Back Tweaks from presses and deadlifts

[MikeP]

I have "tweaked" my lower back deadlifting twice in the past month. Prior to that, Tom C. was helping me with my deadlift form on this thread. http://startingstrength.com/resource...t=50777&page=4

The first tweak occurred during my third of four warm up sets on deadlift. I took a week off from lifting weights, did some foam rolling and stretching and then came back with reduced weights.

Prior to the tweak my lifts were Squat 220x5x3, Bench 205x5x3, Deadlift 300x5x1, Press 135x5x3 (failed 140) and Cleans 160x3x5. I reset them to 135x5x3 Squat, Bench ramping up to 195, Deadlift 135x5x1, Press 115x5x3, Cleans - deadlifted both days for the first couple workouts back then restarted at 135x5x3. Details are available here. http://startingstrength.com/resource...t=50732&page=4

On Wednesday, I had worked back to 210x5x3 Squat, 125x5x3 Press, ramping up to 155x3 on cleans, 205x5x3 on bench, 235x5 on deadlifts. Friday, when I attempted to deadlift 255 I tweaked my back again on the third rep. The question is, what should I do now.

Yesterday, I went to the gym, warmed up on the C2, squated the bar for a set of 5. It didn't feel right so I did dips and chins and went home. My plan is to go to the gym Wednesday and Friday, not do anything that stresses the back, probably some combo of benches, dips, chins, and maybe curls or something. Then on Monday reintroduce the other lifts with the same weight as last time except a lower press, maybe 95 lbs.

1) Does this sound like a good plan / should I modify it?
2) The first tweak was immediately after failing on the press. The workout before the second tweak, my lower back was hurting a little during the press and was still a little sore on Friday, and in general I usually experience a small amount of lower back pain when I near failure on the press. Part of me thinks that the stress from the presses is what caused the tweaks during the deadlift, especially since my first one was during warmups. Does this make sense?
3) Would doing a different press variation be a good idea? (I know this would mean I was no longer running SS.)

[Tom Campitelli]

Do you have a tendency to overextend your low back during the press?

[MikeP]

I think I do, especially when the weight gets heavy. From the pictures in chapter 3, it looks like there is supposed to be some bending back when you thrust your hips forward, but when the weight is heavy I have a hard time getting my torso back into place.

[Tom Campitelli]

Might be time to wear a belt on the presses. Also may be time to move your deadlifts back up off the floor and really burn in your ability to set the back in extension.

[Katherine Bickford]

I have similar issues as the OP and I find myself overextending in the press as well, especially when it's slow and I struggle to get under the bar. Is a belt the thing, even when I'm pressing as light as I am (50#) or is there something to work on to prevent overextension?
I struggle with setting my lumbar spine in basically all lifts, but press has been giving me the most trouble in finding a cue.

[MikeP]

Thanks. I like the idea of wearing a belt on presses. I had been toying with the idea of starting to use a belt on squats and deadlifts, but figured that wasn't the solution because one injury occurred during warm ups and the other occurred lifting 50 lbs less than what I was lifting a couple of months ago. For some reason, I had never thought of using a belt on the press. Any recommendations on a good (preferably not super expensive) belt?

What would a rehab progression look like with dead-lifting off the floor? Would I do elevated deadlifts the entire time until I was back to pre-injury weights or would I mix them with standard deadlifts? Also, last time I stopped cleaning and deadlifted every workout until I was back to 200 lbs. Is this okay? Super light cleans just seem weird.

[dpg]

I have "tweaked" my lower back deadlifting twice in the past month. Prior to that, Tom C. was helping me with my deadlift form on this thread. http://startingstrength.com/resource...t=50777&page=4

On Wednesday, I had worked back to 210x5x3 Squat, 125x5x3 Press, ramping up to 155x3 on cleans, 205x5x3 on bench, 235x5 on deadlifts. Friday, when I attempted to deadlift 255 I tweaked my back again on the third rep. The question is, what should I do now.

The problem could be lack of recovery. You squatted, cleaned, and deadlifted on Wednesday (with pretty substantial weights for you given that you were building up again after an injury) and deadlifted again two days later on Friday.

[Katherine Bickford]

Ok, just watched the Press 2.0 video. That helped me sufficiently for now.

[Dave Longley]

I've had a similar thing lately. Couldn't put my finger on it, as squats and deadlifts helped rather than hindered. Turns out I wasn't keeping my abs tight during the press. Started to really focus on keeping abs tight, seems to have done the trick.

[Tom Campitelli]

Ok, just watched the Press 2.0 video. That helped me sufficiently for now.

Good. As Dave Longley mentioned, tightly held abdominals are what will allow you to press without overextension.