Squats..... hurt my back

swimming in a sea

Hey all,

I'm a pretty experienced lifter, and squat regularly but I hurt my back while lifting the squat bar of the rack, the little jerk I have to do to get the bar of the rack popped something in the middle of my back. I should be fine in a few days but just wondering how others deal with this or how they lift the squat bar of the rack to reduce the chance of injury.

Thanks

Legits

Warmpn up properly x2 early in the morning.

Lift it up with your legs your core should be warmed up and braced first.

Any pop in the back sound bad I would consult a doctor

muffinn

Also when your lifting with your legs make sure you are maintaining appropriate spine curvature at all times.

Hanley

Put the bar at the correct height for starters (mid way between collar bone and nipples is probably a decent start).

Second, partially squat under the bar. You want your shoulders, and your feet directly under the bar, your knees slightly in front and your hips slighty behind. Squeeze your core, take a deep breath and stand directly UP with the bar. Make sure you're "tight" all over.

Third, let the bar settle, this is CRUCIAL. There's a lot of people who just stand up and fall backwards with the bar and shuffle to get position. DO.NOT.DO.THAT. Stand, let it settle. 2-3 steps back. Let it settle again. THEN squat.

kevpants

Just make sure you suck in your air and get everything tight before you unrack it. Same routine as you would do before you descend into the squat itself. Whatever about getting hurt taking it out of the rack it's very hard to get tight before the actual lift if you weren't tight in the first place unracking it.

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

Put the bar at the correct height for starters (mid way between collar bone and nipples is probably a decent start).

Second, partially squat under the bar. You want your shoulders, and your feet directly under the bar, your knees slightly in front and your hips slighty behind. Squeeze your core, take a deep breath and stand directly UP with the bar. Make sure you're "tight" all over.

Third, let the bar settle, this is CRUCIAL. There's a lot of people who just stand up and fall backwards with the bar and shuffle to get position. DO.NOT.DO.THAT. Stand, let it settle. 2-3 steps back. Let it settle again. THEN squat.

This really.

On the bar height bit, I find with some squat racks it's difficult to get height right. If it's a choice always go too low rather than too high. In my current gym they have one of these:



To unrack the bar in any sort of decent form I basically do a 1/4 squat

swimming in a sea

briankeating wrote: »

This really.

On the bar height bit, I find with some squat racks it's difficult to get height right. If it's a choice always go too low rather than too high. In my current gym they have one of these:

To unrack the bar in any sort of decent form I basically do a 1/4 squat

That's my problem all right, its been to high for me in the new gym I'm in, so I've had to lift of my tiptoes a bit, so I'll set-up in a lower rack position in future and basically squat it of the rack.

Hanley

swimming in a sea wrote: »

That's my problem all right, its been to high for me in the new gym I'm in, so I've had to lift of my tiptoes a bit, so I'll set-up in a lower rack position in future and basically squat it of the rack.

Yeah that's crazy talk. Get off your toes and under the bar

Mellor

swimming in a sea wrote: »

the little jerk I have to do to get the bar of the rack

As others said, you shouldn't be jerking or bouncing the bar off the rack. It should be tight as you can and almost like a mini squat.

briankeating wrote: »

I find with some squat racks it's difficult to get height right. If it's a choice always go too low rather than too high. squat

My gym has two different style racks. I prefer one due to bar height, but if i have to use the other, I always choose the lower option. Just maeks way more sense imo.