Back Pain

[Sdenneau]

I’ve had my Concept 2 Ski Erg for about a year and a half now. Honestly, I’m very inconsistent in using it over that period. Since mid July, I’ve logged about 80,000 meters which is great for me. Also, I feel like I am really cleaning up for form. However, after learning how to “explode” through using my shoulders, back and core, I’m experiencing some wicked lower back pain. Is this normal? I get lower back pain every once in a while mostly from being a sloth and then doing some bendy activity like weeding…but wondering if I “power” through it? Im a 50 year old American male that is strong as an ox but have the spare tire I’m trying to lose.

[sarequads]

Get to a physio and have them check your hinge movement and if you have pelvic tilt. Could be as simple as a; stretch, exercise or training cue.

[mromero680]

I usually switch from the rower to the skierg only when I have lower back pain. As long as I focus on the hip hinge movement I've never aggravated my back on the skierg. Maybe just really focus on form instead of pace. If I watch the pace it makes me get a little more sloppy sometimes.

[audible83]

I had this problem early last year when I started doing more volume.

My solution was to strenghten core muscles and activating the abdominal muscles more.
Also get someone to check your hinge movement.

This summer i suffered a herniated disc, but I had not been training for 6 weeks due to illness before.
My physio had a thesis that I coughed so hard that my disc herniated. ( Strong core anyone? )

[HornetMaX]

My physio had a thesis that I coughed so hard that my disc herniated. ( Strong core anyone? )

Something similar happened to me, lesser extent luckily.

I rowed a year after 10 years of being a couch potato (I'm 49), lost 12Kg and got in better shape.
At some point I had a very bad cough for 10-12 days and once gone I had a fairly intense ribs pain.
Went to see a doctor and after excluding everything else (we were in covid times) he concluded I gained so much core strength that the rest of the body was kind of struggling to adapt. Weird.

P.S.
Two things that worked very well for me for back pain/fatigue (from rowing in my case): a foam roller and/or simple stretching movements (my fav: stand with legs a bit apart, extend your arms over your head, grab your left wrist with your right hand, bend your torso/spine to the right while pulling your left wrist up/away with your right hand, hold for 10-30sec, then do the other side).

But yeah, once your body adapts to the effort and you do the movements right, you just don't have the problem any more.

[drluvguru]

I can relate to experiencing lower back pain, especially after suddenly increasing activity or changing workout intensity. For me, this pain would often show up after I pushed myself too hard in activities I wasn't consistently doing, much like your situation with the Ski Erg. The pain was sharp and sometimes debilitated me for days, making it hard to continue any physical activity. The last time it got really bad, I decided to seek professional help and went to Harbourview Therapy, where I worked with Eric Wong. Eric helped me understand the importance of proper form and core strength in preventing back pain. He introduced me to specific exercises that targeted my core and back, enhancing my overall stability and reducing the risk of further injury. His approach not only alleviated my back pain but also improved my performance on the Ski Erg.