Confused about lumbar extension

[jake272]

So my low back and my technique in general is starting to annoy me because I can't figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong, (done form checks and have gotten feedback saying my back looks fine). The problem is I don't know how to produce lumbar extension or a injury I got back in 2011 (herniated disc) is still causing me problems and pain when I lift. I've tried the technique in the book where you lay down on the ground and lift your legs off the ground, but every time I do it my low back starts to ache. Is lumbar extension produced in the squat and deadlift automatically when you extend your thoracic spine? Or do you have to extend both for it to be a proper squat/deadlift?

[Bobr]

Since you're sayin your form is good and your back is hurting when extended, my advice would be to forget about extending any part of your spine. Focus on holding your spine rigid. Learn valsalva properly. Learn how to breathe and brace for squats and deadlifts. If you can squat and deadlift with your spine rigid in a straight (not extended) position, forget about lumbar.

[Notrhwoods]

Since you're sayin your form is good and your back is hurting when extended, my advice would be to forget about extending any part of your spine. Focus on holding your spine rigid. Learn valsalva properly. Learn how to breathe and brace for squats and deadlifts. If you can squat and deadlift with your spine rigid in a straight (not extended) position, forget about lumbar.

I second this. It took me a while to learn to brace properly. If you can control your low back, which it sounds like you can, then forget about it. Focus on taking a deep breath into your belly and squeezing your abs and obliques as hard as possible like u are about to get punched in the gut. This tightness will allow your abs and obliques to take some of the load away from your back and will reduce your low back strain. Because you can control your low back it will not round at the bottom if braced properly.

[DannyP]

One thing I learned (and it took a while; mostly due to me misinterpreting cues) is that it's impossible for me to keep my low back tight on heavy squats/deadlifts if my upper back isn't held tight as well. I knew how to produce lumbar extension but couldn't hold it and it turned out much of that was due to my upper back going slack. The cure for me was always squeezing my shoulder blades together right before descending on my squats for the "big chest" effect. Made a WORLD of difference. There are times when I'm struggling to get the bar back up a bit and say to myself "shit, I just know my lower back is round as the world", then look at the clip and see that it stayed mostly flat.

[John Hanley]

The problem is I don't know how to produce lumbar extension or a injury I got back in 2011 (herniated disc) is still causing me problems and pain when I lift. I've tried the technique in the book where you lay down on the ground and lift your legs off the ground, but every time I do it my low back starts to ache.

Where was the herniation? How'd you do it? Is the ache doing the "superman drill" uni or bilateral?

Is lumbar extension produced in the squat and deadlift automatically when you extend your thoracic spine? Or do you have to extend both for it to be a proper squat/deadlift?

No...extension is not produced automatically.

Assuming you have good posture...you want the arrangement of your vertebrae relative to one another in the squat & DL to be similar to what they are in neutral standing posture. Of course, with work-set loads, maintaining this "neutral spine" is going to require the most focused volitional contraction of your life. Getting it right takes a while. Some peeps never get it right.

Video form checks are incredibly limited in their usefulness for unfucking subtle, complex technique issues.

[jake272]

Where was the herniation? How'd you do it? Is the ache doing the "superman drill" uni or bilateral?



No...extension is not produced automatically.

Assuming you have good posture...you want the arrangement of your vertebrae relative to one another in the squat & DL to be similar to what they are in neutral standing posture. Of course, with work-set loads, maintaining this "neutral spine" is going to require the most focused volitional contraction of your life. Getting it right takes a while. Some peeps never get it right.

Video form checks are incredibly limited in their usefulness for unfucking subtle, complex technique issues.

Injured it deadlifting in high school. Our imbecile football coach told us to drop our hips down at the start of the deadlift and "lift with your legs" and from there it went downhill and I got injured. Went to the PT and he gave me pain meds and told me to stop lifting heavy (shocking right?) when I injured it, I pulled the weight off the floor and then my lower back popped and I immediately dropped the weight to the floor. After that, it was painful to stand up for a while, bow it's been aching off and on for the past 4 years (not severe though) so yeah, the herniation was in my low back, as for the superman drill, it's unilateral.

[jake272]

Granted, this was two years before I heard of SS or knew how to train properly.