Lower Back Pain After Deadlift: 10 Ways to Prevent It

Is Lower Back Pain After Deadlifts Normal?

Not usually.

Sure, if you’re new to deadlifting or returning after a long break, it’s common to feel some soreness a day or two after your workout.

This phenomenon is known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

Your lower back muscles work hard to keep your spine stable during the deadlift, just like your glutes, hamstrings, and upper back.

However, most of the soreness I’ve had was in my hamstrings and glutes—not my lower back.

I remember the first time I tried deadlifting at the 3rd Avenue Vanderbilt Y on 48th Street in New York City when I was 55.

Despite using lighter weights, my lower body was so charley-horsed the next day, I could barely walk for a week!

But that wasn’t lower back pain.

When I eventually hurt my lower back years later, I knew immediately that it was different.

It wasn’t ordinary muscle soreness.

The sharp pain was a warning that I had poor form and needed to work on good technique.

If you experience pain after deadlifting that doesn’t improve, stop deadlifting and get evaluated by a healthcare provider.

That experience taught me that the deadlift wasn’t the problem—my form was.

What Causes Lower Back Pain from Deadlifting?

The number one reason for lower back pain after deadlifts is bad form.

A properly executed deadlift is your friend, and improper form is your worst enemy.

Unfortunately, even a single mistake in your deadlift form is an injury risk.

The powerful deadlift is chock-full of great benefits and can change your body in sensational ways.

But you risk injuring your back, knees, biceps, and even elbows if you do not practice proper deadlift technique.

This post contains my top 10 tips to prevent low back pain after deadlifts and achieve pain-free deadlifting.

Note: If your back is already hurting you, do not use this information as medical advice.

It would be best if you had treatment.

The good news is that proper deadlift technique can help you build a stronger back instead of an injured one.

Here are 10 practical tips to help prevent lower back pain after deadlifts and keep you lifting safely.

These deadlift tips can save you from a lot of back pain and time off because of injury:

Top 10 Proper Form Deadlift Tips

#1. Deadlift in Long Pants

You must keep the bar as close to your shins as possible for the conventional deadlift.

The further the barbell is from your legs, the heavier the weight will be and the more risk for injury.

Wearing long pants will give you more confidence to keep the bar close to your legs while you deadlift.

Especially if you’re a beginner and not used to pulling the bar up against your shins – that can hurt!

Long pants will help you protect your shins and keep the bar close.

In turn, this will prevent lower back pain after deadlifting.

Unless you have deadlift shin guards (mentioned next), it is better to wear long pants for your deadlift workout rather than shorts.

See the 5 Best Deadlift Shin Guards on the Market Today for recommended shin guard products.

#2. Deadlift in High Socks to Protect your Shins

In addition to wearing long pants, get over the knee deadlift socks to protect your shins.

Keeping the bar close to your shins is another preventative measure against lower back pain from deadlifting.

A simple but effective way to keep the bar against your shins is to wear great deadlifting socks and long workout pants.

I use and recommend MOXY deadlift socks and vouch for their effectiveness for shin protection and form correction.

See my review of the 5 Best Deadlift Socks to Protect Your Back from Injury for more details.

#3. Prevent Deadlift Lower Back Pain with a Neutral Back

Do not round your back when deadlifting.

And don’t arch your back when deadlifting.

Instead, keep your back straight and neutral throughout the deadlift.

Before you begin your deadlift, make sure that your back and your head are neutral as well.

Credit: theartofmanliness.com

A neutral flat back is how to prevent lower back pain after deadlifts with correct posture.

The neutral lumbar spine, also known as the neutral back, is when the relationships between the vertebrae are the same as when standing in a normal anatomical position.

neutral spine image https://crossfitsnohomish.com/

Pull the bar to your shins and lift your chest. Flatten your back

pull bar to your shins,lift your chest flatten your back

#4. Raise your Chest to Prevent Lower Back Pain from the Deadlift

To help keep your back neutral, raise your chest when you are at the bottom of the deadlift position before you begin your deadlift.

Do not round your shoulders and have your chest sunken.

Instead, keep your chest up to avoid deadlift lower back pain.

Raising your chest will help keep your back flat.

#5. Take a Deep Breath and Tighten Your Core

Take a deep breath and tighten your core before every rep.

Here’s what works for me:

Squeeze your glutes and slightly tuck your pelvis into a strong, stable position.
Take a deep breath into your belly, not just your chest.
Imagine someone is about to punch you in the stomach, and brace your abs.
Think about pulling your belly button inward while tightening your abdominal muscles all the way around your torso.

At this point, your body should feel tight and solid, not soft like Jell-O.

Now lower the bar to the floor with control, and exhale as you push against the floor to lift the weight.

I have made the mistake of not bracing properly, and I paid for it almost every time with lower back pain.

Don’t make the same mistake.

Learn to brace, fill your belly with air, create intra-abdominal pressure, and tighten your core before every lift.

