Squats questions

[flexagon]

So, yesterday I did almost exactly the squat workout recommended by bluechromis :

12 reps @ 65 lb
10 reps @ 75
8 reps @ 85
6 reps @ 95
12 reps @ 75 <-- (pssst--I only did 10 of these, that was the almost).
12 reps of another more specific quad excercise (slow quad extensions at 50 lb.)

, and I did them first thing. God, there's nothing to suck the joy out of the first half of a workout like that. :b I seriously might have to start splitting into Squat/Quads Day and Everything Else Day. Anyway, I need some advice because now my lower back is way more sore than I like. It happened last week too, and lasted until Weds or so... it feels like normal muscular stiffness rather than something being messed up in a bad way, but it's pretty uncomfortable. Plus, there is some chance it is something bad--am I perhaps sticking my butt out too much instead of keeping my pelvis tucked when I'm squatting down (I was trying not to, but...)? And if I hypothetically did that, would it stress my lower back in a bad way and cause trouble? Some sites actually say to keep your lower back arched, but my trainer said to keep it straight, and that sounds better to me intuitively.

Also, if this is just muscular stiffness, but then the question is whether squats themselves, once a week, are going to strengthen the offending bits or whether I should be doing some other lower-back exercises on Thursdays to help get them up to speed. Any advice/experience would be appreciated. :)

Comments

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Well, caveat emptor, I'm not a trainer.

However - a) You should not arch your back, but you should be sticking your butt out while keeping your back straight. It will feel like you are arching it. Try doing them with a baby bar (I'm thinking those little 12 lbs ones) and looking at yourself sideways in a mirror to see what it looks like and feels like. The goal is to have your weight balanced directly over your feet, perhaps a little towards your heels, in order to ensure your knees aren't going over your toes. Remember that you want the bottom of your hamstrings to be parallel to the ground when you are at the bottom.

b) Your back likely hasn't been worked like this. If it feels like muscle soreness (and I guess you're enough of a gym rat to tell the difference), I would just stick with the squats, or even add in straight leg dead lifts for hammy work, as that works lower back too. If you wanted to add in an extra day of lower back work since you only lift LB one day/week, it's probably fine. Up to you, depending on how you feel, but rest assured that the squats will help get your lower back up to speed eventually.

Thankies :)

[flexagon]

Sounds like I'm more or less fine then. Yeah, I do the sideways scoping-myself-out all the time... I do have trouble holding onto how my pelvis feels when it looks right though. Practice is needed.

The motion to do SLDLs died in subcommittee yesterday since I had one hamstring pretty thrashed from wheel kicks on Saturday. :( I do "usually" do them though. This feels like a different part of the lower back, like just the muscles closest to the spine (they probably hurt more simply because the outer ones are more conditioned from TKD and SLDLs in the first place). You're quite right that this dratted exercise is different from anything else.

I'll probably stay at the current weights for 2-3 weeks to let my back catch up a bit before increasing again.

Re: Thankies :)

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

I agree with Blue on her second point (don't know enough to know whether her first point is right or not. :-) ). My lower back hurts often, and I know that it is because it is weak.