The squat and deadlift are very basic movements that we do every day in some form or another. Whether picking up something from the ground, bending over to tie our shoes or getting up and down from the chair, we are doing some form of squatting or deadlifting.
There are also 2 of the most poorly performed exercises and causes of injury and lower back pain. Our video series highlights common faults we see with both movements and some easy corrections to help.
If you have lower back pain when bending over, you are bending from your spine and not your hips!
The deadlift
The deadlift is something we use every day even though we don’t realize it. Every time we bend over, we use what’s called a hip hinge. A Proper hip hinge is what protects our lower back when we bend over.
Practice the hip hinge using a golf club, dowel or broom. There are 3 points of contact- the head, back, and tailbone. Make sure you keep those points when bending over.
2 Major Faults in the Deadlift
- Improper hip hinge
- Bending from the spine and not the hips
- The weight is too far out in front causing extra shear stress on the spine
Deadlift correction
- Improve your hip hinge
- Make sure the weight is centered below you
- The trap bar is an excellent way to improve your deadlift technique
- Use your anatomy
- Longer legs- Raise the weight up on risers or use a different deadlift variation called the rack pull
- Shorter legs- You are okay lifting the weight from the ground or from a small riser or plate
The Squat
The squat is a movement used during everyday life. Whether getting up and down from the chair, toilet or in and out of the car, we use some type of squat. The squat is a poorly performed exercise, which can lead to lower back or knee pain if performed incorrectly.
If you have lower back pain when squatting while working out, or from getting up and down from a chair, you are using improper technique!
2 Major faults in the Squat
- Spine rounding or flexing at the bottom of the squat is the most common fault we see and a major cause of lower back pain when lifting. We call this the butt wink.
2. Knees going past the toes is also a common fault in the squat and leads to knee pain.
Squat Correction
- Squat Variations
- Front squat instead of back squat helps to move the center of gravity forward which will improve your form.
- Goblet squat with a dumbbell or kettlebell also helps to improve form
- Squatting with the heel raised on small plates or risers helps to get deeper and improve knees going past the toes.
