Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuf5Yj2YfpE

So tonight I did a biceps and back workout. After biceps, my first back exercise was dumbell rows. First, I did a warmup set and then, I started my first set of three. While doing so, I felt some pain in my lowerback and continued on to finish out the set. During my second set, the pain hurt too much and I had to stop the set. I decided to move on to the next exercise, which was a dumbell bent over row. When I started, I felt a little bit of pain but after adjusting my form I didn't feel it any more. Fast forward the three sets of that and I started to perform deadlifts (roughly about eights inches off the ground and about 65 pounds if that matters (I weigh 108)). I tried to keep my chest up and re-adjust my form for each rep (sorry for only showing two reps). I felt a tad bit of pain in upper back/traps and I thought I felt the good burn in my back, not pain. This was my first real attempt at deadlifting. After my workout I knew something wasn't right with my form and had my sisters record me. So how can I keep my back straight when deadlifting. Also in the past with rowing, I haven't really had lower back pain like I did today. I was single arm rowing probably 30-35 lbs I forget the exact amount, but I tried to keep good form throughout. In the future I will definately do lighter weight with these exercises to make sure I master my form first. One more note, when deadlifting I didn't feel my hamstrings if much at all. It's probably because I'm not used to the movement and did something wrong.

Messed up once, now I gotta fix it doesn't happen again.

Edit: It's been three days and my lower back is still in slight pain when I twist my torso.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Jimmy

Jimmy,

from what you wrote and show, I think you have pain because of weak lowerback.

Every bent-over position puts your lowerback in isometric contraction. Let's say, during bent-over row your lowerback will not be hit directly since this exercise target mainly lats and traps on back, but will have to maintain your body position all the time. If your lowerback is not strong enough, you can't maintain proper position and therefore can't perform exercise as you should.

Stress on lowerback muscles is higher if your trunk position is more paralel to floor; this have to deal also with your flexibility.

I think you work with too high load and I suggest you to have one compound exercise for back in one workout (read this as deadlift or bentover row in single workout) until you gain some strength and learn proper form.

Search and watch also Scott's deadlift fundamentals series on YT.

BR, Gregor

Yeah I haven't ever done any lower back isolation exercises, because I never knew of any besides deadlift and I was scared to do it. I'll work on my flexibility by stretching every day and night which will hopefully help. I can't keep my core tight when deadlifting, I mean I try to, but because my abs are weak as I have just started training them for 2-3 times a week not too long ago, the tension releases automatically. Yeah I've seen Scott's deadlift videos, I'll re-watch them and practice deadlifting with light weight to master my form.

Thanks for the reply,

Jimmy

I think you are taking the right step in first starting out which many don't and that's caring and studying your form. Form is important and heavy weight makes it easier to lose form which is why they say "leave your ego at the door". Just keep working on your form and yes I feel you have a week core as well and with time and training it will get stronger.