[Ged]

That's interesting to hear. What did deadlifts do to you? I've often toyed with the thought of giving it a go to help fix weak glute related back issues. I'd be interested to hear your experience

[abarro81]

Did something to my back, not a tweak at the time, just tired/sore the day after a session and went downhill for a few weeks then never been the same since. Nothing "wrong" with it now but still struggle with chronic pain issues and if I try to do much core work it spasms up. It's largely ok climbing, and I try to do some gentle core stuff to help it relearn that's ok, but trying hard on leg raises or levers or upside down sit ups or anything pisses it off again. Sitting in the car for >10min is sore more times than it isn't etc.

That all being said, some people with back problems do find that it helps them. Very individual I guess? In any case, be cautious if you do go down that route IMO. For me as someone trying to find a 0.1% gain on my climbing it certainly wasn't worth the risk!

[tomtom]

Ask ten different people who’ve had back problems and you’ll get ten different answers about what fixed it.

:D

Though a common theme is posture/seating/desk (all related etc..)

[User deactivated.]

That's interesting to hear. What did deadlifts do to you? I've often toyed with the thought of giving it a go to help fix weak glute related back issues. I'd be interested to hear your experience

Deadlifts are a funny one. Some people have no issues even with poor form and some get injured with perfect form. I must have been lucky as deadlifts actually cured my past back issues and I built up to pulling some pretty heavy weight. I'd agree though that the risk makes it not worth it for most people.

For weak glutes there are actually better exercises anyway. Loaded barbell hip thrusts are excellent if you have enough weights available (you go quite heavy!). Without weight, try the unloaded 1 leg version on the floor. Focus on fully opening up the hip joint at the top of each rep, if you aren't then the glutes aren't working fully and hamstrings will dominate. When you extend the non working leg fully forwards it creates a fair bit of resistance due to the leverage. Additionally, if you have somewhere to hook your feet under like a settee, try nordic curls (likely just negatives to start and make sure you're warmed up).

[Oldmanmatt]

Can I strongly recommend this guy again?

https://www.thesports.physio/

He mainly deals with educating practitioners, however the general level of knowledge of forum posters, makes that a reasonable level.
I don’t find his subscription onerous and he’s definitely worth following on Facebook.

I’ve been managing back issues, including a herniated disc, since a surfing accident in 1996 (I got drilled into a reef on a 2x overhead day and it was complicated by coral polyp infection). Apart from four epidurals (the last in early 99) I’ve managed it through exercise. It’s part of what motivated me to train as a rehab PT in the first place.
I am pain free, unless idle for too long (I mean idle for a few weeks, not hours). A lot of it comes down to maintenance of your Erector Spinae set.
Posture, is usually secondary to sedentary habits. Or, to put it another way, in the statement “long periods slouched at your desk”, the critical point is “long periods”, rather than “slouched”. Obviously, which aspect your circumstances allow you to mitigate, is another matter.
Muscle atrophy is a startlingly quick process, though, so regular and frequent exercise is critical.

[tomtom]

Mine cleared up after I bought a Volvo

15-20 years of on off back pain before that.

[cheque]

It’s funny how people are so specific about finger injuries but just say “I’ve hurt my back” with no further info like it’s a really simple thing. Probably why there are so many different things that work for different people- they’ve all injured (or are aggravating) a very complex structure in different ways.

I had a complete flexion-distraction fracture of the T9 with a broken sternum and 5 or 6 broken ribs too. Two (I think) of the ribs were in my back with the worst being the one that joins the T9 on the left which had a couple of months moving back into place before it could start healing . I had about 3 weeks flat on my back then another 7 or so with a back brace and a further couple of months when I was strictly banned from lifting or carrying anything. As you can imagine my entire core was as weak as it gets after that- first time I went to stand up from a sitting position on the side of the bed without the brace I simply couldn’t do it as my body had just adapted to being supported by it like an exoskeleton. 

Anyway, the back and core bits of my rehab were (over a long gradual period) sitting on a Swiss ball for gradually increasing periods at first, then standing on a “Bosu ball”, then standing on the Bosu ball with increasingly heavier kettlebells in each hand, then deadlifting. I guess each of these is putting increasing amounts of stress of your back while it’s in a correct position.

