By Paul Yoon, SPT, PT student at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA
Back squats are one of the more common exercises to build muscle and improve strength in the lower body. Many people complain of back pain when performing back squats. However, It is NOT normal to experience back pain. If your back is hurting while performing back squats, read these three reasons why this may be happening, and what you can do to eliminate back pain.
Image Credit: http://www.arrowptseattle.com/news/2018/3/19/why-youre-not-able-to-squat-below-paralleland-what-to-do-about-it
A little arch is normal and fits the normal curvature of your spine. However, arching your back beyond the normal limits can irritate the structures in your spine and cause pain over time, especially under heavy load.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8v5_xW1x8k
To fix an excessive lower back arch, start with the cat/camel exercise. I like to start with the cat/camel to train one’s ability to feel where their spine is in space. This can be diminished when one is in pain or stuck in one postural position for a prolonged time. Ensure that you are not pushing past the point of any pain and work your way up to a full range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibDHuY-p4ZE
Once you restore your body’s ability to sense spinal position, lock it in with a core stability exercise. Focus on lightly maintaining contact with your lower back against the floor and perform the above exercise. It is imperative to prevent your lower back from coming off the floor when your hands and feet separate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITonN0XM7GI
After you have mastered dead bugs, or if they are too easy, you can progress to a bird dog in a table plank position above. This will be very challenging; make sure you are in a “neutral” spine and try to sink into your hips as far as you can. This will help mimic the core stability needed at the bottom of a squat and help you maintain a better spinal position throughout the lift. Use this as a warm-up, but it can also serve as a great filler exercise while you are resting in between squat sets.
Try using the goblet squat as a motor control and warm-up drill before back squatting. The anterior load from the weight in front of your body will help prevent you from excessively arching your back. Perform the cat/camel with just your pelvis to feel where your spine is and once you find a neutral position (a mirror may help), brace, and perform the squat.
Finally, you may need to drop a significant amount of weight and perform back squats at submaximal loads to get the mobility and motor control drills to have maximum benefit. During your warmup lifts, perform the cat/camel with just your pelvis to a neutral position, and just like the goblet squat, brace your core, drop down, and come back up to perform the squat. Try to compare before and after videos of your form and realize that changing motor control takes time! Be patient and trust the process. Weeks of training at a lower intensity is a pretty good tradeoff for long-term health and resiliency.
The second reason someone may be having pain with back squats is the “butt wink.” A “butt wink,” as seen above on the left, is often due to (1) starting with a big arch in the starting position, (2) limited ankle mobility (3) losing core stability or (4) having a suboptimal squatting stance. Regardless of the reason, the quick movement in your lower back that occurs during a “butt wink” under heavy load places large amounts of concentrated stress in your lower back that can lead to pain and injury when performing back squats.
The drills mentioned in point #1 in avoiding an excessive lower back arch will be options you can try here.
Limited Ankle Mobility? Try This.
The above blog is a great resource for improving ankle mobility. Try incorporating the above exercises into your warmup or as a filler between your squat sets. Improving ankle mobility allows you to descend deeper into your squat without compromising your spinal position.
The dead bug and table plank with bird dog exercises mentioned in point #1 are great drills to incorporate to increase spinal stability.
The last reason is a suboptimal squat stance. Based on individual hip anatomy, everyone’s squat stance will look a little different. Some individuals have an easier time getting lower into a squat with a wider stance, some with a higher angle of their feet pointing out, while some will be able to squat with a narrow stance and feet pointed forward. All of the above are good and based on your individual anatomy!
Try performing the quadruped rock back test below with varying levels of hip-width. Find one that feels good and allows you to sit back more without compromising your spinal position. Then, once you are standing, play around with different angles of your toe pointing out vs. forward. Find one that feels comfortable and allows you to descend the furthest and there you go! You have your optimal squat stance.
Additionally, If the suggestions above are not enough, you may just need to reduce your squat depth while continuing to work on your mobility and strength deficits.
“Good morning” squats, as seen on the left, are when your hips begin to rise before your chest on the ascent of a squat. Although exaggerated in the image above, the movement is often subtle and can be a pain generator. If you see this happening and you have lower back discomfort or pain, reduce the load and maintain a more upright chest position. Work on core stability with the dead bug or table plank with bird dog, ankle mobility, and also remember that you can always substitute the back squat variation for a goblet or front squat. The anterior load from a goblet or front squat will naturally help correct the movement fault seen above.
Thanks for reading along! Next time you are training the back squat, try to avoid an excessive lower back arch, avoid “butt wink” at the bottom, and avoid the hips rising before the chest to improve lower back pain and discomfort. Remember motor control takes time to develop, so be patient with the process. Remember that you can substitute the back squat with a goblet or front squat to get an awesome training effect while working on your deficiencies.