Lower back muscle working during deadlift?

[iCookie]

After doing a deadlift, my lower back, especially around my asscrack, feels really stiff, sort of like a burning sensation. It goes over in about 20 seconds or so and afterwards my back is just fine. But I am still worried, is this normal?

[luco]

If your question is if it's normal for the glutes and lower back to be working hard during deadlifts, the answer is yes. As I take it you have at least a basic understanding of what you're doing I probably misunderstand what you want to know. You don't mention pain and say 20 seconds afterwards everything is fine. What's the problem exactly? If you're worried about your form, maybe you can post a formcheck vid.

[iCookie]

Well I am wondering just if it's normal to feel sort of an intense stiffness immidiatly after a deadlift rep. I don't feel any pain, but the stiffness is very intense.

[KyleAaron]

Yes, stiffness in a worked muscle is normal. With deadlifts, as you stand up you're using the erector spinae - the spinal erectors, which do what they sound like, make your spine go straight up.

In the case of deadlifts, the stiffness will be especially strong if you either rounded your back while lifting, or if you arched inwards really strongly. Have someone watch your form and see which it is.

You should always stretch after your workout. If some of the exercises are entirely new to you, and/or if you have particular areas which are a bit weaker, then stretch between sets, even.

[holvoetn]

If some of the exercises are entirely new to you, and/or if you have particular areas which are a bit weaker, then stretch between sets, even.

I always understood stretching before or in between makes you weaker for the lift which follows directly after.
After the lift I can understand but in between ?

[holvoetn]

OP did not say he has pain.

Well I am wondering just if it's normal to feel sort of an intense stiffness immidiatly after a deadlift rep. I don't feel any pain, but the stiffness is very intense.

A general stiffness is normal from my personal experience.
I even have it after BBRows but it goes away quite fast.

[iCookie]

Well I tried doing the Valsalva maneuver and squeezing my glutes harder, and it seemed to help a little bit. The stiffness is not quite gone yet though. But as long as it isn't painful, I don't think I need to worry too much about it...I hope.

[killerdude494949]

I dont know how to explain it but you have to pop out your lower abs and obliques and keep them tight. Until I started doing this my lower back never felt right during deads and squats.

[Portillo]

Your lower back will get muscle soreness but make sure you dont actually lift the weight with your lower back.

[KyleAaron]

I would be interested to see someone perform a deadlift without lifting the weight with their lower back at some point during the motion.

[l1n3n01z]

I would be interested to see someone perform a deadlift without lifting the weight with their lower back at some point during the motion.

Isn't the lower back only in isometric contraction? The actual lifting happens in the legs, right?

[l1n3n01z]

So the upper back works (mostly) isometrically during the deadlift. The lower back works very much isotonically, both concentric and eccentric (well, unless you drop the weight after every pull, then you can miss the eccentric on the erector spinae).

Oh, ok. I believe I understood the diffs between concentric, eccentric and isometric. I was mistaken in that I believed the contraction that raised the back came from the hamstring and butt, and that the spinal erectors were only keeping the spine stable.

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.

[iCookie]

By isotonically, you mean that the lower back stays tight during the entire lift, correct?

[ricepower]

I dont get the title of this thread.

[RobCosimo]

This reminds me of something I read, which suggested that once your concentric movement is as strong as your eccentric, you are basically as strong as you can get on that movement without gaining more size.

Could be crap - but is interesting.