When squatting, the position of the bar on your back plays a pivotal role. Place it too high, and you're inviting compression on your cervical vertebrae, leading to pain. On the flip side, if it's too low, the upper back muscles bear the brunt of undue strain.
You probably need better back /trap muscle. If you're laying it on actual bone it's gonna hurt. Get a pad to wrap around the bar and it won't hurt anymore.
Lower back pain after squats is relatively common, especially if you're not squatting with good form, you're lifting too much weight, or you ramped up your squat intensity too quickly.
Additionally, widening your squat stance slightly can often alleviate some of the pressure on the lower back. Next, pay attention to your form during the squat. Keep your chest up and engage your core muscles to maintain a stable spine. Avoid rounding your lower back or allowing it to excessively arch.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Your knees will be in line with your feet. As you squat, move your hips back, as if you're about to sit on a chair behind you. This will help keep stress off of your lower back.
It is best to distribute your weight equally between the knees and the hips as you squat. I find it helpful to think about touching the back of my hamstrings to the back of the calves at the bottom of the squat and then having my chest and hips rise together on the way up out of the squat.
Stop at the point where you feel muscle pain, but continue to perform the exercise regularly, so that the non-painful range will increase as thigh, buttocks and core muscles become stronger.
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.
If you still feel the bar against the vertebrae of your neck, you probably have it too high. Try placing the bar a smidge lower. You can also experiment with “low bar” squats, which have the bar resting a few inches lower than what I just described.
Squats strengthen all of the muscle groups in your legs, including your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, as well as muscles in your lower back and core. Those muscles provide the foundation for most activities of daily living.
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.
Night pain and pain at rest are red flags that can indicate a serious cause. Be suspicious for infection or malignancy in patients presenting with low back pain who experience unexplained weight loss, night pain, or pain with rest.
Signs of pulled back muscle are that the pain is usually dull and aching. You'll find it feels like it is in the back and often gets work if you don't rest that area. With a slipped disc, the pain is much sharper. It can even feel like it's radiating through the back, into the shoulders or surrounding areas.
If you want to progress, you can add weight or increase the amount of repetitions/sets. However, if you feel lower back pain when squatting down, stop and seek the advice of a health professional. For some, squats may be doing more harm than good.
Back Sleeping For Spinal Decompression
Place a pillow under your neck and maintain a neutral position of the head. Sleeping on your back is widely considered to be the best position for spinal health. Using a pillow under the knees to relax your lower back can help decompress the spine while you sleep.