Is lower back pain expected?

[Gabriel Smith]

Hi Rip

I just wondered if lower back pain is to be expected when learning to low bar squat? The pain I am talking about is very similar to the pain I got when learning to deadlift. It occurs around the lower back where the two cables are either side of the spine (erector spinae?!).

I have been squatting for around a year, although using the high bar and front squat. This didn't cause any lower back pain.

Since switching to the low bar squat around 4 weeks ago I have noticed that my lower back aches just as it did when I first began deadlifting. I just wondered if this was normal and if not, what I can do to stop this? I can deadlift 125kg without any pain the day after so I think it must be related to the squat...

I have a couple of videos to show you how I'm squatting. I also wondered if I am employing hip drive correctly? I appreciate these are not the best camera angles so if I need to re film then please let me know. The weight is 90kg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-OKRNhFqtE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOaxvIXBql4

Thanks
Gabe

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're not using any rebound out of the bottom, and you're not doing 5s for some reason. But there is nothing wrong with this squat except for the probability that your low back is not used to the work yet, kinda like when you started deadlifting.