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Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 5:31 pm
by Gavster
Heavy deadlifts without warming up first are incredibly good for back pain. Almost guaranteed pain.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 5:45 pm
by jamcg
Gavster wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 5:31 pm
Heavy deadlifts without warming up first are incredibly good for back pain. Almost guaranteed pain.
Remember to lock out those knees before lifting for maximum fuckery
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 8:14 pm
by Sundayjumper
Based on recent* research, replacing ARB bushes is good for back pain.
* this afternoon
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 8:59 pm
by V8Granite
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?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:18 pm
by V8Granite
Also do double overhand, not over and under, seen a chap tear his bicep clean away, nearly had me vomit
Dave!
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2025 11:31 pm
by Jimmy Choo
These days, a particularly vigorous fart can cause back pain.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 7:31 am
by dinny_g
I turned slightly in my recliner on Saturday evening and I’m now one wrong move away from total, temporary paralysis
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:06 am
by Rich B
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:11 am
by GG.
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:21 am
by dan
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!
2x bodyweight is about right.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:25 am
by GG.
dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:21 am
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!
2x bodyweight is about right.
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?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:44 am
by 240PP
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”
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:50 am
by DeskJockey
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:08 am
by dan
GG. wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:25 am
dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:21 am
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!
2x bodyweight is about right.
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!
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:43 am
by Ascender
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:55 am
by Swervin_Mervin
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.
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.
These days though I can quite easily just wake up with pain

I think it was Mickey Flanagan that once said that 35 was the worst age, because that's when you stop getting injuries from doing things, and start waking up with them.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:57 am
by Gavster
dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:08 am
GG. wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:25 am
dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:21 am
2x bodyweight is about right.
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!
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 10:09 am
by Mito Man
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 10:37 am
by speedingfine
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.
Re: Which exercise is best for back pain?
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2025 10:39 am
by V8Granite
dan wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:21 am
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!
2x bodyweight is about right.
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!