# Muscles grab on some sets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Pain & Rehab Forum \[Moderated\]\ **Created:** [June 16, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/muscles-grab-on-some-sets/19843 "2026-06-16T14:08:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5e9695/32.png) [@quark](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/quark)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/muscles-grab-on-some-sets/19843/1 "2026-06-16T14:08:42Z")
My lower left back has been sore, so I’m doing standard rehab work - graded exposure with exercises and weights that don’t make it worse. The issue is that sometimes the back muscles will grab (contract painfully) for a few moments while exercising (at which point I stop the set). Soreness goes back to baseline shortly after I stop a set. I haven’t been able to find a useful entry point so this doesn’t happen. It’s even happened occasionally with sit to stand from a chair. Does this phenomenon suggest some course of rehab other than just enduring a few moments of pain on some sets and proceeding so long as I don’t feel worse later? ---
**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/muscles-grab-on-some-sets/19843/2 "2026-06-16T14:13:03Z")
Howdy, Based on what you said here, I don’t _think_ you necessarily need a different rehab approach, provided you feel like it’s improving, e.g. symptoms decreasing, gradually progressing on exercises. I don’t think a “spasm” is super concerning, depending on frequency, intensity, and your trajectory. If it’s happening a lot, e.g. every workout, then yes, I’d change things up further, likely changing the exercise and loading requirements. -Jordan