Deadlifts and Squats

FTA69

Just back from the gym there and tried deadlifting and squats for the first time. My lower back feels fairly wrecked to be honest, I know the deadlift works out the lower back a lot but I don't think my lumbar region should be aching half an hour afterwards. Is that normal?

I thought my form was ok but it's hard to tell really as there was nobody there I could ask really. Similarly I could only manage to lift 50kg, which is f*ck all considering I can bench 75.

celestial

FTA69 wrote: »

Just back from the gym there and tried deadlifting and squats for the first time. My lower back feels fairly wrecked to be honest, I know the deadlift works out the lower back a lot but I don't think my lumbar region should be aching half an hour afterwards. Is that normal?

I thought my form was ok but it's hard to tell really as there was nobody there I could ask really. Similarly I could only manage to lift 50kg, which is f*ck all considering I can bench 75.

Totally normal. The deadlift is the king of all exercises for a reason - it is bloody hard and works out your whole body. Expect to take days to recover after your deadlift days in the gym:)

FTA69

The auld shins are scraped to death but sure I don't mind that, except for the fact I've blood crusted into the legs of my new Nike pants.

I did 3 sets of 6 lifts before I did anything else, after this I completely flopped on my bench and other stuff I normally do. To be honest I simply didn't have the energy to deal with it, I was out of the gym after half an hour.

If you're lower back is wrecked after this should I wait until next week before I deadlift again?

MagicMarker

I assume you checked out what kind of form you should have been using before attempting it?

FTA69

MagicMarker wrote: »

I assume you checked out what kind of form you should have been using before attempting it?

Yep, looking at youtube and various videos on sites all yesterday evening.

Noffles

You will feel "wrecked" for a while and you should, as someone pointed out, they are a bl**dy hard exercise... but well worth starting and sticking with, overall strength increases... I usually do dead lifts on alternate weeks as I find it hard to squat the same week I do deads....

FTA69

It's just the lower back that's at me, I was on the blower to my uncle (a monster of a man) who says that happens the first few times. He says your erector spinae gets used to it after a while. Anyway, I certainly won't be doing it for more than once a week for the time being. Thanks for the advice lads!

jdscrubs

I dont know about anyone else but I leave doing the deadlift and squats till after I do the bench and other exercises. Try it that way cos then you will be able to get more out of your time in the gym if you do the bench first then the deadlift

cardio,shoot me

remember, do squats first and always first!, dont want to squat with a sore back from deadlifts, i hope your warming up before those 3 sets aswell...

sunnyjim

What sort of warm ups? Just a set or 2 of lighter weights?

Nate--IRL--

I would suggest to separate deadlifts and squats to different, dedicated days. Currently I do DLs on a Tuesday an squats on Friday, this gives sufficient time to recover from one to attempt the other.

Edit:- Oh, and everybody starts at 50KG, but you wont be there for long.

Nate

NickNolte

Deadlift/hyperextension supersets FTW

cardio,shoot me

sunnyjim wrote: »

What sort of warm ups? Just a set or 2 of lighter weights?

i do 3 sets of warm ups at the moment, usually one with just the bar, then maybe half the weight i use, then 75-85% i use, then the full weight