Post by @movementgems

Most back injuries don’t happen under a barbell. They happen when you bend over to grab something light and your back isn’t ready for it. Your spine is built to bend. You round your back to some degree to tie your shoes, pick your kid up off the floor, grab something from under the car seat. That’s not bad form, that’s just being a human. The problem is when your back hasn’t been asked to handle that position in years, and then suddenly it has to. Keeping a more neutral spine on your heavy lifts is still smart. It’s a stronger position. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a pain free entry point to a weaker rounded position to cover all your bases, even if it’s at a very gentle level. Like anything else in your body, your spine adapts to what you give it. For some, even a bodyweight Jefferson curl may hurt. In that case, build a base on isometrics, and make it a goal to return to it one day. Respect your pain free starting point. Movementgems.com