Deads + my job = constantly sore back

[Lee]

The point of this post is to get some info about how often I should DL. I am currently DLing every 6 days, but that coupled with my job (which involves bending over and being on my hands and knees all day) leaves my back feeling jsut trashed and sore for pretty much the whole week. Would I lose much progress by gapping out my DLs to every other week and replacing them with bent over BB rows? Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Cynical Simian]

You might try adding some conditioning and active recovery work at other times during the week (light GMs or hypers for fairly high reps would be a good option). Most of the time, the rationale for less frequent deadlifting is CNS recovery, but this seems more like a conditioning issue, which less frequent work wouldn't help and might even hurt.

 

[Nathan]

Why not try doing them every 8 days for a while? And every few weeks don't do them. Maybe put them later in your workout for a while so that you aren't able to do as much weight.
Sometimes taking a break from a particular exercise is a great way to spark new progress in that lift when you come back to it.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Maybe try doing a lighter weight, higher rep single set of 15 dumbell stiff-legged deads every other week. Intensity will still be high, but the actual weight used will be quite abit less than your regular barbell deads.

I work in excavation myself and constantly pick up chunks of concrete, shovel dirt, mud, gravel and swing a pick and sledge pretty frequently.

One other thing I can say is that your back should over time adjust to the amount of work it receives. I know for the first 6 months my back would ache all the time from the job and lifting and now it only will get actually sore for more than a few hours if I haven't worked out for several weeks.

I like to think of my job as GPP and active moderate rest. Once I started thinking about the advantage of basically working a job that keeps me stronger and in better physical shape when I don't workout than quite a few people that workout and have a sedentary job it changed my viewpoint a lot. I still get a little back fatigue if I have to swing a sledge for 5 minutes or shovel/rake for an hour straight, but take a 5 minute breather and its gone.

A hot soak in the bath every night and lat stretches on a door knob for the midback help too.

 

[perp69]

I agree with CS. I don't think less frequent DL is the solution and will not help unless you just stop them all together, which I do not recommend either. So sounds like your back needs more conditioning to handle it so I would focus on that. I think adding the bent over rows would help. They sure work my lower back good. Also GM, hypers, weighted ab training would help (pick one or two). Also are you squatting? I think squats would help too.

Perp

 

[Lee]

Thats probably a good idea cynical. I dont do much at home after work or after my workouts.

Perp, Im not doing squats at the moment because I had a back injury last year, and after it healed I started lifting again, and I re-injured my back during a warmup set of squats. So Im trying to strengthen my lower back before trying squats again. I think friday Ill be doing some hack squats just to start rebuilding my legs.

 

[ricanx99]

Thats probably a good idea cynical. I dont do much at home after work or after my workouts.

Perp, Im not doing squats at the moment because I had a back injury last year, and after it healed I started lifting again, and I re-injured my back during a warmup set of squats. So Im trying to strengthen my lower back before trying squats again. I think friday Ill be doing some hack squats just to start rebuilding my legs.

CS is definitely someone to listen too. I agree with all his points and as Perp suggested as well to add in some ab work. What I do to increase strength/stability is weighted situps on a decline bench and that has helped me in every lift. Especially deads/squats. And I noticed you're in Bothel, WA... I live in Olympia, WA.... we are state brothers! I hope your back heals up and the conditioning suggestions help out... Another person to ask for some advice may be BiggT because he (among many other geniuses on here) devised a plan to help out my training partner when he was having back problems in the gym. ZgZaz is his tag on here and he may be able to help out as well. Good Luck brotha!

 

[jackangel]

btw, what's your objective with deadlifts? is it primarily back/body development, or do you care more about getting stronger in the deadlift itself?

 

[Lee]

btw, what's your objective with deadlifts? is it primarily back/body development, or do you care more about getting stronger in the deadlift itself?

the whole reason i lift is to get bigger/stronger. not one more than the other. im not worried about lossing weight at the moment simply because Im a really big guy naturally and Im pretty sure that as I bulk up, I will put on minimal fat and maximum muscle.