It turns out it's a relatively common experience, though. “The lower back is one of the most commonly injured areas with poor squat form or in people [who are lifting] too much weight,” says Milica McDowell, an exercise physiologist, physical therapist, and vice president of operations at Gait Happens.
Thigh pain following squats is a common experience for many, especially for those engaging in unfamiliar or intense workouts. One of the primary causes is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), characterized by muscle soreness that sets in 24 to 48 hours after exertion.
When done properly, squats should help prevent back pain, because you're helping to strengthen the muscles you need to do so many run-of-the-mill movements. If, however, your back aches after doing squats, that's a sign that something is probably off in your form.
Our spinal erectors run right along our low back, and assist in keeping your back straight and stand up when you squat. So, it is possible that they're sore after your heavy squat sets. That's okay, and should fade as your muscles recover.
Muscle aches and stiffness can be a normal process during your body's recovery from squatting. Consider performing some stretches and exercises to help relax your achy muscles. Unless the pain is sharp and debilitating, continue with gentle movement. Try using heat or ice to numb the pain if you are sore.
Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, and then use heat. Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Sleep in a curled-up, fetal position with a pillow between your legs.
Whether or not 20 squats are enough for a day depends on your fitness level and goals. For beginners, doing 20 squats a day can be a great way to start building strength and endurance. However, if you are looking to see more significant results, you will need to gradually increase the number of squats you do over time.
Good squats build the thigh muscles evenly. The day after squatting you should note that your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and adductors(the muscles of your groin/inner thigh) are all sore.
Goblet Squat
Goblet squatting moves the load from the back of the body to the front, activating more of the anterior core muscles and reducing back stress. The counterbalance of the weight also keeps you more upright, resulting in a deeper, safer squat.
Feeling tightness or tension in the lower back is expected after a particular exercise. For instance, deadlifts and squats activate the rear muscles, leading to stress. Further, a dull ache or soreness is a common consequence of workouts. These symptoms can be explained by delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
When you do squats, you're supposed to feel the strain in your legs. If you're feeling pain in the lower back, you're probably doing it wrong. This means that you are putting the weight and work into your lower back muscles instead of your glutes and quadriceps. Pay attention when you squat.
If you are an intermediate, you need to do more squats with heavier weights to build bigger muscles. Aim for 4-6 sets of 6-12 reps. Finally, if you are trying to improve your overall fitness and get a bigger butt, aim for 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps.
Squats recruit pretty much all the muscles in your lower body (quadripceps, hamstrings, gluteals), not to mention your abs and back (in the right way), ankles and intrinsic foot muscles—so they work on activating, mobilizing, stabilizing, and strengthening so many important things at once.
For illustration of what just below that would look like, USA Powerlifting Rules state: "the lifter must bend the knees and lower the body until the top surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knees." For athletes in certain sports, a deeper squat may be necessary.
Not only does it use around 200 muscles to perform a squat (that's around a third of all the muscles in your body), it also requires triple extension: that means you're bending through three joints – your hips, knees and ankles – at once.