Can I lift weights with lower back pain?
Yes. Unless there is a medical reason not to, lower back pain doesn’t mean you need to stop lifting weights.
It means you need to choose appropriate exercises, adjust how you perform them and build up from a starting point you can manage.
Lower back pain is something I work with every day, and it is probably the most common niggle clients come to me with. Some have never trained before. Others have been lifting for years but don't seem to be able to get on top of it.
I have a track record of helping clients overcome recurring lower back pain and return to lifting confidently. Often they arrive nervous about lifting anything at all and go on to squat, deadlift and pick up heavy things regularly without their back being a concern.
For me, the answer is to change how you train, then gradually build your strength and confidence.
Should I stop lifting weights if my lower back hurts?
Firstly, if an exercise causes back pain during a session, stop that exercise and make a change.
That might mean reducing the weight, changing the movement, choosing another exercise or giving it a rest. It doesn’t automatically mean abandoning the whole workout.
There is also a distinction between feeling your lower-back muscles working and experiencing back pain.
Your lower-back muscles need training like the rest of your body. Feeling them contribute to an exercise isn’t automatically a problem, although you may be particularly sensitive to that feeling if you have a history of back pain.
A practical rule I use with exercises such as squats and Romanian deadlifts is that your lower back shouldn’t feel as though it is doing most of the work.
If your legs are working hard and your back is contributing, that can be normal. If your back is taking over while your legs seem to be doing very little, stop and reassess the exercise.
For the wider approach to pain during training, read What should I do if something hurts while I’m training?
When should I see a physio before lifting weights?
I can’t give you a rule in an article that assesses every possible back problem. But I can give you a practical starting point.
If there has been a distinct injury or sudden episode, get it assessed before trying to train your way through it.
Perhaps you fell off your bike, or picked something up and felt your back suddenly go. That is different from a familiar niggle you’ve been managing for some time.
A physio can assess the problem and help establish what you should do next. Strength exercises will often form part of that process.
For recurring niggles, I will often start by assessing what someone can comfortably do and adapting their training around that.
If you’re uncertain which situation you’re in, get assessed. You don’t need to guess.
Can strength training help my lower back pain?
Yes. I regularly see it help.
Many clients arrive with recurring back niggles and very little confidence in their ability to lift weights. Through targeted training, they become stronger, move more comfortably and eventually stop thinking about their back all the time.
Depending on the person, we might work on:
Glute and hamstring strength.
Upper-back movement and strength.
Core strength and bracing.
Mobility that is limiting how they move.
These are areas I frequently find need attention. The programme depends on what we find when we assess the individual.
I have clients who initially worried about lifting any weight and now deadlift their body weight or more. They squat and pick heavy things up from the floor confidently.
Strength training can also help someone return to exercise after a more significant injury has been assessed. We can adapt the programme, work on movements they tolerate and help them maintain strength while they recover.
What exercises can I do without aggravating my lower back?
I think about exercise selection in three levels. The first is to keep the demand on your lower back low while still training the rest of your body.
For your lower body, that might mean:
For your upper body, use benches and machines to provide support:
The aim is to find exercises you can perform comfortably and confidently.
You can get a worthwhile workout without making your lower back the limiting factor. That matters, particularly if previous setbacks have made you nervous about going to the gym.
How do I start strengthening my lower back?
Once those exercises feel comfortable, introduce movements that ask your back and trunk to contribute a little more.
For your lower body, that could include:
Reverse lunges with a slight forward lean.
For your upper body and core, that might mean:
Three-point rows, where you lean forward but still have support.
Kneeling Arnold presses, where your trunk stabilises you as you press overhead.
This is a useful place to stay for a while. You can build substantial strength here while gradually bringing your back into your training again.
There is no need to rush towards the most demanding exercises.
How do I get back to lifting heavier weights after back pain?
Eventually, you may want to deliberately challenge your back with exercises that ask more of it.
Depending on the person, that could include back squats, trap-bar deadlifts or a leg press. For the upper body and core, it might mean bent-over rows, standing barbell overhead presses or ab wheel rollouts.
At this stage, loading and stabilising through your back is part of the intention. You are building its capacity to handle more.
You don’t have to reach this level to benefit from strength training. Some of these exercises might sound completely unappealing when you start.
But after months of comfortable, consistent training, you may feel differently.
The progression is straightforward: start with what you can manage, gradually involve your back more, then build its strength and resilience.
For the wider approach to staying strong as you age, read How do I get stronger as I get older?
