Weightlifting with Lower Back Pain and Herniated Disc

Depending on how you injured your lower back or herniated your spinal disc to begin with, weightlifting may be the last thing on your mind. If you were someone who didn’t lift weights prior to your injury, then dealing with back pain might keep you away from lifting all together. If you were into strength training, then there is a decent chance that your injury occurred during a workout. In either case, most people with bulging discs are not necessarily rushing back to the gym to squat and deadlift, and those who are chomping at the bit to start back up with their lifting routine may have concerns about further injuries. Although those who have strained or herniated discs in their back shouldn’t rush back into heavy lifting immediately following an injury, it is my belief that approached correctly, a consistent strength training routine can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle for those with back problems. As always though, make sure to consult a physician prior to beginning a new routine in the wake of an injury.

Take Your Time

Weightlifting isn’t something you should rush back to after injuring your spine. Check out my article on what to do in the immediate aftermath of lower back strain or disc herniation. Similar to how I recommend easing back into running, you should take some time before beginning or resuming your weight training. I strongly recommend pursuing bodyweight training for 2-3 months after an injury. Look into my post about the best bodyweight exercises for strained backs and bulging discs. Also, think about doing some swimming as well, as it’s an excellent exercise for alleviating lower back pain. There’s plenty to keep you busy while you plan your return to strength training, and no need to sit around idle and bummed out that you can’t lift.

The Two Key Elements to Lifting Safely

Strong Core

As you consider beginning or returning to a lifting routine 2-3 months after your initial injury, there are two things I would for sure do before hitting the gym. The first is building up your core. A strong and solid core is key to keeping yourself injury free while lifting heavy weights. Developing your core muscles will pay dividends in other areas of your life, and will help keep you pain free if you suffer from a bulging disc, but it will be absolutely necessary if you hope to perform heavy compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts. See my tips on strengthening your core here. To help your core out, grab a weight belt to help stabilize your torso and spine while performing heavy compound lifts. 

The final component of the first element is learning the proper breathing techniques for lifting. This will unify the positive effects of the core work you’ve been doing along with the benefits of the weight belt. I’ll describe the technique here, but it’s worth seeking out some help from a lifting coach, trainer or just someone at the gym who looks like they know what they’re doing. In short, proper breathing technique for lifting heavy starts in your stomach, or at least it should feel that way. When you breathe in, let your abdomen expand and direct your inhaled breath there. Once you have inhaled, exhale just a tiny amount, just enough to allow you to bear down on the air in your abdomen. Hold this breath in while performing your exercise for one to two repetitions. When you need more oxygen, find a stable position with your exercise (fully upright during squats, weight on the ground during deadlifts etc.) and repeat the breathing exercise. Breathing in such a manner will create a pocket of air inside your body that will keep your spine, muscles and organs where they should be even while under heavy strain. This will help you keep from suffering further back pain or herniated disc!

Seek Guidance from a Physical Therapist

The second thing I would strongly recommend as you consider a return to weightlifting after a lower back injury is consulting a physical therapist. There are a number of ways a physical therapist can help, but the most important thing they can help with is assessing some of your underlying biomechanical issues that led to your injury in the first place. When you lift with a bulging disc, you want to make sure that you are keeping your existing injury managed while avoiding future injuries. Those who herniate their discs to begin with likely had a seemingly unrelated issue that contributed to their injury. For myself, it was a pelvic tilt; that is, my pelvis was out of alignment, causing me to move asymmetrically and unnaturally, especially while lifting. Within a single session of physical therapy, the therapist I was working with had managed to fix my pelvic tilt, and provide me with exercises to keep this issue from recurring. Not only did I feel immediately better but I actually had less back pain following that and subsequent sessions than I did before herniating my L5S1 disc. In the following months and years, I returned safely to lifting, even exceeding my previous weight records!

