The shoulder joint is the most complicated joint in the human body. You can replace a knee or hip as many times as you want. Shoulder 1 and done. Lasts at most 15 years. Tough it out as long as you can.

2nd opinion - guess I could. Unfortunately I have a very long and good relationship with my ortho. At this point I tell him what is wrong and he confirms.

What can I do - carry heavy shift. I can still squat with a ss bar or cambered bar. Got a hernia so I dont go heavy. Some kettle bell stuff.

Yah, I can do slow reps. Max weight Im allowed is 225. Do you know how boring 225 is day after day? I tried the NFL combine bench test on my 40th birthday. Wanted to do one for every year. Did 40. Boring as hell.

I guess if I was truthful I just dont care anymore. One of the things I loved about powerlifting was the learning and mental aspect. Trying different programs, tweaking form, etc. 225.... day after day... ugh.

Aggie_Boomin 21 said:

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Best for me is deadlifts.

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+1

I've also noticed if I've not squatted in a while and go deep I'll guaranteed tweak my low back. Maybe start out going parallel (not below) for a few weeks, then lighten it up when you start going lower.

Hoosegow said:

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A few questions? Lol!

How did i hurt it - no clue. Doc said it was probably an injury from football. Powerlifting, over time ground away the labrum i guess. Ulcers and bone spurs developed over time. Pain got to the point I had to do something.

11 years I'll be 65. The shoulder joint is the most complicated joint in the human body. You can replace a knee or hip as many times as you want. Shoulder 1 and done. Lasts at most 15 years. Tough it out as long as you can.

2nd opinion - guess I could. Unfortunately I have a very long and good relationship with my ortho. At this point I tell him what is wrong and he confirms.

What can I do - carry heavy shift. I can still squat with a ss bar or cambered bar. Got a hernia so I dont go heavy. Some kettle bell stuff.

Yah, I can do slow reps. Max weight Im allowed is 225. Do you know how boring 225 is day after day? I tried the NFL combine bench test on my 40th birthday. Wanted to do one for every year. Did 40. Boring as hell.

I guess if I was truthful I just dont care anymore. One of the things I loved about powerlifting was the learning and mental aspect. Trying different programs, tweaking form, etc. 225.... day after day... ugh.

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"A few" is my way in. Then I go with like 100 questions!

Man, 225 is actually very impressive given your shoulder situation. 40 reps? In context to what you have, and given 99% of the regular population can't likely lift much over 185, xxxx!

Just stinks to be at a point where you can't go after the goals you want to achieve. For me, since hypertrophy is more my thing, I doubt I'd ever need to go much over 225. Heck, I don't even do conventional bench anymore. If I do, it's with a cambered bar. Otherwise its machines and/or dumbells.

So what happens after 15 years with that new shoulder?

I'll take the counter opinion and say that at our age (50+) you should stop doing traditional bar squats and deadlifts. There is a lot of other strength stuff you can do without risking your back like that. No reason for it.

You should start focusing on mobility as well. I do a lot of body weight stuff including squats and I like carrying awkward crap (obviously not overhead), but traditional bar squats and deadlifts have long since been abandoned.

Shoulder surgery, two frozen shoulders, and a microdiscectomy tend to cure you of doing squats and deadlifts.

Flame away.

I have a torn labrum in my right shoulder as well that I'm 99% sure I injured in Brazilian jiu jitsu thanks to an arm bar that an overzealous white belt probably gave me when he didn't release when I tapped. It's extra frustrating since I started bjj at 42 and I always tap before I'm on the edge of injury. Your lifting is truly impressive, I've lifted weights for 30 years but unfortunately never got very strong. The most I ever benched was 225 for 3 reps and I was able to squat over 400 while weighing about 170. That was a big deal for me, now if I do pushups it feels like someone is jamming a knife into my shoulder so I just don't. It sucks because my dad was really strong but regardless of how hard I worked out I just never got very strong, even though I've got the injuries that go along with decades of lifting. The irony of exercising to take care of yourself ultimately hurting your body long term. My knees and ankles are bad too thanks to basketball and soccer. I can still do pull-ups, even with the torn labrum, it just sucks to not be able to do all the lifts I want to do. I don't smoke, I almost never drink, I just wish my body could do the things I want without intense pain.

Thank you sir - I don't know if that is true but I've definitely come a long ways the last 4 years.

I get your points and I'm not discouraging going to the gym or lifting weights at all; I just think you can still accomplish much without doing those two specific exercises. That's all.

At 52, I'm not looking to be a body builder, but I still grow muscle doing a variety of other things. So, I'm just saying that goals will change and a shift in certain exercises may be necessary. Barbell squats and weighted deadlifts are just too much risk. FTR, I still do some dumbbell squats in form of Goblets and sometimes regular dumbbell squats with lighter weight.

Once my shoulders started giving me fits and I had back surgery then it became stupid for me to do those two exercises plus pushing weight overhead with shoulders. I still do shoulder work but it's always in a plane that is shoulder height or lower.

For me, mobility and functional strength are way more important at this point than getting swole and I think you will find most experts agree with me once you get into your 50s.

