Exhausted left erector

[nkupianist]

Coaches
I've been having some issues with my left spinal erector after a number of movements, but most severely squats. It feels very tight when I'm in the hole, to the point of minor pain. I've had this happen before , and focusing harder on bracing my abs combined with a bit of rest seemed to help. This time, there have been no tweaks acute enough to keep me out of the gym, but it's nagging me enough that I've got to figure something out. Accompanying this is some piriformis like pain and likely SI joint stuff that gets better with all the standard forum recommended techniques - I have a love hate relationship with my lacrosse ball and do some self SI pops as needed. The erector strain/fatigue doesn't seem to improve though. Even on weekends it feels constantly tight.

I've worked with Mia Inman in the past, and we'd noticed I leaned to the left a bit on LBS. She checked me for leg length issues and found none. What she did find was that I tended to start reps with the left plate slightly more forward than the right. I think I've mostly corrected that.
Any thoughts on causes or solutions? Below is a set of squats from tonight. I apologize for the closeness of the camera - it was taken for my own use only until I decided to consult you all when squats left that erector knotted up and tight. I can follow up with a fully sticky conforming set by Friday if requested Also I know these are high bar - I've had some long term shoulder and bicep tendon issues from my initial LP that I'm letting cool down while I work my HBS up. I also havent seen Mia in some time so please do not judge her for any form issues she's been awesome. One thing I've been working on is my depth - it used to be way too low, which would often start these periods of erector fatigue.
Thanks in advance for ant tips.
Scott
Squats 260 x 5 - YouTube

[Tom Campitelli]

I've seen much worse squats. There is nothing obviously injurious here. You may be on your toes a bit and your feet tend to roll in on the descent. Are those proper lifting shoes? I don't recognize them. Have you ever been diagnosed with scoliosis?

[nkupianist]

I've seen much worse squats. There is nothing obviously injurious here. You may be on your toes a bit and your feet tend to roll in on the descent. Are those proper lifting shoes? I don't recognize them. Have you ever been diagnosed with scoliosis?

Thanks Tom!
Yeah, I've been working on staying on my heels more - that's a long standing problem for me that was even worse when I would LBS - work in progress. I only recently caught the rolling in myself during video playback. I'll work on that too. Thanks.

To answer your question, I've never been diagnosed with scoliosis. I've read enough on the forums to wonder if this could be a likely cause though - it's just too constant to be normal - I've had pain years ago even from light "bodybuilding" style barbell rows. Googling seems to indicate that an X ray would reveal the issue, but what field of MD would you recommend for the quickest and most efficient diagnosis? Orthopedic/sports med? Chiro?

I guess most importantly, is there really any modification lifting/programming-wise for a scoliosis, or is it a "train through it and do ART/massage//release/stretching as needed" type of thing? I suspect the latter?

Thanks again for all the free services you all provide.
Scott

[nkupianist]

Apologies I forgot to answer your other question. Yes they're .75 inch Sabo Weight lift shoes. Sorry.

[Tom Campitelli]

You probably got checked in school for scoliosis. A qualified nurse, or other practitioner can have you bench over and note differences in the erectors on either side of your back. If you don't know if you have scoliosis or not, you probably don't have a clinically significant case of it. We all have scoliosis if you look closely enough. The answer here will likely be to train with good form, be kind of careful, and get your deadlift up to 500 lbs. What are you pulling by the way?

I was not away Sabo made a heeled lifting shoe. Interesting. Is the midsole at all compressible?

[nkupianist]

You probably got checked in school for scoliosis. A qualified nurse, or other practitioner can have you bench over and note differences in the erectors on either side of your back. If you don't know if you have scoliosis or not, you probably don't have a clinically significant case of it. We all have scoliosis if you look closely enough. The answer here will likely be to train with good form, be kind of careful, and get your deadlift up to 500 lbs. What are you pulling by the way?

I was not away Sabo made a heeled lifting shoe. Interesting. Is the midsole at all compressible?

It's actually likely I wasn't checked in school - tiny private school without niceties such as nurse care, ha. I'll ask my GP about it soon despite the low likelihood. Thank you.

You know the shoes are a bit soft when I put pressure on the sole with a finger. Never even thought to check that given that they're "lifting shoes" - thanks. Maybe when funds are good I'll buy up to romaleos or adipowers.

To save you the time of reading a long story detailing some of the whys, my pull is pretty low. Last workout was a fairly easy 265 for 5 and then 320 single for fun. I have work to do here - no excuse.

Thanks for your advice. I'll get to work and will watch my form extra closely.
Scott

[Tom Campitelli]

Definitely work on your deads. Never underestimate the power of properly done deadlifts to make your back feel better. In the meantime, be reasonable about your back, pain, and training. Stay off your toes and when you get a chance, pick up some Do-Wins, Nikes, or Adidas that don't squish.