Order of Lifts

[Tony Patriarca]

A question about when to deadlift. You know how your back locks up to where you cannot bend or twist it for about 2 hours after you deadlift. I figure that at that point your back is about as braced as it can be. So wouldn't it be better to deadlift first so that you don't have to worry so much about bracing your back for the squat and press?

[Brodie Butland]

A question about when to deadlift. You know how your back locks up to where you cannot bend or twist it for about 2 hours after you deadlift. I figure that at that point your back is about as braced as it can be. So wouldn't it be better to deadlift first so that you don't have to worry so much about bracing your back for the squat and press?

I don't understand the question. You always need to worry about bracing your back for every lift (except the bench press). Even if your back feels tight, you still need to extend your back to successfully complete a squat or press.

[Austin Baraki]

You know how your back locks up to where you cannot bend or twist it for about 2 hours after you deadlift.

What?

No.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

You know how your back locks up to where you cannot bend or twist it for about 2 hours after you deadlift.

Post a form check. If you don't have full range of motion like this after a deadlift session, you're doing something horribly - and potentially cripplingly - wrong.

[Tony Patriarca]

Okay. Apparently I have misunderstood something. In all of the Q&A and Barbell Medicine videos whenever back pain is brought up the answer is everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. I assumed that to mean that everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. So, when and what type of back pain should one worry about?

[Brodie Butland]

Okay. Apparently I have misunderstood something. In all of the Q&A and Barbell Medicine videos whenever back pain is brought up the answer is everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. I assumed that to mean that everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. So, when and what type of back pain should one worry about?

Everyone has pain, yes. But if you are unable to engage in normal human function (e.g., if you can't bend your back at all), either you're doing something wrong (most likely) or you have a physical condition causing it (less likely but it happens).

For example in my case, I always feel a little bit of tightness and pain after a heavy session. I also have an exaggerated lumbar curve. Thus, I need to brace my abs especially hard to prevent overextension. If I don't do this on a heavy set, my back hurts so badly after the set is over that I have trouble walking...usually goes away after a couple minutes, but still hurts like hell. When I feel that, I know that I screwed up, and I need to be extra vigilant on the next set.

[Adam Skillin]

Okay. Apparently I have misunderstood something. In all of the Q&A and Barbell Medicine videos whenever back pain is brought up the answer is everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. I assumed that to mean that everyone has back pain, do not worry about it, keep training. So, when and what type of back pain should one worry about?

NeveCieco, you are claiming above to be experiencing 2 hours of total spinal immobility following deadlifts. As Brodie alluded to, this is not the same thing as a bit of post-lifting stiffness or typical generalized back pain that most of us go through at some point in our lives. As Dr. Austin alluded to, this is not normal at all.

[Tony Patriarca]

I have made myself a doctor appointment. I just assumed that the pain was another benefit of diet and exercise and that saying anything about it was complaining and being negative.

[Adam Skillin]

I have made myself a doctor appointment. I just assumed that the pain was another benefit of diet and exercise and that saying anything about it was complaining and being negative.

Again, you're conflating 2 different things. Pain and immobility. Why don't you take and post a video of your deadlifts in the meantime?

[Steven Danielson]

I'd very much like to see a video as well. If you aren't feeling well enough to deadlift safely, at least take a video of your deadlift set up, without you actually pulling it. More often then not, problems in the deadlift can be traced to the set up anyway.