My physio trusted me that I’d deadlifted before without getting injured so the only instructions I got were not to lift anything that I couldn’t lift at least twice, to take it slow and not to try to always be lifting more each time. Good advice for anyone I think.

I’d be lying if I said I don’t get back pain any more (it’s not realistic to expect that I could) but it’s not something that troubles me like it used to. As Matt says I think day-to-day it’s sitting in one place that sets back problems off rather than sitting in a certain way. Seats where it’s like a right-angle are just insane though.

The Deadlift’s such a compound exercise and I think that when people say that they don’t get much from it it’s probably a sign that they’re both already strong in general and physically well-balanced- I started deadlifting after my first shambolic visit to Malham as basically a weakling who was rubbish at sport and bouldering and who’d had no strength or athletic experience before coming to climbing. Deadlifting weekly for about 7 months took me to a point where I was competent at what you’d call the lower end of hard climbing and no longer had a problem with keeping my feet on in particular, which had been unfathomable to me before.

Likewise after my accident I literally couldn’t move and it’s been a very useful part of approaching normality again. In neither case has it made me look physically different but the way that you’re stressing pretty much your whole body and using it in one coordinated movement is so good at toughening you up if you need to leave that state of being a total weakling!

[Oldmanmatt]

I’ll just throw in a relevant link to the Lancet overview, which provides links to recent research, for those that don’t need or want to plough through Meakin’s blogs:
https://www.thelancet.com/series/low-back-pain

[gollum]

Appropriate deadlifts get my vote, particularly as you get older. 

Strengthen core.
Strengthen posterior chain.
Stimulates production of testosterone.
Stimulates CNS.
Engages more of the body than any other exercise.
Biggest gains in strength for relatively few reps.

Worth some coaching though, at the very least to advise on what is best lift for you based on limb/torso length etc. and ensure best form.

As an aside, trap bar deadlifts are generally considered much less hazardous for the back.

[SA Chris]

It’s funny how people are so specific about finger injuries but just say “I’ve hurt my back” with no further info like it’s a really simple thing. Probably why there are so many different things that work for different people- they’ve all injured (or are aggravating) a very complex structure in different ways.

True enough. I have a muscle between my shoulderblades (not traps, but possibly  lat where it sits under trap) which "goes" once or twice a year, last time was picking a t shirt up off the floor, but also one picking up toothbrush, and once filling a cup with water. It will go into spasm and hurt for half a day, I normally need to lie on a hard rubber ball for half an hour to work the tightness out. I can tell when it's going to go though, something goes out of alignment and it feels strange for a few days.

[SA Chris]

One of my daily core exercises, while waiting for coffee machine is to hold edge of worktop with palms facing outwards and lift up so knees are at worktop level and hold for 20 - 30 secs (kind of a holding a half mantel). Definitely gets me shaking like a shitting dog.

Make sure you don't risk impaling yourself on a milk bottle or anything on the worktop if your hands slip.

[User deactivated.]

One of my daily core exercises, while waiting for coffee machine is to hold edge of worktop with palms facing outwards and lift up so knees are at worktop level and hold for 20 - 30 secs (kind of a holding a half mantel). Definitely gets me shaking like a shitting dog.

Make sure you don't risk impaling yourself on a milk bottle or anything on the worktop if your hands slip.

Sounds like this would mostly be training scapular depression and protraction? Great for climbers I'd imagine as we only ever do the opposite. Touch wood, I feel like hard scapular training has bullet-proofed my shoulders.

Planche leans are a favourite for shoulder protraction. You can be really objective with progressively overloading it by having your head softly touch a wall (so you know you're not pulling back to make it easier) and using a tape measure to progressively get your hands further from the wall. Elbows strictly locked out. I "Max hang" it with 10s holds.

[Scouse D]

I've started doing a lot of crawling exercises such as bear crawl, monkey crawl etc from GMB essentials. Sorted my elbows out 5 years ago and done the same again (via strengthening the shoulder) doesn't feel onerous, actually quite good fun.

[nai]

Have you tried any of their other programs Dave.  Enjoyed Elements and been doing it again a bit recently, even better now it's been upgraded.  Tempted to try one of the more advanced programs but struggling to commit.

[Scouse D]

Nope. Just muck about with their free stuff. Still very beneficial for me.