I’m about to re-run the beginner’s prescription after a stint with bodybuilding programming (Non-BBM).
I’ve discovered I suffer from lower back pain which seems to be triggered when I go squats, deadlifts, or Romanian deadlifts. I’ve got the BBM app and I’ve swapped out squats for leg press. The only options for the core back exercise are deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts. Romanian deadlifts seem to do the same thing to my back. Is there anything else I can do that would minimize lower back pain exercise-wise?
I’m not looking to compete in powerlifting, so the main PL exercises don’t matter. It’s just to look like a lift and to stay healthy + build some muscle.
I’m not sure that the beginner prescription is a good program for where you’re at in your training career. Maybe the 2nd or 3rd block of the beginner template would be workable along with some LBP-modified program, but not the prescription.
For your back discomfort, do you get it at any weight with deadlifts? What about squats?
I agree that you don’t need to do squats or deadlifts, but I’m sensing that these exercises are somewhat important to you, no?
In regards to back pain, I think it gets triggered more with higher weight but I can still feel it with light weights but to a lesser degree. I was recently doing RDLs to around RPE 7 and it triggered my back for a few days after. It also gets triggered by my other hobbies which is dancing (salsa) and if my partner gives me too much tension in the dancing hold. I think it all stems from years of powerlifting with probably somewhat incorrect form / bracing. I think the damage has been done, fortunately it’s not so severe it impacts everyday life, but I feel lower back discomfort if I do something like dancing, deadlifting, squats etc. I think it might heal over time as well if I don’t do anything to engage it, but I’m no doctor. Maybe I should speak to one.
To be honest, I initially did care about deadlifts and squats but as I have no desire to compete I actually don’t really care anymore. The more important thing for me is to just look healthy and like I have some muscle (not necessarily significant muscle, just athletic i.e. don’t want to have a dad bod.). I was initially drawn to powerlifting as I had a desire to compete, but my lifts never got competitive. Then I liked the idea of not doing all the bodybuilding isolation exercises and just activating / engaging all the muscles doing compound exercises such as bench.
Thanks for the reply. I think it is unlikely that there’s remote “damage” to your back that is causing this discomfort. I also would strongly advise against reducing activity. Rather, I would be aiming for unrestricted movement so you can do exactly what you want to do. I don’t think people need to be a powerlifter to squat or deadlift and if someone is choosing not to do those lifts, but could otherwise do them if they wanted, I’d be on board. In your situation, it seems like discomfort is preventing you from doing exercises you want to do and you’re going along with it.
In short, I’m not concerned about you competing in PL, but I am concerned with you being able to do all the things you want to do. I would be trying to find ways you can do hinge and squat patterns that are similar to the squat and DL, but tolerable right now. We talk about how to find an entry point here: Pain in Training: What To Do?
For your specific situation, I think the weight you’re using is likely too heavy even if RPE 7. I would advise raising the rep range and potentially adding a tempo to reduce the load. Some direct back and ab work would be good. I agree that isolation work for the legs would be useful as well. I don’t think the Beginner Prescription is a suitable template as it sits, though it could be modified.