Stop Lower Back Pain From Lifting (6 Exercise Modifications)
As a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, lower back pain from lifting is one of the most common complaints I hear from women. These six lower back pain exercises and modifications decrease stress on your lower back, allowing you to exercise pain-free.
Back pain is incredibly common – in fact, 80% of adults have reported experiencing back pain (Mayo Clinic).
While you might notice back pain from sitting at a desk all day, it’s also very common to notice lower back pain while weightlifting. Some exercises like squats, back rows and kettlebell swings naturally put extra pressure on your spine. Issues like poor form, muscle imbalances, and limited mobility can also contribute to discomfort in your lower back.
You might also notice back pain during pregnancy, due to weight gain, a shifting center of gravity, and hormones relaxing the ligaments in the joints of your pelvis.
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or are experiencing lower back pain during your workouts, these six exercise alternatives will strengthen your upper body and lower body while putting less stress on the lower back.
6 Exercises and Modifications for Back Pain
1. If Deadlifts Hurt Your Lower Back, Do Suitcase Deadlifts
Targets: The posterior chain or backside of the body. Specifically targeting the hamstrings, glutes, hips and lower back.
How Suitcase Deadlifts Protect Your Lower Back: Keeping the weights at your sides (as opposed to in front of the body) takes pressure off of the lower back.
How To Do A Suitcase Deadlift
- Start standing feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (palms face in towards each other). Think of how you would hold a suitcase or briefcase handle.
- Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
- Drive through your heels to push your hips forward; squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position.
Common Deadlift Mistakes:
- Rounding the lower back instead of keeping a neutral spine.
- Not engaging the core, causing excessive lower back stress.
- Pulling with the lower back instead of driving through the legs and glutes.
2. If Back Rows Hurt Your Lower Back, Do A Single Arm Tripod Row
Targets: Mainly the latissimus dorsi (or lats; the largest back muscle), biceps and core.
How Single Arm Tripod Rows Protect Your Lower Back: By supporting your body with the non-rowing hand, you minimize strain on the lower back; allowing for better posture and stability. This variation keeps the spine in a safer position while still effectively strengthening the back muscles.
How To Do A Single Arm Tripod Row
- Start with feet shoulder-width distance apart. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing midline. Place your left hand on a box or bench for extra support.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor (neck in line with your spine, flat back, belly pulled in).
- Hold this bent over position while performing a single arm row on the right side. Pull the dumbbell in your right hand back towards your right hip; squeezing your back muscles.
- Control the dumbbell back down to the starting position and repeat.
Common Back Row Mistakes:
- Rounding the back instead of maintaining a neutral spine.
- Overusing the biceps instead of engaging the lats.
- Not bracing the core, leading to excess lower back strain.
3. If Squats Hurts Your Lower Back, Do Heel Elevated Squats
Targets: Legs, quads, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs (hip abductors), chest and core.
How Heel Elevated Squats Protect Your Lower Back: Elevating the heels shifts the emphasis to the quads, reducing the need for excessive forward lean and decreasing lower back stress. This position also helps improve squat depth and mobility.
How To Do Heel Elevated Squats
- Place a set of dumbbells on the ground behind your feet. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, placing your heels on the bar of each dumbbell. Hold two dumbbell by your sides. Engage your core.
- Inhale as you bend your knees and sit your hips back (as if sitting down in a chair). Aim for 90 degree bends at each knee, focusing on pushing your knees out (not letting them cave in). Keep your torso in an upright position.
- Exhale as you press through your heels to stand tall, driving your hips forward to return to the standing position.
Common Squat Mistakes:
- Allowing the knees to cave in instead of tracking over the toes.
- Letting the chest fall forward instead of keeping an upright posture.
- Not engaging the core and glutes.
4. If Kettlebell Swings Hurt Your Lower Back, Perform A Banded Hip Hinge
Targets: The posterior chain (backside of the body) including the glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, and all the stabilizing muscles in your back and shoulders.
How Adding A Band Protects Your Lower Back: The band enforces proper hip hinging, ensuring that the movement comes from the hips rather than from excessive lower back extension.
