Burpee Back Pain

[FyreFlies]

Don't know where else to put this, so will just drop it here.

 

Every time I do burpees, I'm stiff/sore with lower back pain the next day. No other bodyweight exercise does this to me. I can do squats fine, have a pretty strong core (I'm a lifter) and can do pushups just fine as well.

 

What can be the problem? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Thetemplarreservist]

If you have a foam roller try rolling out your lower back and hammies they might be tight since you are bending over at the waist alot when you drop down to the push up position

[Vintage]

How strict are your burpees? A lot of people (I have to watch myself as well) will flop a lot when doing burpees quickly at higher reps, especially as they get tired. When they jump their legs backward into the top of the pushup position, they don't keep their core stable and their hips drop or flop straight down to the ground, so that when the spine has to absorb the impact from the toes jamming back into the ground and the rapid shift in your center of gravity, the lower back is in a weak position - this can put a lot of strain on the lower back when you do it over and over. It tends to happen again on the way back up if your core is loose and you're jumping back into what is essentially the bottom of a deep squat with a loose lumbar spine. It doesn't happen in push ups and planks because those aren't dynamic, quick movements and you're thinking about core stability, hip position and tightness. 

 

Try slowing your burpees down and doing them strict. Think about splitting it up into 6 positions - 1) upright, 2) hands and feet on floor close together, 3) feet jumped back into the top of the pushup position, 4) bottom of pushup, 5) feet jumped back in outside of the hands 6) stand and jump

 

If that eases some of the pain, it'll give you a better idea of what you need to be doing differently.

[FyreFlies]

I think you might be right Vintage. In Crossfit, a lot of times burpees are done for time and a lot of the time, my form falls apart. I will try to do them slower and practice them properly for our next go. Thanks!

 

Templar, yes, I'll start foam rolling before my workout. I don't adequately stretch out my back before launching into the workouts. Thanks.

[Vintage]

I know how that goes...

 

When people are fairly new in our program, high rep burpees are typically replaced with sprawls (with or without a jump) when the coaches start seeing those sorts of form break downs. Basically you do the first part of the burpee - plant your hands, jump your feet back (landing in proper push up position, not with a sagging midsection or your butt sticking way up), then jump them back in and stand up. Because you're not thinking about getting down to the ground, it's easier to think about keeping that core tight and not collapsing. These can still be done very fast without pauses, so they're a good sub when the purpose of the burpees in the workout is intensity and constant, fast paced movement. And then in warm-ups, when we don't need to be moving at the speed of light, everyone does the stricter burpees. A good coach will be absolutely on-board with you making that alteration if you explain what's going on.

[FyreFlies]

That's always been my issue. Form. I originally launched into Stronglifts without checking my form. Had to backtrack and do it over again. I only recently fixed my form on box jumps too. My goal is to master lots of different bodyweight movements with good form.

 

Thanks again for your help.