Note: Bracing your core is essential, but more isn’t always better. Create enough intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize your spine without straining harder than necessary. A strong, controlled brace is the goal—not forcing your belly out as hard as possible.

This simple habit can help prevent lower back pain after deadlifting.

#6. Push Your Hips Forward

Set up with the bar over mid-foot, meaning the middle of your feet.

Your feet are a bit narrower than shoulder width, so you have room for your arms to grab the barbell.

Grip the barbell about shoulder width.

You crouch down during the setup with your hips below your shoulders and your back neutral with your chest up.

Your shoulder blades are straight above the barbell, not behind or ahead of the barbell.

Right before you begin the deadlift, tighten your grip on the bar, take a deep breath, and tighten your whole body.

Keep holding your breath while you start the deadlift by driving your feet against the floor.

Never try to lift the bar with your arms.

Instead, imagine that your arms and grip are straight hooks and are there only to firmly hold the barbell as you push against the floor.

The best deadlift practice is for the bar to rise right against your shins.

Since you are wearing deadlifting socks and long pants, you will not bruise your shins.

As soon as the bar reaches your knees, squeeze your buttocks and drive your hips forward to straighten out your body.

Moving your hips forward as soon as you can help to prevent deadlift lower back pain.

The reason is that hip drive takes the stress of the weight off your back.

Deadlifting at 64 in my basement

#7. Never Arch Your Back After Hip Hinge

When you straighten up by pushing your hips forward, do not push them so far forward that you end up hyperextending your back.

Never arch your back, not at the beginning of the deadlift in the setup position, nor the end when you have stood up with the weight.

Keeping your back in a neutral position throughout is the best insurance to avoid deadlift lower back pain.

Do not lean back or arch your back at the top of the deadlift.

Watch this video to learn a better way to perform a proper hip hinge:

#8. Do Not Pull the Weight with your Arms, Deadlift with your Legs

A common mistake when deadlifting is trying to pull the weight up with your shoulders or arms.

This is a big blunder and could lead to tearing a bicep.

Do not attempt to use your arms to lift the weight because you will put major stress on your back and arms.

Instead, use the most powerful and largest muscle groups in your body, your legs, to drive your deadlift.

Push your feet against the floor and push with your legs.

A great cue is to imagine that you are doing a vertical leg press against the earth.

Drive the ground away from you as you do the platform of a leg press machine.

When the deadlift bar reaches your knees, drive your hips forward to stand up with the weight.

Use your leg strength to deadlift, and you can save yourself from deadlift lower back pain.

Watch this video, which expands on doing deficit deadlifts, breathing, and pushing against the floor:

#9. Do Not Lift More Weight than You Can Handle

This should be a no-brainer, but we all have egos.

Stay focused on progressive overload; gradually increasing your weight in the deadlift while always practicing the best form possible.

Use a beginner deadlift program and workout routine to focus on training and recording your workouts.

If your ego seduces you to deadlift more weight than you can handle, you risk wrecking your back instead of getting stronger.

This is no joke; increase your weight gradually, 2.5 to 5 pounds a training session, and only when you feel comfortable and strong.

Even if you know you can handle the weight you are about to deadlift, you are inviting lower back pain into your life if you do not learn how to warm up for deadlifts properly.

If you do not have time to warm up, you do not have time to deadlift!

#10. Foam Roll to Prevent Deadlift Lower Back Pain

Foam rolling is an excellent alternative to getting a massage to release muscle tension.

A good foam roller will increase blood flow, improve range of motion, promote recovery after a workout, and help decrease your risk of injury.

See my post on the best Fitness Gear for specific foam rollers.

Deadlift lower back pain prevention with foam roller graphics credit https://acutegraphics.co.uk

In summary, these are the 10 best ways to help prevent lower back pain after deadlifts.

Lower Back Pain After Deadlift – Wrapping Up

Can you experience lower back pain after deadlifts?

Or can only closing your door cause lower back pain?

The answer is yes to both.

In fact, you can throw out your back doing almost anything.

The goal, though, is to build a stronger back and body with deadlifts.

If you focus on proper deadlift form, you will be much more resistant to experiencing lower back pain from deadlifts.

As you continue to deadlift with great form, you are going to get much stronger and fitter and keep melting the fat off your body until you transform into the fit person you want to be.

Therefore, you need to know the best preventative measures against lower back pain from the deadlift.

And you need to know it now before you do your next set of lifting a dead weight off the ground.

What’s Next

By now, you know how critical proper technique is for safe and effective deadlifting.

To accomplish this, learn how to perform the perfect deadlift setup:

How to Deadlift Like a Boss In 5 Simple Steps

and if you currently have back pain or are prone to lower back injury but still want to work the deadlift muscles, use these 15 Best Deadlift Alternatives that Will Protect Your Back

Lower Back Pain After Deadlift: 10 Ways to Prevent It

Is Lower Back Pain After Deadlifts Normal?

What Causes Lower Back Pain from Deadlifting?