Young Man with Back Pain Seeks your Wisdom

[n.melanson]

I’m a (sort of) young man at the age of 29 and am experiencing my first real battle with back pain. Some background, working in the 4-day framework, 6’1” 220 (and gaining) numbers as follows:
Bench (x5) 275
OHP (x5) 190
Squat (x5) 385
DL 435
In my regular training session on Friday 3/29, having completed my squats I was setting up for deads. Weight wasn’t moving great but I decided to gut through it, on my 3rd rep of my working set I failed to pull the weight, tried again, couldn’t maintain a flat back, but in my infinite wisdom decided to tough it out and finish it anyways. On that rep, I could feel as the bar was leaving the ground a gradual build up of what could best be described as a painful stretching in my lower back, no pops, cracks or otherwise worrying sensations. The next day was brutal, could barely get out of bed, lift my 5-month old, or really do much of anything. Pain was centered in the lower back, right at the top of my glute on both sides. Doesn’t really radiate, just constant tightness and dull pain in I guess the backside of my hip. I rested for a few days, conveniently ended up getting sick so I took a couple days off the gym in addition to the weekend and returned the following Thursday for my upper body split - no issues. Friday I went light on squats and deadlifts and aside from some stiffness was mostly ok pain wise aside from some the next day. Fast forward to today, having just completed my workout and I’m hurting. Slow progression to 315 on my squat, felt a slight twinge in my lower back on my last rep, moved to deads and could barely move 135 without pain, let alone 225. Now I can’t really bend over, get up, or move without some soreness, not as bad as it was the first time, but still sucks. Oh and yes I wear a good belt and yes I use lifting shoes.

Hope I’m not being too long winded here but didn’t want to leave anything out. Question I’d like to answer, aside from definitely needing to fix my deadlift going forward: am I just being a bitch? Should I train through it? Rest and do light rehab? See a chiro? Get a formal diagnosis?

Any guidance would be more than helpful, thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I think you probably stretched a ligament at about L4-5/L5-S1. It will probably heal, just pull light with extremely good lumbar extension until then. And remember your mistake: do not push through an injury that occurred on the previous rep.

[n.melanson]

Appreciate the response, Rip.