Weight Lifting Back Pain

Weight lifting back pain is a common side effect of resistance based exercise. Weight training can be defined as using free weights, universal machines or Bowflex/Soloflex machines. Free weights are the most dangerous of all types of resistance training.

Prevention of Weight Lifting Back Pain

Make sure to always use good posture and form when lifting. Do not rush through a set or an individual repetition. Do not attempt more than you are capable of lifting. Do not work out alone, especially with free weights. Always have a spotter and make sure that your spotter can actually hold the weight you are lifting if need be.

Do not twist your waist when lifting or putting down weights. Use your legs to lift heavy weights and do not lift with a bent back. Wear gloves to increase your grip and prevent weights from slipping or falling. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes that will give you traction.

Weight Training Benefits

Weight training is an excellent way to build muscle mass. It is also the best way to develop strong bones and muscles, through muscle/skeletal loading. Weight training will reduce the risk of Osteoporosis significantly. Weight training is also an great way to increase direct circulation to individual muscle groups using targeted exercises. Increased circulation will provide temporary relief from oxygen deprivation back pain.

Weight Lifting Back Pain Causes

The spine is designed to handle extra weight. It is healthy to use moderate weight training to increase muscular and skeletal strength. However, there is a point when the weight lifting becomes detrimental. Using heavy weights, or lifting when your muscles are overtired, are very common causes of weight lifting back pain.

Most injuries caused by weight training are muscular. It is relatively easy to sprain a back muscle or ligament. It is important to allow this type of muscular injury to heal. If not, the injury can worsen and become a chronic back pain condition. Repetitive injuries in the same muscle will cause scar tissue to develop. This scar tissue might cause pain problems as you age.

Certain exercises put tremendous pressure on the neck or lower back. Pinched nerves are common to experience in the neck area. Spasming muscles can impinge on a nerve and cause moderate neurological symptoms.

Lower back injuries are the most serious of all weight training back pain conditions. It is crucial not to lift heavy weights with a bent back. The vertebrae are much stronger when the spine is straight. The force of bending alone puts increased pressure on the lumbar spine. If you add weight to this posture, you have exponentially increased lower back spinal pressure. This is a perfect recipe for serious lower back problems. Herniated discs are often the result of a sudden increase in pressure in the lower back region. A herniated disc injury can be serious, and will often require moderate to drastic treatment. It is far easier to prevent this type of injury than to treat and rehabilitate it.

Recommendation for Weight Lifting Back Pain

I never liked weight training through most of my fitness career. I rarely used it myself. I also rarely used it in my personal training of others. I always preferred exercises that used the body's own weight as resistance. Recently, I have changed my mind. Over the last 5 years, I have added more resistance work into my own workout routines. I prefer to keep the weights moderate and the repetitions higher. I do not do any power lifting and usually keep the weight to about half of my ability to lift.

I have found that my back muscles, and all my muscles, have increased in size and strength. I have never injured myself while lifting and would highly recommend sensible resistance training for almost everyone. Weight lifting is a great activity that does not have to be the source of any pain. Don�t get carried away, show off or go to extremes. Common sense should be your guide. Make sure to consult with your doctor before beginning any program of resistance training.
Weight Lifting Back Pain to Lower Back Pain Home 7/7/06 Revised 7/2/08