Sore Low Back in Beginner Template

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hello Team at Barbell Medicine,

I’m on Week 7 of the beginner template right now. Last week was the first where I had to do backoff sets for the deadlift and I think it was too much stress for my lower back. So I did 4x127.5kg @ 7; 4x135kg @ 8; 4x137.5kg @ 8.5-9 ( ran out of weights at my homegym); 4 x 122.5kg @ 8; 4 x 122.5kg @ 9. 10 min after completing the backoff sets my low back started to get sore and tight and leaning over became painful in a throbbing, sore muscle kind of way. I know I’m not hurt or haven‘t tweaked my back in any way (I‘ve read most of your pain related articles and listened to the podcasts). I‘ve continued training this week with lower weights to see what happens and now even squats, bent over rows, romanian deadlifts with light weights etc. make my low back get tight (which hasn‘t happened before). I assume I could sit out doing any exercises which put stress on the lower back for a couple of days and be fine again but I also don‘t want to teach myself that pain lessens when I stop training. Do you have a recommendation on how to train the following week? I‘m also surprised this happened as I’m fairly certain that I judged my RPEs pretty accurately. The backoff sets felt really heavy and fatigueing though.

Thanks and all the best,

Wladimir

2

I’d probably decrease the intensity for example, by knocking 1-2 RPE points off the load targets, or knocking another 5-10% off the backoff set loads. Backoff work shouldn’t typically feel “really heavy and fatiguing”.

3

Thanks for your reply Austin,

that‘s what I have been doing for the past week. The back soreness goes away on rest days and reemerges after training. Would you ever consider pausing certain exercises (just for a few days) or would you continue training indefinitely?

4

If it re-emerges immediately after training, you are likely still providing more stimulus than the area is ready to handle. This may require further intensity reductions, but temporarily switching to different exercises can also be a useful strategy in this situation as well.

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