Back seized up after hitting 225x5 Squat - can you tell why?

[Jeff LC]

Second set
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Third set (accidentally did 6 reps)
YouTube


This squat workout really beat the hell out of me. Back was so tweaked that it was like instant onset muscle soreness and tightness, all up my mid back erectors, like if i bent down and stretched in a certain position i could REALLY feel the intense soreness and stiffness and like the muscles seized up. I wouldn't quite call it an injury, i was fortunately able to keep going through my workout with no real "pain".. but the muscles definitely seized up and went crazy in one way or another. I think it's because rounding. Is it just too heavy for me? I really want to keep going up, this is basically my previous plateau, would be a shame for it to be again being as I have gained 10 pounds in a month and PR'd my bench twice already.

Anyway, once before i started this program i did deadlifts regularly so never got sore, but one time i went too heavy, and picked it up with a rounded back, and that createad a hole different type of soreness which lasted days. I feel that soreness now, from this squat session. And i think it's also from rounding the back. I don't know what the solution is here, other than to get a belt, which is on its way. Anyone got any advice?

On the bright side, because of this i finally discovered the true meaning of foam rolling. Wow, it was like seriously, literally, kind of like an orgasm. Jesus christ.

I'm not "injured", i can keep going with my LP, but i just feel like something was wrong here and it needs to be fixed ASAP otherwise sooner than later i will get injured for real.

[Justin Smale]

Let me preface this by saying I may not know my ass from a hole in the ground here, but your back doesn't look too rounded at any point here. The last rep on your third set your neck angle changes on your ascent out of the hole, like you're leading with the top of your head. Maybe it's nothing, but that change in neck angle could have changed where the load is sitting on your back and the muscles supporting the load changed with it (putting a different strain on your back). Again, see the "ass from a hole in the ground" disclaimer though.

[Ryan Arnold]

This is a good observation that I noticed on rep #1 of set #2. Your cervical spine is connected to your thoracic spine which is connected to your lumbar spine(obv). So wiggling your neck around with weight on your back is a bad idea. Look down on every rep. Stay tight. Take some weight off the bar while the back heals if you have to. The belt will help

[Jeff LC]

This is a good observation that I noticed on rep #1 of set #2. Your cervical spine is connected to your thoracic spine which is connected to your lumbar spine(obv). So wiggling your neck around with weight on your back is a bad idea. Look down on every rep. Stay tight. Take some weight off the bar while the back heals if you have to. The belt will help

Oh my god! I seriously did not notice that when i reviewed the set. Damn. I thought i had moved passed this mirror issue. I now see that i did it basically the entire time, in both of these sets! What the hell! Maybe now that it's getting heavy, I'm losing that focused attention I was paying towards avoiding the instinct to look in the mirror.

Anyway, if not for the neck issue, do you think my back is rounding a bit much here? I just feel like it looks kind of "hunched over" on the ascent, but maybe the craning the neck up is what's giving me that impression. Not to a large degree, but enough to give me pause. Especially on the final rep of the final set.. i really believe that's the rep (the 6th rep, funnily) that tweaked the back,.

[Jeff LC]

Let me preface this by saying I may not know my ass from a hole in the ground here, but your back doesn't look too rounded at any point here. The last rep on your third set your neck angle changes on your ascent out of the hole, like you're leading with the top of your head. Maybe it's nothing, but that change in neck angle could have changed where the load is sitting on your back and the muscles supporting the load changed with it (putting a different strain on your back). Again, see the "ass from a hole in the ground" disclaimer though.

Thanks - i think the neck craning up to look in the mirror may be contributing to my perception of being "hunched over".. I had this under raps, but now that it's getting more intense at the heavier weights, i must have just forgot the cue: 'AVOID LOOKING IN MIRROR, LOOK DOWN".

That being said, look at this final (accidental 6th) rep of the 3rd set. squat Capture.jpg

[Balazs Egerszegi]

A closer grip on the bar will help with staying tight.

[Keith]

Thanks - i think the neck craning up to look in the mirror may be contributing to my perception of being "hunched over".. I had this under raps, but now that it's getting more intense at the heavier weights, i must have just forgot the cue: 'AVOID LOOKING IN MIRROR, LOOK DOWN".

That being said, look at this final (accidental 6th) rep of the 3rd set. squat Capture.jpg

I would cover the mirror. I used to drape a sheet over the back of the squat rack. It worked pretty good.

[JD Keip]

I would cover the mirror. I used to drape a sheet over the back of the squat rack. It worked pretty good.

It looks like this rack will allow you to put the hooks on the other pair of uprights.

Congrats on the two plate milestone, sorry you paid for it with a tweak. I'll bet you'll be fine.

[JD Keip]

Oh, and walk the bar all the way into the rack instead of toppling forward. Your habit should be to maintain a margin of safety, not eat into it.

[Jeff LC]

A closer grip on the bar will help with staying tight.

THanks - grip has been getting a bit narrower every week; getting as narrow as I can with the shoulder flexibility.. started with the widest grip that the rack would allow, will continue to improve.