Lower back pain on long climbs

Training Plans
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I’m in SW Ohio, so most rides are fairly flat or on short rollers. This year my monstrous rides are out of state and involve more climbing than I’m used to doing. I just got back from the Asheville Gran Fondo (brilliant event), and got a big dose of lower back pain during the climbs. This doesn’t bother me on the flats at all, and even went away after the climbs ended and I descended or was riding hard on the infrequent flat sections. I had the same symptoms on a hill I was training on in OH, that was much smaller of course, just a 8-10min climb. After Asheville it took around 5 days, to really work the discomfort out of the back. The pain isn’t centered on the spine, it is either side and the same on left and right.

I doubled down on regularly doing foundations leading up to Asheville, and added in some planks, but this wasn’t enough. I also employed a decent climbing cassette (11-36), to avoid most of the grinding and was able to spin at decent cadences up all the hills.

Any ideas?

Next up is 6GAP in 9 weeks time. I will be doing a lot more climbing sim rides, using the indoor trainer and zwift to help with this, and will elevate the front wheel . So hopefully I’ll get a better handle on what’s causing the pain and a solution.

2

I’m a big advocate for back extensions for all cyclists. We spend so much time bent forward it’s important to work the erector spinae and maintain good lordosis. If no access to equipment then doing “supermans” on the floor is a decent substitute. Added benefit is some good gluteal and hamstring activation/strengthening as well.

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Thanks MainerBill for that suggestion, supermans are similar to some other stretches I’m doing, but these look like good extra variation. :+1:

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Yes, but these are not a stretch — rather a dynamic movement intended to strengthen the muscles concerned. Have a look at this, which is with no equipment. (98) How to Do Back Extension Exercises - YouTube

1 Like
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cheers, that’s better than what I found earlier with a search. I see what you mean about the dynamic motion.