If lifting with your back is bad then why is it ok to do it with weights?

[Chris09]

Since the begining of time, I have always heard, when lifting something heavy, lift with your legs not your back. You can hurt your back when lifting with your back. I agree with this statement and I have hurt my back lifting stuff with my back and not my legs.

I am curious though, why is it not ok to lift with your back but it is ok to do stiff-leg deadlifts and barbell bent over rows?

I have recently started doing these exercises along with squats...I stopped using the machine and am now using freeweights.

I am trying hard to focus on my form but my lower back is starting to hurt. Not like a sore muscle hurt but the type of hurt from when I was being stuborn and lifting things by myself with my back and not my legs. Is this normal to have your back hurt after doing these? It just seems like a different pain from a soar muscle pain. Thanks again for all of your help.

[CorstenF]

I think they say that because people who don't have experience with deadlifts might hurt their back by not using proper form.

and not too sure about your back pain...might wanna take it light and have someone else check your form also and be sure to warm up properly.

[genEus]

Oh come on, this is so obvious - most untrained people have very weak lower backs, when this may be the most important part of your body to keep strong - your core. And, when people lift stuff they're not doing it controlled - like we do our exercises (optimally) - so they just lift and strain their backs. I rarely see people train their backs in the gym, but I religiously do good mornings and catch very interested looks when i do good mornings with 45lb plates on each side, although by no means is that a great weight... heh

[grambo]

people in the real world who throw their backs out, have a tendancy of rounding their backs. This means putting excess stress on a part of their body simply not able to deal with it, thats when backs go out...

In the gym, people who know what they are doing have a hard arch going, reducing the possibility of hurting something.

[manif3st]

Originally Posted by genEus

Oh come on, this is so obvious - most untrained people have very weak lower backs, when this may be the most important part of your body to keep strong - your core. And, when people lift stuff they're not doing it controlled - like we do our exercises (optimally) - so they just lift and strain their backs. I rarely see people train their backs in the gym, but I religiously do good mornings and catch very interested looks when i do good mornings with 45lb plates on each side, although by no means is that a great weight... heh

you are a brave man haha! i wouldnt dare go anywhere near goodmornings, especially after i read somewhere that the late, great Bruce Lee threw out his back while doing those.

[MAURER]

Originally Posted by grambo

people in the real world who throw their backs out, have a tendancy of rounding their backs. This means putting excess stress on a part of their body simply not able to deal with it, thats when backs go out...

In the gym, people who know what they are doing have a hard arch going, reducing the possibility of hurting something.

exactly. if the excersize is performed properly, it shouldn't be dangerous. if you feel too much stress on your back, then you're probably doing soemthnig wrong.

[Firehawk]

Originally Posted by manif3st

you are a brave man haha! i wouldnt dare go anywhere near goodmornings, especially after i read somewhere that the late, great Bruce Lee threw out his back while doing those.

wuss.... hehe

[Axion]

Well lets just say that there is a wrong way to lift with your back, and a right way. Realistically, even when "lifting with your legs" you are using your back. Take dead lifts for example (the kind where you squat all the way down). Now this would resemble proper lifting with your legs form, and is definitely the safest way to lift somthing heavy off the ground, but everyone knows that deadlifts work your back a lot.

So in short, using your back can't be avoided, but there are ways to minimize the strain on your back, and for people with weak lower backs and no clue about propper lifting form, it's very important they minimize the weight their back carries.

But, in the right setting when you use propper form, and APPROPRIATE weight levels, targeting your lower back to build strength can prevent injuries in the future.

[.V.]

I have lifted people on stretchers for the last 15 years every 4th day for the last 15 years. Sometimes more often. This is a true deadlift. Sometimes they are 100 pound little old ladies, sometimes they are 400 or 500 pound people who no one should have to lift. Of course, I always have a partner on the other side lifting their end. Keeping your back flat and not rounded is so important in this. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET AND ROUND YOUR BACK. That is how you end up with a possibly permanent debilitating injury. By keeping the back flat, I have never had a back injury. Even the Muscle spasms that have kept me from working out most of this month did not come from lifting. One thing though that does happen to some people even doing it right, is pain in the SI joint. I have this occasionally from lifting - Using good form, if the weight is too heavy. My doctor told me that a chiropractor could help this. She was right - it worked wonders - one visit no more SI pain.

[genEus]

Originally Posted by manif3st

you are a brave man haha! i wouldnt dare go anywhere near goodmornings, especially after i read somewhere that the late, great Bruce Lee threw out his back while doing those.

I don't think this is a correct way to approach the problem, to just not do them. I am very very careful when doing these. If I add weight on any other exercise just to see if I can handle the added amount, with goodmornings I wait until I can definitely do 8-10 reps with a certain weight before moving up. But, I LOVE them, they not only hit the lower back, but I feel them throughout the whole back days later, which is great. Also you get a great hamstring stretch that you'll feel later Try them, start out slowly with a bar alone, bend your knees a little and bend down till your back is parallel to the floor. Do them carefully and you'll have great benefits.

[monsta]

Originally Posted by genEus

I don't think this is a correct way to approach the problem, to just not do them. I am very very careful when doing these. If I add weight on any other exercise just to see if I can handle the added amount, with goodmornings I wait until I can definitely do 8-10 reps with a certain weight before moving up. But, I LOVE them, they not only hit the lower back, but I feel them throughout the whole back days later, which is great. Also you get a great hamstring stretch that you'll feel later Try them, start out slowly with a bar alone, bend your knees a little and bend down till your back is parallel to the floor. Do them carefully and you'll have great benefits.

"parallel to the floor" !!! no way! most people couldn't do that while maintaining their lumbar arch! bend till ya feel a full stretch in the hammies.
this is mostly a hamstring exercise, not back. (tho back works as well)

[genEus]

Originally Posted by monsta

"parallel to the floor" !!! no way! most people couldn't do that while maintaining their lumbar arch! bend till ya feel a full stretch in the hammies.
this is mostly a hamstring exercise, not back. (tho back works as well)

http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exerc...?bp=Back&pn=11

(this is just one of many places that says "parallel to the floor" ), and I also disagree that it is a hamstring exercise, they are being worked, yes, but it's the lower back that should act as the main moving force.

[monsta]

Originally Posted by genEus

http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exerc...?bp=Back&pn=11

(this is just one of many places that says "parallel to the floor" ), and I also disagree that it is a hamstring exercise, they are being worked, yes, but it's the lower back that should act as the main moving force.

dosn't matter to me what any site say's! I know that I cannot bend at the hip(maintain lumbar arch) and reach parallel. That picture on that site show's him not at parallel and it also dosn't show if his back is rounding. It also dosn't state that you should maintain lumbar arch, MOST important in my opinion.. and there aint no way I'm gunna do goodmornings without doin that. This is an issue of hamstring flexability and mine are pretty good, I dont reckon there are many people that could do them to parallel safely(maintain arch).
Ok, as I said the back is used, but only as a static contraction. But if you bend at the hip (not the spine) its your hamstrings primarily doin the work. they are the ones extending and contracting, simple as that!

[genEus]

Originally Posted by monsta

dosn't matter to me what any site say's!

OK then



...

[monsta]

Originally Posted by genEus

OK then



...

ok ok thats a pretty bold statement om my part!
but I think we all know there's a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of big claims. But I dont believe everything I read, least of all websites that any goose can put together!