Returning to Lifting

Once you are ready to make your big comeback, you’ll want to make sure to really ease back into your strength training routine. Definitely don’t jump back in and attempt weights and volumes that you were doing before. Instead, start back from square one, and pick a progression that ramps up as you get back into things. I personally really like Stronglifts 5×5. Stronglifts starts you off at a low enough weight for squats, deadlifts, overhead press and bench press where you can complete 5 sets of 5 repetitions each. Once you have successfully completed a workout, you add 5 pounds to that lift during your next workout. There are of course other programs, but whichever program you choose, err on the side of starting at very light weights. Although it’s not a great ego boost, starting light will allow you to focus on technique early on. This will be extremely valuable as you start to increase the weight at which you’re working. Having been away from the gym for some time, you will still likely be sore from relatively low weights, and you will progress much faster than you expect. Continue to build your core muscles and perform your stretches. Don’t be afraid to deload the weight at which you’re working out, or even replace a weighted workout with a bodyweight exercise workout. These can be great for improving the strength and resiliency of your soft and connective tissues. And definitely don’t neglect your stretching, or other exercises provided to you by a trainer or physical therapist.

Consider Modified Versions of your Lifts

For those of us who are really into weightlifting, the four most popular exercises by far are the squat, deadlift, overhead press and bench press. These compound exercises work a number of muscles at the same time, as compared to more isolation based exercises such as bicep curls and calf raises that really only hit a limited number of muscles focused in a certain area. For those of us who enjoy lifting but also suffer from bulging discs, some of these lifts can be dangerous to resume. However, with some modifications, these lifts can become safer for you and your condition, and can contribute to keeping you strong and healthy and potentially avoid further injuries.

Squats

Squatting is one of the best and most popular lower body exercises out there. When you squat, a significant portion of your body is engaged in keeping you stable, as well as in carrying out the descent and ascent motions. It’s a great exercise for your core, quads and glutes. However, given that you balance the weight on your upper body, this can create some pressure on your lower body. With the weight above your center of gravity, your torso acts like a lever arm to exert force on your lower back. Over the years, I have found a few replacements or modifications that can help you work back up to squatting after taking some time off.

Lunges

Lunges allow you to perform a similar movement to a squat without carrying heavy weight over your center of gravity. Holding two dumbbells with your arms straight down and by your side, step out with one leg, lowering the knee of the leg that stayed in place to the ground before stepping back up and then out with the previously lowered leg. 

Front Squats

Instead of balancing the barbell on your upper back as you would with traditional squats, balance the barbell on your shoulders and upper chest before squatting like normal. I’ve found that this variant of squats keeps pressure off of your lower back, which is great when working out with a herniated disc. Although you do support the weight partially with your arms and upper body, you are still squatting the full weight. This variant of squats works your quadriceps more than your glutes compared to a traditional squat, though your glutes get worked plenty in this exercise as well.

Safety Bar Squats

Of the squat variants, I’m covering the safety bar squat last because it might be the most difficult to access. It’s certainly not the most difficult exercise, in fact, I’ve found it to have some advantages over traditional squats. However, the safety bar used in the exercise might be hard to come by. Some gyms, especially powerlifting training centers, may have them available. However, other more mainstream gyms might not have any. If you are able to either locate or purchase a safety bar though, I highly recommend using one if you suffer from a herniated disc or from lower back pain. Although the safety bar sits on your upper back like a barbell during a traditional squat, the safety bar actually resembles the front squat in some ways. The safety bar is more naturally balanced to minimize the shear force on your lower back, which is highly beneficial for those with lower back pain or bulging discs. Although it is far closer to a conventional squat in terms of what muscles it works compared to a front squat, it is slightly different and those used to traditional squats may notice soreness in muscles that a normal squat wouldn’t affect.

