Is Squatting Bad For Your Back?

Is squatting bad for your back?

You know, you’ve probably heard conflicting things from different people, with some having horror stories about how squats have destroyed their back and others saying the complete opposite. So what’s the deal? Should you do ’em?
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Well, it depends…

When people complain about lower back pain from squats, they’re most commonly referring to barbell back squats, a popular squat variation that’s so named because the lifter performs a squat motion with a loaded barbell resting across the back of their shoulders. What may be problematic here for individuals with preexisting back issues is that squat exercises such as this that load the weight on the rear of the body have a higher likelihood of exacerbating those issues due to greater involvement of the lower back than variations of the squat where the weight is loaded elsewhere and the posterior chain isn’t as emphasized. Something else to consider is the increased potential of rear-loaded squats to cause the torso to lean too far forward, a position that places further stress on the spine in addition to the load of the weight that’s directly on top of it. So when squatting with a history of back problems, those are the things that make it likely for one to experience back pain from squatting and then point the finger at squats for their jacked up back when they had a jacked up back well before doing squats. To prevent you from being a shining display of why logic should occupy a much larger space in public school curriculum than it currently does, it might behoove you to forego barbell back squats and other similar movements in favor of one of the many squat variations that limit forward torso lean and don’t place as much of a direct load on the spine, like front squats, goblet squats, landmine squats, suitcase squats, Jefferson squats, and Bulgarian split squats, for example.⁣

Now, with that said that you might be served to refrain from back squats if you already have back pain, that might not be a good idea because one of the best remedies for back pain is back squats. See, when not caused by a herniated disc or a degenerative condition such as osteoporosis or arthritis, back pain is most often caused by weak hips and glutes. In those cases, being that back pain is the result of a strength imbalance, that means that the solution to the problem of back pain is to strengthen those muscles that are contributing to it. So as counterintuitive as it is, back squats, one of the most effective exercises for lower body development, might actually be beneficial. The caveat here is that if you do elect to back squat when back pain is already present, then you might want to lower the intensity and bump up the volume.¹*cough*lift lighter weight for more reps*cough*⁣

Squatting with already present back problems might make things worse. But then again, it might make things better. As for squatting without a history of back problems, it’s far-fetched that any variation of the squat will give you back pain by virtue of the exercise alone.²Turning up like Quasimodo, however, is a different story. That is, if you’re performing back squats and pushing relatively heavy poundages like that of a powerlifter or pro bodybuilder, as the load can compress the vertebral discs over time, leading to problems.⁣ Luckily for you, you’re an average lifter and that’s not something that the average lifter has to worry about! That’s because as is the case with virtually any exercise, squats are relatively safe when performed properly and any discomfort felt during or after is a sign that you’re more than likely doing the exercise incorrectly or have a mobility or structural flaw that needs to be identified and resolved before continuing. Basically, when performing a squat of any kind with an otherwise healthy back, the experience of lower back pain is feedback of your body’s attempt to compensate for the load and failure to address the technical error and/or faulty movement patterns and postural issues that are responsible is what results in the pain worsening from acute to chronic.

There are many benefits that come with squats and why you should incorporate them into your routine. However, there’s a lot of concern about whether or not squats are worth it. As we’ve seen here briefly, reasons not to do squats for fear of back injury are unfounded save for a few exceptions that have nothing to do with the exercise itself, such as lifting in footwear with poor arch support, not properly bracing the core throughout the entire exercise, squatting further than you can go naturally while still maintaining a neutral spine, and using too much fucking weight, for example.