Stop overextending your low back

[Mark Rippetoe]

Fixing Your Squat Set Up - Stop Overextending Your Low Back | Nick Delgadillo

[Gbraddock]

I tend to do this. In fact, it makes me wonder if this may be contributing to my ongoing adductor soreness that has come on since I have been working on setting my back as well as keeping thoracic extension. Pete noticed I tended to lose tightness there and it resulted in a whip. I felt it in my spinal erectors where they were super pumped by the end of my squat sets (like not good pumped).

If my pelvis is rotated too far anteriorly, stands to reason more force would get applied through those adductors than is optimal. Or...I could just be totally confused LOL

[Dror]

Hey mark, when I saw this video I immediately remembered a relatively new video of yours teaching John Lovell the squat.
Link here - YouTube
(Starts at 11:00)
I’m not aware of John’s previous back problems, but I’d like to know what is the difference between the videos, and how do you distinguish between keeping the low back tight and overextending it.
Thanks.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Hey mark, when I saw this video I immediately remembered a relatively new video of yours teaching John Lovell the squat.
Link here - YouTube
(Starts at 11:00)
I’m not aware of John’s previous back problems, but I’d like to know what is the difference between the videos, and how do you distinguish between keeping the low back tight and overextending it.
Thanks.

Watch what John does here at 12:34:


vs what D'Agostino does here at 00:28:


What Rip did with John was to use the overextension of his low back to teach him how to control his low back. Rip told him to squeeze his low back and lock it with his abs. Putting him in overextension as a demo/teaching tool resulted in him setting his back correctly

What D'Agostino is demonstrating in my video is setting up in overextension for the squat. This is what you don't want to do.

[Dror]

Ok I think I got your point, so the main queue here is to use your abs lock your low back in his neutral placement for the whole movement other then overextend and having it round a bit at the bottom?

[Southpaw]

Nick, thanks for this video, I found it helpful last night for my squats. Also, all of your recent short videos on different aspects of technique (deadlift cue to keep stomach between your knees, press grip overview) have been great. The DL video was a form breakthrough for me and allowed me to go on a mini LP and get my pull up to 405. Keep up the good work!

[Nick Delgadillo]

Ok I think I got your point, so the main queue here is to use your abs lock your low back in his neutral placement for the whole movement other then overextend and having it round a bit at the bottom?

Kinda. The point is that your back is locked in extension the whole time to the extent possible. So don't intentionally overextend at the top. Intentionally overextending during the setup is the misconception the video addresses.

Nick, thanks for this video, I found it helpful last night for my squats. Also, all of your recent short videos on different aspects of technique (deadlift cue to keep stomach between your knees, press grip overview) have been great. The DL video was a form breakthrough for me and allowed me to go on a mini LP and get my pull up to 405. Keep up the good work!

I'm glad they helped.