Lower back pain after deadlifts? Watch this video with trainer Nellie Barnett for three fixes, from core bracing to improving the hip hinge, to feel better and lift heavier.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 That's how we do it.
00:05 (upbeat music)
00:08 Hi, Women's Health.
00:10 I'm your trainer, Nelly Barnett,
00:12 and I absolutely love doing deadlifts.
00:14 One question I always get though,
00:16 is I have lower back pain and how can I fix it?
00:18 Well, I have three easy fixes for you
00:20 that are gonna prevent lower back pain
00:22 and allow you to lift even heavier.
00:24 The first thing to understand is that
00:26 the deadlift is a compound exercise
00:29 that uses nearly every muscle in your posterior chain.
00:32 That's the backside of your body.
00:34 When you're performing the deadlift,
00:35 your hands are always down straight,
00:38 and then you are driving through the heels
00:40 as your knees, hips, and shoulders come into alignment.
00:44 The first fix, and this one's pretty much the most important
00:47 is understanding proper core bracing.
00:49 This becomes your body's natural weight belt
00:52 because it's helping to prevent lower back pain
00:54 and prevent any rounding of your spine.
00:57 A way to ensure a neutral spine
00:59 when you are doing the deadlift is with core bracing.
01:02 So let's practice a technique.
01:03 Put your hands on your ribs,
01:05 and then you're gonna take a deep breath into your stomach,
01:08 expanding your diaphragm,
01:10 and then tighten your abs and your obliques.
01:12 Let's do one together.
01:14 Take a deep breath in, engage.
01:18 There you have it, your body's natural weight belt.
01:23 The second fix is understanding mind-muscle connection.
01:27 Now, since the deadlift is a compound exercise
01:29 that's using so many muscle groups,
01:31 we have our hamstrings working, our glutes, the back,
01:35 I especially wanna focus on the latissimus dorsi.
01:38 A great way to make sure that you're activating this
01:40 is to imagine you have lemons under your armpit,
01:43 and instead of clamping down, you're gonna squeeze.
01:46 You're gonna squeeze your shoulder blades back
01:48 and engage those latissimus dorsi.
01:52 Let's put that into action.
01:54 So with your arms straight, grab that barbell.
01:56 Remember to brace, activate the latissimus dorsi, and pull.
02:01 That's how we do it.
02:10 The third fix, and this is a foundational movement,
02:12 is the hip hinge.
02:14 You really wanna make sure that your hips
02:16 are not too low or too high
02:17 because that can cause lower back pain.
02:20 When you're performing your hip hinge,
02:22 you're starting with those arms straight, grabbing the bar.
02:25 Like I said, the hips are not too low or too high,
02:28 and you are going to pull that bar up
02:31 as your hips push forward.
02:34 So really make sure those latissimus dorsi are engaged,
02:37 you brace your core, and then you push those hips forward
02:41 as you bring that bar up.
02:43 If you find that you are pulling the bar up
02:45 and rounding the spine,
02:47 that's an indication you're doing it wrong,
02:49 or if you're starting too low and pulling from the bottom
02:52 as you're trying to sit into it.
02:54 Those are two wrong ways of doing this.
02:56 Another indication is if you're slamming that weight down
03:00 on your descent, that means it's too heavy for you.
03:03 So it's better to start with dumbbells,
03:05 then increase to the barbell,
03:07 and then you can start adding plates.
03:09 With these three secrets,
03:11 it should fix any lower back pain that you're feeling
03:13 so that you can lift even heavier.
03:15 For more sweat secrets, head to womanshealthmag.com.
03:18 (upbeat music)
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