Is rounding your back bad for you [when deadlifting]?
One of the biggest points of contention around deadlifting is whether or not barbell deadlift is safe for you. Within that, there are a lot of conversations about whether or not allowing your lower back to round is safe or not.
Let's talk about it.
Recently, I came across a post that was discussing whether or not we should deadlift from the ground, even if that means we'll round our lower backs a little bit.
The argument was that if someone doesn't have pain, and they need to be able to pick things up from ground level, then we should allow them to train deadlifts from the ground.
This concept makes sense on the surface, and there are a few extra considerations for a large percentage of the population. Let's talk about them.
Let me start by saying that a rounded spine is not inherently bad for you, and "neutral spine" means something slightly different for every human. That being said, the most important thing here is being able to CONTROL and TOLERATE whatever position your spine is in.
If you deadlift when a neutral spine and you can't tolerate loaded hinging (deadlifts) in general because of weakness, then it still may hurt.
If you deadlift with a slightly rounded spine and you can tolerate it, and control it well, it likely won't bother you.
No position, pattern, or exercise is inherently bad for you. Instead, it's the positions, patterns, or exercises that you are unprepared for.
For example: walking. If I walk the 2.5mi loop next to my house, I will have no issues. If I go out and walk from here (Denver) to Montana, I will likely have some aches and pains. Is walking bad for me? No. Is walking 300 miles bad for me? No.
The reason I would get pain from walking 300 miles, is because my body is not prepared to do so. If I were to spend the next 6-12 months slowly building up my tolerance to longer and longer distances, I suppose walking 300 miles would end up feeling fine.
The same goes for deadlifting (or deadlifting with a slightly rounded spine). If someone has not done much barbell deadlifting from the floor, it would be fair to say that we need to start light and with low reps, so they don't get hurt. Should that person spend the next 3 months practicing, and slowly increasing reps/weight, all would be fine, presumably.
...but what if someone is already in pain, or their lower back tends to be more sensitive to being rounded/flexed, or it gets cranky when they go a bit heavier?
For that person, it makes total sense to find an alternative to barbell deadlifting from the floor, for now.
We can use a variety of adjustments to give someone access to a hinge (deadlift) that will allow them to work hard without creating discomfort. For example, adjusting the "floor height" based on anatomy and pain makes sense when trying to give someone access to a hinge, who has been avoiding that pattern due to fear/pain.
Then, over time, using progressive overload and repeated exposure, we can help them gain the ability to deadlift from the floor again.
At the same time, even if a person gains the ability to deadlift from the floor without pain, they may find that an alternative form of hinging feels best when it's time to go heavy.
So, when it's time to go heavy, they do so with their adjusted deadlift set-up (elevated trap bar deadlift). Meanwhile, they are also doing accessory work with lighter loads, that will put them into deeper ranges of motion, and expose them to some rounding of the lower back (deficit kettlebell RDL or Jefferson curl). Now, they are getting stronger AND still gaining the pain-free ability to pick sh*t up from the ground.
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At the end of the day, you need to do what feels right for you. Sometimes nothing feels right. If that's the case, it's time to take a deeper dive into what's limiting you and figure out where to get started.
I do this by taking folks through an in-depth movement screen. With that information, I will choose adjusted movement patterns that will allow them to train hard without repercussions. Over time, we'll do the necessary corrective work to address limitations, and slowly get that person back to being able to do virtually all the things without fear or apprehension.
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If you found this helpful, I'd love to know. Shoot me an email (hello@tylerkallasy.com) ad tell me what you liked about it so that I can continue to share similar content.
If you'd like to discuss working 1-on-1 with me to finally move beyond your pains and limitations, then CLICK HERE to learn more about what I do and fill out the form.