Can I squat with lower back pain?
With mild symptoms, certain squat variations can be useful. I would usually start with a front-loaded squat, such as a goblet squat or front squat, particularly with the heels elevated.
That setup can help you keep your torso more upright, reducing how far you need to lean forward.
The other thing I watch is whether you shift from one side to the other.
Use a mirror to check that your hips stay level and your legs work evenly as you squat. If you consistently shift onto one side, I would treat that as a failed rep and adjust the exercise.
My own benchmark is that there is no need to progress to back squats until you can perform 20 full-depth goblet squats with half your body weight.
That is my coaching preference. You can get a lot out of goblet squats before you need to put a bar on your back.
With more substantial back pain, I would leave squats aside initially and use the single-leg options described earlier.
Can I deadlift with lower back pain?
It depends which deadlift you mean.
I rarely programme conventional straight-bar deadlifts. Unless a client specifically wants to do them, I don’t think the risk-to-reward balance makes them a necessary choice.
They require skill, practice and a setup that suits the person. Most people don’t need them to get stronger, look better or stay capable as they age.
If someone has back pain, I wouldn’t choose a conventional deadlift.
A trap-bar deadlift is a different proposition. It allows a more upright position and is generally easier to learn because you don’t have to move a straight bar around your legs.
Once someone is comfortable and no longer experiencing back pain, it is an exercise I use a lot to build strength.
For mild symptoms, a Romanian deadlift can be a useful earlier option, provided it feels comfortable and you can control it.
It trains the hinge movement while working your glutes, hamstrings, upper back and core. There are two programming rules I use here.
First, no grip assistance. I want your hands to help limit the load and the length of the set. I don’t want straps allowing you to carry on after your grip and position would otherwise have told you to stop.
Second, use a normal, controlled tempo. I wouldn’t deliberately slow the reps down. That adds time spent holding the bent-over position, which increases the demand on your back.
Move smoothly, feel the stretch and maintain your position.
If symptoms are more than mild, I would leave deadlift variations out and return to the earlier exercise options.
What should I do if my lower back hurts during an exercise?
Stop and work out what needs changing.
Sharp or stabbing pain, radiating pain, spasming or a pronounced one-sided discomfort are reasons I would stop the exercise.
Don’t try to prove you can finish the set.
But remember the distinction between pain and muscular effort. Your back can work during an exercise without the exercise being wrong.
The practical question is whether it feels like a controlled contribution or whether your back is taking over.
If your lower back is doing more work than the muscles you intended to train, change the technique, reduce the demand or choose another exercise.
If you cannot confidently tell the difference between muscular effort and pain, get help assessing the movement.
What should I do if my lower back hurts after a workout?
Discomfort later that day or the following day needs a slightly different approach.
For a mild, familiar niggle, don’t immediately throw the entire programme away. Identify the most likely culprit and change one thing at a time.
That might mean improving the technique on an exercise or replacing it with a more appropriate option.
Changing everything makes it harder to understand what caused the problem and what helped.
Make a deliberate adjustment, then assess the response. If you’re uncertain about the symptoms, return to the question of getting assessed rather than guessing.
Can a personal trainer help me train around lower back pain?
Yes. But be careful about who you trust your back to.
I have had plenty of clients tell me they tried personal training, explained their back problem and initially felt fine. Then the intensity increased too quickly, their back flared up and they lost confidence again.
There is pressure on a trainer to deliver a workout that feels like a workout. Some lack the confidence to explain that the first few sessions may feel underwhelming because we are deliberately establishing a starting point.
A good trainer needs to be prepared to tell you that.
For more on choosing the right support, read How do I find a good personal trainer?
When someone comes to me with lower back pain, I start with their exercise history, injury history and what they feel comfortable doing.
We then assess basic, unloaded movements: a hinge, squat, lunge, rotation, core activation and bracing. That helps establish where they should start along the progression described above.
If there is uncertainty, I am happy to start at the beginning. You can still train productively while keeping the demand on your back low.
From there, communication matters. You should understand:
What you should and shouldn’t be feeling.
Why we have chosen each exercise.
What alternatives are available.
What comes next and how we decide when you’re ready.
My job is to remove the guesswork and help you train, get stronger and get fitter.
I consistently help people overcome recurring back pain through that process. It comes from choosing an appropriate starting point, addressing what needs work and progressing without rushing.
If you want help putting that into practice, I offer personal training in Kentish Town. Get in touch to arrange a free consultation.
