Which exercise is best for back pain?
- Gavster
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Heavy deadlifts without warming up first are incredibly good for back pain. Almost guaranteed pain.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Remember to lock out those knees before lifting for maximum fuckeryGavster wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 5:31 pm Heavy deadlifts without warming up first are incredibly good for back pain. Almost guaranteed pain.
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Based on recent* research, replacing ARB bushes is good for back pain.
* this afternoon
* this afternoon
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Depends on what people class as heavy 
It’s very very very normally not weight but technique. I’d warm up with 100kg and just be slow and smooth.
Dave!
It’s very very very normally not weight but technique. I’d warm up with 100kg and just be slow and smooth.
Dave!
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Also do double overhand, not over and under, seen a chap tear his bicep clean away, nearly had me vomit
Dave!
Dave!
- Jimmy Choo
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
These days, a particularly vigorous fart can cause back pain.
Banal Vapid Platitudes
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
I turned slightly in my recliner on Saturday evening and I’m now one wrong move away from total, temporary paralysis
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
i think the last time i hurt my back was doing the washing up. Just standing there but leaning slightly down to get my hands to sink height and reaching slightly over to one side.
then the irony is to fix it, i went downhill mountain biking.
then the irony is to fix it, i went downhill mountain biking.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Yes I sadly am getting to that age too - just standing for a prolonged period causes discomfort and bending over sometimes triggers twinges of sciatic pain

Playing prop forward during my youth clearly accelerated this process unfortunately.
Playing prop forward during my youth clearly accelerated this process unfortunately.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
2x bodyweight is about right.V8Granite wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 8:59 pm Depends on what people class as heavy
It’s very very very normally not weight but technique. I’d warm up with 100kg and just be slow and smooth.
Dave!
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
I was taking that as a dig that Dave’s figure should be 250kg but maybe that was not intended…
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
One of the blokes at 5 a side (over 40’s) was missing last week. He explained he’d done his back in. I asked him how the injury occurred, lifting something, falling etc.
“I was putting my jeans on”
“I was putting my jeans on”
- DeskJockey
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
A former manager did his back in bending down to pick up a sock. He was in agony for several weeks!
I used to get lower back pain from sitting too much, so bought a balance board to activate my core more when standing and working. I've also got a daily five minute stretch/twist/turn routine to loosen things up.
I used to get lower back pain from sitting too much, so bought a balance board to activate my core more when standing and working. I've also got a daily five minute stretch/twist/turn routine to loosen things up.
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
GG. wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:25 am
I was taking that as a dig that Dave’s figure should be 250kg but maybe that was not intended…
No I mean its just relative to your bodyweight, if you can deadlift 2x then you're doing pretty well!
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
I did some damage to my back when running ultras. Or more accurately, falling over during ultras so have some bulging discs and degenerative disc disease.
It's been ok recently when doing more running but doing anything out of the ordinary can make it flare up. I did a couple of days clearing the loft in the old house which was lots of twisting and turning through rafters and beams. Had a sore back for about a month after that. Amazing how sore and uncomfortable it was.
It's been ok recently when doing more running but doing anything out of the ordinary can make it flare up. I did a couple of days clearing the loft in the old house which was lots of twisting and turning through rafters and beams. Had a sore back for about a month after that. Amazing how sore and uncomfortable it was.
Cheers,
Mike.
Mike.
- Swervin_Mervin
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
This is what used to get me before we had the kitchen done. It's amazing how just a marginal increase in worktop height, and not having a Belfast sink, can make such a difference.Rich B wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:06 am i think the last time i hurt my back was doing the washing up. Just standing there but leaning slightly down to get my hands to sink height and reaching slightly over to one side.
then the irony is to fix it, i went downhill mountain biking.
These days though I can quite easily just wake up with pain
- Gavster
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Exactly! It’s all relative and also how long you’ve been lifting. Someone only a few weeks into lifting with poor form could absolutely batter themselves lifting 1x their body weight.dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:08 am![]()
No I mean its just relative to your bodyweight, if you can deadlift 2x then you're doing pretty well!
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
I’ve always had a pretty crap back, even when I was in my teens I’d wake up stiff. Progressively got worse but then I took up going to the gym and doing weights which made it much better.
Even now though if I’m too busy or ill and skip gym for a week mornings become a real struggle. Like faff about in an awkward position trying to put on socks struggle.
Even now though if I’m too busy or ill and skip gym for a week mornings become a real struggle. Like faff about in an awkward position trying to put on socks struggle.
How about not having a sig at all?
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speedingfine
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
I always feel like deadlifts are a high risk activity for someone with a dodgy lower back like me. (Ibruprofen gel is a godsend, often) Am I wrong? Should I be doing light ones? I do plenty of squats, swim, cycle and run a lot already
Ta.
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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Yep that’s getting there.
3 x 3 at 210, not gone for a PB but it would embarrassingly need to be 260 now
Dave!