Best strategy to protect your back during squats and deadlifts

We are big supporters of including squats and deadlifts in any workout regimen. Both of these exercises are big compound movements, which target multiple muscle groups in the body and provide great functional benefit. Despite the benefits, a lot of us avoid doing these two lifts because of the dangers of injury. The biggest fear most of us have is in injuring our back. Both Squats and Deadlifts put enormous amounts of compressive force on the lower back even when the lift is performed correctly. This can cause soreness in the back, which may last for many days.

To understand what causes this discomfort in the back let’s understand the spine. The spine is made up of a series of bones called vertebrae stacked on top of each other (see figure below). The vertebrae are separated by soft material called intervertebral disks. These disks act as cushions between the vertebrae and absorb all the shocks while running or lifting weights.

While squatting, deadlifting or doing any other heavy lifting, these disks are compressed. Each disk consists of a soft inner part and a hard outer part. If the disk is compressed beyond a certain level the soft part of the disk might protrude out and compress the spinal nerves, resulting in pain and discomfort. This situation is known as herniated slip… Best strategy to protect your back during squats and deadlifts — Kaa-Yaa