I posted several months ago I believe about complications with my squat and deadlift as far as it caused intense pain in my lower back. At that time it was primarily when doing supplemental lifts without the assistance of a belt. While after using my belt during all lifts save for bench helped for a period of time, it’s now to the point where regardless of wearing a belt, when I squat at almost any weight, the pain sets in and anything over 225lbs makes it very difficult to maintain form. The pain can last anywhere from 1-3 days, making it difficult to sit, rest, or bend. Today, week 3 day 3 of the bridge 2.0, i had to stop mid set during my deadlift and skipped my squats.
I don’t know how to proceed from this point. I started lifting due to chronic back pain, with which it has helped tremendously. However at the weight I’m currently lifting, which isn’t even that much, it’s causing a significant amount of pain that lasts for days and makes working in a high stress environment incredibly difficult. My question is is it possible to run a program that omits the squat but would allow me to maintain my current strength while I focus on fat loss and endurance, both of which are needed for my current work and goals for employment? While the deadlift has caused pain, it’s the squat that’s been the most difficult to cope with.