Deadlift and Pressing Strategies for Lifters With Back Pain

The deadlift is the lift people with back pain fear most, yet Sonia presents it as safe in rehab. People with low back pain already tend to move slowly and stiffly with more knee bend, and common cues such as overbracing, tightening the upper back or switching to a trap bar can reinforce that pattern. She reintroduces flexion, rotation and side bending with light unilateral reaching variations before returning to the bar, and prefers relaxed scapulae, as used in elite powerlifting, over forced retraction. For overhead pressing, limited shoulder flexion leads to upper back extension and loss of rib cage and pelvis stacking, so dumbbells, kettlebells and mobility work often come in earlier. The arched bench press is safe for shoulders and back, and feet-up, Spoto press, tempo and unilateral variations add midline demand. She closes by restating the three-step approach and the five variables, and the value of avoiding nocebic language and building belief in ability.