Deadlift

For many casual gym goers, the deadlift is one of the most intimidating exercises out there. Not only is it a highly physical and demanding lift, it also has a reputation for high injury risk. For those lifting with lower back pain or herniated discs, the intimidation factor is magnified due to the high amount of torque that deadlifts put on the lower back. One of the reasons that deadlifts can be so difficult for those with lower back injuries is the way in which the weight is in front of the center of gravity of the person performing the exercise. That forward situated weight, along with the vulnerable position of the back while it’s bent, means that the barbell exerts considerable force directly on to the lower back, which can cause lower back pain, strain or even spinal disc herniations. For those new to lifting and with no pre-existing injuries, it is worth learning the proper way to perform this exercise to avoid injury. For those with existing injuries, modified versions of this exercise can provide you with most of the benefits without too much more risk of worsening your condition.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

When considering beginning or returning to deadlifting in the wake of a lower back injury, the dumbbell deadlift is a great starting point. Rather than using a barbell to perform the exercise, grab a modest dumbbell (say 30 lbs to start) and place it between your feet. Place your feet shoulder width apart, and lower yourself down to the dumbbell. Grab one end of the dumbbell and lift it up by raising yourself up to a standing position. Lower the weight back down and repeat. Although it’s not as impressive as performing deadlifts with a barbell, this variant will help your body learn the deadlift movement in a safe way that allows for natural progression. After a successful workout, increase your weight in whatever increment is available in the dumbbell set you are using. Once you have progressed to the heaviest weight available, you can consider switching to a more traditional barbell version of the deadlift.

Sumo Deadlifts

Sumo deadlifts utilize a conventional barbell. However, unlike a typical deadlift, you start with your feet further than shoulder width apart, and your feet and toes should point out at an angle rather than straight forward. Lowering yourself down to the barbell, grasp it with both hands shoulder width apart. You can either grasp the barbell with both palms facing you, or with one palm facing you and the other facing outwards in what’s known as a hook grip. Grasping the barbell, raise yourself to an upright position, keeping your core tight with the breathing technique I described earlier. Lower the weight back down, and repeat in accordance with your program and progression. Although very similar to a conventional deadlift, the sumo deadlift allows you to keep your back straighter, and keeps the weight you are lifting more in line with your center of gravity, reducing the force exerted on your lower back. Sumo deadlifts work your legs a little more than conventional deadlifts, but they certainly work your lower back as well while reducing risk of new lower back injuries or the aggravation of existing ones.

Hex Bar Deadlifts

Hex bar deadlifts are my favorite deadlift variant, but I have it last for the same reason I have safety bar squats last: it requires a piece of specialized equipment that is not necessarily widely available. I’ve found that more gyms have hex bars compared to those that carry safety bars, but it’s still not guaranteed that your gym will have one. The hex bar itself is a modified barbell. You can load weights on to either end like a barbell, however instead of a straight rod, the middle is a ringlike structure that you can step into. Usually there are handles that come out of the bar allowing for easy gripping. Performing deadlifts with a hex bar keeps the weight perfectly in line with your center of gravity. The weight will never be out in front of you like it would be for a conventional deadlift. Your back will also stay straighter and more upright, further reducing the force exerted on your lower back. The one downside to this deadlift variant is that it can be more difficult to grasp the handles on the hex bar compared to gripping a barbell. To help with this, you can purchase straps that wrap around your wrist and the handle, which will help you hang on to the bar as you complete your repetitions. 

Bench Press and Overhead Press

Unlike squats and deadlifts, bench and overhead press are not inherently taxing on your lower back. However, they are still complex compound exercises that work multiple areas of your body, so the risk of creating new or aggravating existing injuries is not zero. To ease into these lifts as a new lifter or as someone returning after some time off, it is worth starting light and even using dumbbells instead of barbells. This allows you to start even lighter, which although not great for the ego, will help you safely learn the movements of these exercises without overdoing it.

Wrapping Up

Returning to weightlifting when suffering from lower back pain or a bulging disc can be a daunting endeavor. There is certainly a risk that you will injure or reinjure yourself along the way. However, it is my firm belief that carried out properly and safely, weightlifting can be a highly beneficial addition to your fitness regimen. One of the best ways to reduce pain from existing injuries and reducing risk of further injuries is to build and increase your strength. Although there are other ways you can get stronger, lifting weights is an efficient and time effective way to build yourself up. Just make sure to strengthen your core, learn to breathe properly and don’t neglect your stretches or flexibility.