Woke up with lower back pain

[greylobster]

Yesterday was my fourth day in the routine. I've read a lot about the proper form on how to do squats and dead lifts, however I find it hard to know if I'm actually doing it correctly. I thought I was doing it properly, keeping my shoulders back at all times and what not. Today I woke up with lower back pain so I assumed I messed up somewhere. How do I know if this back pain is serious or not? I suppose I should not go back again to they gym until it clears up? Recommendations in how to identify my mistake?

[ada24]

As mentioned in a related post, lower back pain can be caused by lack of hip-flexor mobility (http://stronglifts.com/forum/lower-back-pain-t20724.html). Are you incorporating any stretching into the program?

And back pain after sleep can be caused by many things. Does it feel like a muscle soreness from exercise, or does it feel like muscle tightness from strain or injury?

If you're concerned about form, try posting some videos or photos for form check.

Good luck and good lifting!

[greylobster]

Thanks for your response. Do you recommend doing these stretching exercises on my off days or right before the workout?

[greylobster]

The feeling is weird. Some people here are telling me that it's probably sore because I've never worked out my lower back before but it doesn't feel anything like the other muscles feel when sore.

[muddy]

It's hard to describe, but in my experience the bad kind of sore is when your body instinctively doesn't want to move in a particular way because the pain is sharp-ish and/or feels like it is going to make something worse. The not-bad kind of sore makes you groan and moan, but you can do it, and you instinctively know you're not making anything worse. With the bad sore, the more you do, the worse it gets. The not-bad sore tends to disappear once you get warmed up and into it.

If you think it is the bad kind of sore, you may want to let it clear up. If you can post form check videos, do so. The mobility suggestion above is good, too. Last, what are your starting weights? There may be some value in starting especially light to allow you time for form practice, allow time for the mobility work to do you some good, and to allow all muscle groups time to get used to training. What's an extra few weeks or even a month in the scheme of things?

[greylobster]

Thanks for your response.

I believe I have the not so bad kind of sore because it's just a constant feeling that doesn't seem to be getting worse.

You suggest I do the stretches in my off days or before the workout?

I started the squats last week with just the bar and have increased 5 pounds each time, so last time I went to the gym I did 60 pounds. Dead lifts I've only done twice so far, first time just the bar which was too easy and last time 85 pounds (20 pounds in each side). I confess I did 2x5 instead of 1x5 because it was such a pain to set up the bar with 45 pound under each side to elevate to proper altitude. But I found the weight adequate, nothing horrible.

Again, thanks for your response.

[ada24]

There's a lot of opinions out there on when to stretch, but I think the general consensus you'll find here is to stretch after -- not before -- a workout.

[atypical1]

I do mobility drills and glute activation work (bird dogs, etc) before my workout and I also do planks (just short duration as it seems to help warm my core up). I'll then stretch after my workout. On my off days I'll try to stretch a few times during the day.

I used to always have lower back pain and now I never do. I'm a huge fan of the mobility work and glute activation work. I really can't stress how important that is. From what I've read (and my experience seems to echo this) is that a lot of lower back pain is from your body compensating for a weakness in another area. In my case it was weak glutes forcing my body to use other muscles (my back) to help out.

The good news is that if that's what is causing it then it should go away relatively quickly.

james

[greylobster]

awesome, thank you!