How To Do A Banded Hip Hinge
- Loop a long loop resistance band around the banister of a staircase or something sturdy. The band should be at hip height. Step into the band and step forward enough to create some resistance across the band. Band should sit low across your hips.
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees. Maintain tension across the band.
- Hinge at the hips, pressing your glutes back behind you.
- Then, drive through your heels to stand tall, pushing your hips forward as you squeeze your glutes. Maintain tension across the band throughout the exercise.
Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes:
- Lifting with the arms instead of generating power from the hips.
- Overarching the lower back at the top of the movement.
- Squatting instead of hinging at the hips.
5. If Superman Back Extensions Hurt Your Lower Back, Do A Bird Dog
Targets: The entire posterior chain (or backside of your body).
How Bird Dog Protects Your Lower Back: Bird dog promotes core and spinal stability without excessive spinal hyperextension. This movement strengthens the deep core and lower back muscles in a safe, controlled manner.
How To Do A Bird Dog
- Find a quadruped position with your knees hip-width apart and hands firmly on the ground, about shoulder-width apart. Engage your core.
- Find a bird dog position by extending your right leg back, floating it off the ground. As you extend the right leg back, extend the opposite arm, left arm, straight out in front of you.
- Hold the right leg back and left arm out for a moment, then return to the starting position on all fours.
- Then repeat this movement on the other side of the body; extending the left leg long and the right arm straight out in front of you.
Common Superman Back Extension Mistakes:
- Overarching the lower back instead of engaging the glutes and core.
- Lifting too high, putting unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine.
6. If Crunches Hurt Your Lower Back, Do A Dead Bug
Targets: Transverse abdomen (deep core muscles below your rectus abdomen or six pack ab muscles), lower abs and hip flexors.
How Dead Bug Protects Your Lower Back: Dead bugs strengthen the core while keeping the spine in a neutral position, reducing unnecessary strain on the lower back. This movement improves core control and stability.
How To Do A Dead Bug
- Lie flat on the mat, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat and drawing your belly button towards your spine. Think about wrapping your abdominal wall around your torso.
- Then bring your arms and legs up, knees bent at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. Arms extended straight overhead, wrists stacked over shoulders.
- Contract your ab muscles to engage your core as you extend your right arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your left leg. Return to the starting position.
- Then extend your left arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your right leg. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Common Crunches Mistakes:
- Pulling on the neck instead of using the core.
- Rounding the lower back, creatingg strain.
- Relying on momentum instead of controlled movements.
FAQs
How Do I Modify Workouts For Lower Back Pain When Lifting?
Focus on exercises that minimize pressure on the lower back, such as heel elevated squats, single arm tripod rows and dead bugs. These modifications promote good posture, reducing your risk of injury by keeping the spine in a safer position while still effectively strengthening muscle groups. Focus on proper form and reduce weight as needed.
Why Does My Lower Back Hurt When I Do Squats And Deadlifts?
Your lower back may hurt during squats and deadlifts due to poor form, improper lifting, weak core muscles, or excessive weight, causing strain on the lumbar spine. Improving technique, strengthening your core, and ensuring proper mobility can help prevent discomfort and reduce injury risk.
What Causes Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain can be caused by muscle strains, poor posture, herniated discs, tight hamstrings, or underlying conditions like arthritis. Factors such as improper form, limited mobility, excessive sitting, and a weak core can also contribute to discomfort and stiffness in your lower back. In addition to exercise modifications, try adding these stretches for lower back pain into your routine.
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4 comments
I can’t seem to see the difference between raised heel dead lifts and suit case dead lifts. Keep me in the loop… thanks,
Brian
Hi Brian, You can certainly elevate your heels during a deadlift, but that’s going to place more emphasis on the quads and reduce hamstring strain. It can also improve hip mobility. If you experience back pain during deadlifts, bring the weights to your sides (rather than in front of you) in a “suitcase” hold. If you experience back pain during squats, elevating the heels will help more in that exercise as it’ll reduce the need for excessive forward lean during the squat movement. -Lindsey
Alternative for Russian twists ? After two herniated back surgeries and a daily exerciser, that is one exercise I stay away from.
Hi Gina! I’d sub an anti-rotation exercise like bird dog. -Lindsey