You hit the squat rack ready to train your legs, but instead you walk away with a lower back that hurts after squats. Sound familiar?

Many lifters face this issue, and it often sparks questions like “Was my form off?” “Did I go too heavy?” “Am I hurting myself?”

Instead of guessing, let’s break down what might really be happening? 

In this post, you’ll learn the most common reasons back pain shows up after squats, what you should (and shouldn’t) do about it, and how to fix the root cause so you can keep training with confidence.

Why your lower back may hurt after squats

Improper bracing & breathing techniques: By properly bracing and breathing you allow your body to activate and use muscles that act as the body’s built in back brace. By expanding your ribcage and breathing 360 degrees, you create pressure that stabilizes your spine. Without it, energy leaks into your lower back, often showing up as strain or pain and causing a lower back that hurts after squats.

Lack of control throughout the movement: When you perform a squat without control, the lower back usually ends up taking the brunt of the load. This can look like dropping too quickly into the bottom position of a squat, bouncing out of the hole, or rushing through reps. All of these things make it harder for you to keep your core braced and your spine stable. Slowing down and owning each phase of the movement helps shift stress away from your spine.

Muscle imbalances: When certain muscles are weak or underactive (like hip stabilizers) other areas (often the lower back) are forced to pick up the slack or compensate. This compensation can overload the spine leading to irritation or pain over time. 

Mobility restrictions: The most common mobility restrictions that causes a lower back that hurts after squats are restrictions in hip, ankle or thoracic spine. When your body can’t move where it needs to, it’ll find a way around the restriction. Often by rounding or arching through the lower back. 

Load management: Even with good form, poor load management can push your body past its capacity. Lifting a high volume of weight isn’t bad for your body. It’s lifting a high volume of weight that your body isn’t prepared for that can lead to issues

What to do immediately if your lower back hurts after squats

• Stop and Take a Breath: It’s sometimes hard to understand or know what’s going on when you’re experiencing low back pain in the gym and that can be scary. Before anything else it’s important to stop and take a breath. Your body’s natural reaction is to tense up and go on high alert. Unfortunately, that often makes pain feel worse. So focusing on your breathing and even doing some 90/90 breathing can be very helpful to start 

• Assess: Acknowledge and assess how you’re actually feeling. Ask yourself:
  • Is the pain sharp, achy or is it dull muscle soreness?
  • What intensity is the pain? From a scale of 0-10. Not all pain with movement is bad. And if the pain is a 1-4 this is what we consider our “safe zone” however you still may want to make modifications. If the pain is above a 4 I recommend modifying or holding off on that movement for now

• Make necessary adjustments: If you notice pain your first reaction shouldn’t be to stop the movement all together. Ask yourself if there’s a modification or tweak you can make to continue the movement with less load or stress on your back. I recommend:
  • Modifying the load 
  • Shorten the range of motion (box or bench) 
  • Slowing down the movement 
  • Swapping out a different version (Goblet squat) 

• Continue moving: If you try making an adjustment and the adjustments are still causing significant pain (greater than the 4/10) then it might make sense to temporarily remove that exercise from your routine. However, this does not mean you need to stop exercising altogether to avoid working out. You can continue to do any movements that don’t increase symptoms above baseline, including lifting. If most lifting movements aggravate symptoms I recommend reaching out to a professional.

• Watch for red flags: If you notice sharp pain, pain that radiates down your leg, numbness or tingling, or pain that doesn’t go away after a few days these could be signs your back needs more attention than just rest or modifications. I recommend reaching out to a professional you trust to get a consultation or evaluation. At Rise Performance and Physical Therapy we can perform a free virtual or in-person consult with you to help you determine what the best next steps would be 

Corrective exercises to help address a lower back that hurts after squats 

Finally, building strength in the deep core muscle is another way to decrease your risk of experiencing a lower back that hurts after squats. Dead bugs, bird dogs and this Pallof press variation are great ways to strengthen your deeper core muscles 

Takeaways 

Low back pain after squatting can feel discouraging, but it doesn’t have to keep you from training the way you want. Low back pain with squats can come from breakdowns in form, mobility restrictions, or strength imbalances that place extra stress on the spine. 

The good news is that with the right adjustments, you can get back to squatting with confidence. Remember to listen to your body, make small changes where needed, and use corrective exercises to support your core, hips, and squat mechanics.

If your low back pain isn’t improving, keeps showing up after workouts, or limits you from moving the way you want, that’s a sign you could benefit from consulting with a rehab or movement professional. 

This is exactly what we help active adults with every day at Rise Performance and Physical Therapy. Book a call with us and let’s create a plan that helps you move pain-free, not just with squats, but with every activity you love.