YouBet said:

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I get your points and I'm not discouraging going to the gym or lifting weights at all; I just think you can still accomplish much without doing those two specific exercises. That's all.

At 52, I'm not looking to be a body builder, but I still grow muscle doing a variety of other things. So, I'm just saying that goals will change and a shift in certain exercises may be necessary. Barbell squats and weighted deadlifts are just too much risk. FTR, I still do some dumbbell squats in form of Goblets and sometimes regular dumbbell squats with lighter weight.

Once my shoulders started giving me fits and I had back surgery then it became stupid for me to do those two exercises plus pushing weight overhead with shoulders. I still do shoulder work but it's always in a plane that is shoulder height or lower.

For me, mobility and functional strength are way more important at this point than getting swole and I think you will find most experts agree with me once you get into your 50s.

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Let's revisit what "getting swole" is really all about. It's not lifting for strength. Its about volume and approaches to failure in rep ranges around 5-30 reps...

100% agree with your top point. And 52 as well. Now, bear in mind, that bodybuilders (competitive or recreational) don't always do conventional squats or deadlifts. Most I know don't. Bodybuilding is about muscle growth, not strength. When one is focused on aesthetics when they train, they are bodybuilders, especially in terms of how one programs their training. Remember, load alone isn't the main catalyst for growth. It is the approach to failure that is the best signal for muscle growth in rep ranges 5-30 reps. I haven't done a conventional squat or dead in 2-3 years. Not for risk. There really wouldn't be much more risk for me. Instead I don't b/c there are plenty of other exercises to reach my goal without the associated high levels of fatigue that conventional squats and dead lifts create. As I said, volume and approaches to failure are the most important necessities to grow muscle (along with sleep and recovery). I train in mesocyles that are 6-10 weeks long with 5 or 6 days a week to train. So I try to limit fatigue as much as possible. The load on the spine (axial load) is VERY fatiguing. And the amount of weight and back load the dead lift creates is as well. When one wants to maximize growth, these aren't really the best vehicles to grow the target muscles relative to the fatigue cost. Let's take the dead lift. When you think about a dead, the force curve isn't great for maximizing back growth. You're literally on the ground where the back would be lengthened the most. And the concentric portion is limited greatly as well. It will grow back muscles, but not at the rate that deficit barbell rows can. Or even better, a seated row where the spine is taken out of the equation. If one really wants to grow their back, pullups, pull-downs, rows and face pulls are better alternatives and a lot less fatiguing. And deads are terrible for growing legs. minimal "squat" portion at best ending with straight legs. Not much leg growth. Squats are great at growing quads and glutes. They are fantastic in this regard. But there are exercises that are just as good. Try a belt squat for instance. Yes, a lot less risk for injury, yes. But to me the biggest benefit is the lower fatigue cost. You are not loading the spine. And the handles allow one to more easily keep their squat upright and for incredible depth safely. Split squat variations with dumbbells or on a machine are amazing as well. Lunges with BW or DBs. We have an Atlantis Hack Squat at my gym. Maybe the best machine for legs ever. Leg press, especially the Arsenal Leg Press (some leg presses hurt my back-but Arsenal is great!), which somehow gives me no back pain even when I have my legs at there lowest point on the platform. So lots of great options...

For shoulders, I really do not program overhead shoulder press. Occasionally I will. But instead I rely on my chest presses for front delt work. I mainly focus on mid delt work like lateral raises, incorporating cables with cuffs. I also do a lot of rear delt work (not face pulls here) with an emphasis on lengthening the rear delt. Also use cables here but will do single arm rear delt flys on the fly machine. IF i do have a front delt exercise like an over head press, I do it last in my shoulder training to emphasize the side delt first. What many do not realize is that if you want bigger shoulders, the best way to get those is doing exercises to grow the lateral (side) and posterior (rear) delts. On these, emphasize the lengthened portion (bottom of the lateral raise), not the shortened portion (the top of a lateral raise). This can be done fantastically with cables. My favorite exercise here is lying cable crossovers using cuffs on a bench.

So in an interesting way, actual bodybuilding is a safe and effective way to train, grow the most muscle and enhance longevity. So it is OK to try to get swole.

Sounds like we agree then.

YouBet said:

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Sounds like we agree then.

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Which is what I have noticed with a lot of fitness experts who disagree but when they break their arguments down, they honestly don't differ much and its the way they are saying things and not what they are saying. Sure, little details may differ, but in the end, it seems like a lot of manufactured drama. There is so much nuance with all of this. But in the end, what matters most is consistency and intensity. Go hard (close to failure-even 2-3 RIR) and show up often, and you get results.

Capitol Ag said:

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YouBet said:

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Sounds like we agree then.

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Which is what I have noticed with a lot of fitness experts who disagree but when they break their arguments down, they honestly don't differ much and its the way they are saying things and not what they are saying. Sure, little details may differ, but in the end, it seems like a lot of manufactured drama. There is so much nuance with all of this. But in the end, what matters most is consistency and intensity. Go hard (close to failure-even 2-3 RIR) and show up often, and you get results.

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Bingo. The disagreements are usually about pride or money. Take Xfit. Nothing wrong with the concept. It is nothing more than HIIT marketed in a way that makes a lot of money.