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Brian Stone · 02-24-2009, 05:30 PM

I did a primarily Press / Push Press workout tonight. Let me start by saying that I'm new to these movements so I've been trying to pick up all I can re: proper mechanics from videos and articles (CFJ primarily).

Since done in that order, my question would be with regards to compression of the lower back. I found that my lower back began to feel very tight and sore sooner than my shoulders, which I found a little surprising. Granted, I expect there to be a great deal of compressive force generated by overhead loads (obviously), but I would have suspected that the surrounding musculature would withstand this to a reasonable degree.

How normal is this? Looking back, I didn't put any real focus into holding a deep breath prior to the lift, which was a mistake. Positioning of my hands may also be slightly off with regards to both bar grip placement as well as elbow / wrist alignment through the lift.

What kind of lower back stress should I expect, reasonably? Are there exercises I should be doing to obviate this pain in the long run by strengthening the area in question? I regularly do back extensions (daily) and deadlift probably about as often as I press, but these motions don't intuitively seem to translate to the type of stability that I seek.

I could go on, but that's enough for now. Thoughts / comments? Thanks in advance for any insight.

02-24-2009, 05:30 PM	#1
Brian Stone Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, CT Posts: 502	Questions on the press I did a primarily Press / Push Press workout tonight. Let me start by saying that I'm new to these movements so I've been trying to pick up all I can re: proper mechanics from videos and articles (CFJ primarily). Since done in that order, my question would be with regards to compression of the lower back. I found that my lower back began to feel very tight and sore sooner than my shoulders, which I found a little surprising. Granted, I expect there to be a great deal of compressive force generated by overhead loads (obviously), but I would have suspected that the surrounding musculature would withstand this to a reasonable degree. How normal is this? Looking back, I didn't put any real focus into holding a deep breath prior to the lift, which was a mistake. Positioning of my hands may also be slightly off with regards to both bar grip placement as well as elbow / wrist alignment through the lift. What kind of lower back stress should I expect, reasonably? Are there exercises I should be doing to obviate this pain in the long run by strengthening the area in question? I regularly do back extensions (daily) and deadlift probably about as often as I press, but these motions don't intuitively seem to translate to the type of stability that I seek. I could go on, but that's enough for now. Thoughts / comments? Thanks in advance for any insight.