Well there you go, it finally happened... I deadlifted my way to acute back pain.
I had heard this story in the clinic so many times, but never actually had an issue with it myself. I don't want to exaggerate, this was not a major disabling pain incident like many have experienced. Likewise, it was not the first time I have had pain and stiffness in my lower back after going to the gym.
"This particular incident was the first time that I had felt acute, sharp, focal pain in my lower back in the process of a lift… and it taught me a lot."
Just like anyone else’s pain/injury I couldn’t help but put my clinical cap on and think about the factors that could have lead to why this occurred… why today, why now, why the third set.
Here are the key things that I think increased the risk of injury:
Even physios can get carried away – the load was inappropriate.
In a nutshell, the lift was too heavy. It was new years eve, I wanted to put up some numbers to set a strength goal and I was feeling good. So I decided on doing 4 x 5,5,3,3 of barbell deadlifts. Objectively, this was stupid. I have spent the last few months doing marathon running, and lower intensity unilateral lifts. The loads I have been placing on my spine have been nothing close to what a barbell deadlift at a heavy load would be.
It was the wrong lift
To counteract the reduced chronic loading of my low back I could’ve opted for a safer lift such as a trap bar deadlift or a barbell rack pull… I didn’t. The rack pull allows you to lift heavy whilst eliminating ‘the bottom’ of a deadlift. The bottom of a deadlift increases the flexion moment on the spine and puts the leg muscles at a mechanical disadvantage, meaning you are increasing the chance of loss of form and risking loss of trunk stiffness.
The trap bar deadlift keeps the spinal flexion moment low by reducing the lever arm of the weight from the spine… in other words the centre of mass passes through the lifter, rather in front of the body. Think of carrying a box in front of you versus bags in either hand. Very different loads on the spine.
The set up was lazy and unstable
My warm up sets were deadlifts down to the ground, and I could feel that it didn’t feel right. It was too deep for me right now. I was lacking lifting experience recently. Instead of setting up the rack, I placed two 2.5kg hollow bump plates under the bar. This was stupid. Every lift I had to place the weight down with care as to not allow the weights to roll on the even surface, and I was concerned I would damage the bumper plate. Biomechanically, this meant I was effectively performing a ‘pause deadlift’… a lift designed to challenge end range strength and spinal stiffness. What an idiot!!
Lifestyle factors - Christmas and New Years:
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Long drives and prolonged sitting
- Reduced sleep quality
- Interrupted training
I felt a specific sensation after the third rep of my third set. The heaviest weight I’d lifted in months. It was not pain immediately, but I felt something over the bottom right hand side of spine. It felt more like a warmth or tingle. I knew immediately it wasn’t a good sensation.
Watch out for part 2 when I talk about what I did to manage my pain over the next week without missing a day’s training.
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