Lower back tweak while squatting - likely cause?

[Al_Orange]

Male
43 years old
265lbs - very fat middle but with some muscle everywhere else.

Current working sets
Squat 125kg
DL 135kg
Press 59kg
Bench 85kg
No belt
Lifting shoes

I'm on about week 8 of NLP. I've probably averaged 2.5 sessions a week so far due to life and recovery. I have noticed the last few sessions have ramped up in intensity and are real 5RMs for me.

Since the start, I've found that my lower back feels like it cramps or fatigues when squatting. Often times by the end of the warm up sets it's quite sore and feels better when bending over and stretching it out.

I've had a coaching session because of this issue but there was nothing too obvious in my form that was picked up. I do have a lot of fat around the middle though. Due to this, and the weights I'm lifting, I do not use a belt at the moment.

Today, I warmed up and felt the same normal issue in the lower back. But this time, on rep 2 of the first working set, I drove up out of the bottom and my lower back popped and crunched and I experienced lots of pain. I did finish the rep and racked the bar but I'm now going to be dealing with a back tweak. It's very painful to walk upright or even move around right now.

I tend to find unracking and setting up before the first rep is the least comfortable bit of the set and can feel the weight down my back.

Is this a problem with overextending the lumbar spine and/or not being tight enough?

I constantly queue myself to drive with the hips, knees out, keep my eyes down, and stay tight. I make depth, just, but this is at the limit of my mobility.

Obviously I can't upload a form video from this workout but can try and find one from an earlier session, although I'm sure it's pointless.

I'm aware that there is a lot of variables and without a video this may be fruitless but I wonder if there are some obvious issues that cause this sort of thing?

[Ryan Arnold]

Without seeing a video, the most obvious issue would be lack of a belt

[Al_Orange]

Without seeing a video, the most obvious issue would be lack of a belt

Ok, thank you. I probably should be wearing a belt by now but it is hard with such a gut.

So does it sound like this would be an obvious injury caused by not bracing hard enough? It feels very much like it's the vertebrae being compressed (and perhaps over extended) more so than a muscular tear.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Do you know how many times back tweaks have been addressed on these forums? Look it up.

[Maybach]

The short answer is that usually, back tweaks can occur without any obvious cause. A form error and a back tweak often co-occur, and there is good reason to believe some form errors can cause (or are more prone to cause) back tweaks. But perfect form is not a perfect defense against them. Any prognosis we can give you on these forums is going to depend on how it affects your next workout.

[Al_Orange]

Do you know how many times back tweaks have been addressed on these forums? Look it up.

Thanks but yeah, and I've read through a lot of the posts. I've not really noted any that were caused by a an acute incident during a squat though.

And although I say "tweak", I'm pretty sure this is more serious and I'll have to get it looked at.

So the questions I still have are - what are the likely injuries that this situation can cause? And what specifically about my form allowed it to happen? I'm surely not the first but can't find anything quite like it. Thank you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Get it looked at.

[Jason Donaldson]

Thanks but yeah, and I've read through a lot of the posts. I've not really noted any that were caused by a an acute incident during a squat though.

And although I say "tweak", I'm pretty sure this is more serious and I'll have to get it looked at.

So the questions I still have are - what are the likely injuries that this situation can cause? And what specifically about my form allowed it to happen? I'm surely not the first but can't find anything quite like it. Thank you.

Some of the speculation will depend on what diagnosis you get...but frankly, it's kind of a toss-up between whether the barbell exercises cause injuries or just expose them. Given the low rates of injury associated with even badly done weight training, I'm inclined to assume more of the latter.

That said, that doesn't excuse bad form. A form check is the thing for that, not a post-mortem on an injury of unknown provenance. Cleaning up form is inherently forward-looking, so it needs to work on where your form is now, not where it was when your back tweaked on you before.

[Al_Orange]

So, I fucked around in the gym for about 4 weeks while my back recovered. I just did whatever I could - dumbbell seated press, curls, RDL starting with no weight and working up to 200lbs, cycling, etc.

I then de-loaded all of my SS lifts and started the NLP again. So from a previous Squat of 125kg, I went down to 100kg and commenced upwards. Unfortunately, at 112.5kg, when un-racking the bar, I felt a small pop and twinge in my back and had some mild shooting pain so I re-racked it and walked away, very disappointed. This was a couple of weeks ago.

Today I did 107.5.kg (form check video below). But I am really nervous when un-racking the bar as this is where I fear the issue and pain will occur. In terms of weight (and assuming my form is ok), I can lift this and more quite easily but my back is the limiting factor. It feels more like a structural (disc) related issue than muscular. I have watched the series of videos from Will Morris. I have not had any input from a doctor or imaging. Interestingly, my DL doesn't seem to be impacted by this issue yet.

Points about my form that I'm aware of - My grip is not ideal, this is caused by poor shoulder flexibility and I've had coaching on this (hence the thumbs under the bar). In terms of depth, I am probably borderline but this again, is at the limit of my flexibility.

236 (107.5) x 5 Squat Form Check - YouTube


Getting to the point - What should I do?

Is there something wrong with the way I'm un-racking the bar and setting up?

If not, should I stay with a weight I know is manageable and increase reps in the hope that any weakness in my back will catch up?

Or should I micro load and just increase weight very slowly?

Or (given that I've also got a fucked shoulder) should I just go the way of old yeller and take myself out into the woods for a one way trip??

Many thanks for any advice.