Why Your Back Hurts When You Plank and How To Fix It

Planks are a great way to work your stomach muscles, but if done incorrectly they might hurt your back. These are three common reasons why your back hurts when you plank and what you can do to fix it!

 

“That hurts my lower back.”

“It kind of feels like pinching right here.”

“How come that one hurts my back?”

 

Planks are one of my favorite exercises to increase abdominal strength. As far as core exercises go, it’s difficult to find one single exercise that works as many muscles as efficiently as planks do.

 

 

But what happens when planks hurt? One complaint that I hear regularly from my patients (as well as readers of Tone and Tighten) is that they feel a “pinch” in their lower back while doing planks.

 

 

Today I wanted to share with you the top three reasons why you may be experiencing back pain while planking and what you can do to correct this problem. I even shot a video to explain it to you a little more effectively!

 

 

The three most common reasons why your back hurts when you plank are

1. Pelvis is tilted too far forward (arched back)
2. Hips are too low to the ground (rounded back)
3. Hips are too high (pike plank)

Read or watch the video below to see what each of these means! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE PLANKING

1. Abdominal muscle activation: It’s hard to find another ab exercise that activates all layers of your abdominal wall as much as planks do. If done with correct form it’s one of the most-efficient ways to work your abs.
2. They’re easily modifiable: Are planks on your toes too difficult? Drop to a modified plank on your knees! Modified planks are easier but equally activate those abdominal layers.
3. You can make them harder, too: holding a static plank too easy? Try planks with a march. Or body saw planks. Or two-point planks. All are great ways to work those abs even harder.
4. They’re super effective: six pack abs here we come! Stay steady, stay consistent, and watch your results take off!
5. Side planking counts, too: Don’t forget – side planks are a great way to activate your oblique muscles and take results to another level!

Reason #1: Pelvis tilted too far forward (arched back):  I would say that 95% of the time this one is the cause of back pain while planking.

 

When people get down into a plank position, most of them align everything properly (shoulders – hips – knees should be a straight line), but the common tendency is to let your stomach sag towards the ground.

 

This creates a significant arch in your lower back and people complain of a “pinching” in their lower spine. In this position you’re relying primarily on your back vertebrae and spinal ligaments for support rather than the core muscles which should be holding you up.

 

How to fix an arched back plank: Concentrate on keeping your back in a “flat” or “neutral” position. Engage your quads, butt, and abs to “tilt” or “roll” your pelvis backwards thereby flattening your back out and eliminating the pinch-inflicting arch.

 

 

Reason #2: Hips too low to the ground (rounded back): The second-most common error I see in people who plank is that they let their pelvis drop too much towards the floor.

 

 

In a correct plank your shoulders, hips, and knees should create a nice straight line. In this error people will let their hips and knees fall below their shoulder line creating a “rounded” back down towards the ground.

 

 

How to fix a rounded-back plank: Similar to the fix we just discussed, the rounded back is correct by engaging your stomach to elevate your entire pelvis up towards the ceiling.

 

 

Again, this is going to take a lot of strain off your spine and put it on your core muscles where it belongs.

 

 

This results in a more efficient abdominal muscle contraction which ultimately results in more abdominal fatigue. You might not be able to hold the plank as long, but at least you’ll be working the right muscles and taking some of the load of your lumbar spine.

 

 

 

Reason #3: Hips too high (butt in the air or “pike” plank): The last common problem I see is when the butt/hips are way above what should be the straight shoulder line. This is especially a common problem when fatigue starts to set in.

 

 

This ultimately results in a lot of force being placed on the shoulders and neck and is often compounded when people try to look up/forward during the plank.

 

 

Usually this posture results in neck and upper shoulder pain, but can also result in some lower back aggravation as well.

 

 

How to fix a pike plank: Again, alignment is key. Keeping your butt down and in straight alignment with your shoulders and knees is imperative to working the proper muscles and preserving your back.

 

 

Oftentimes I’ll tell people to do 1-2 planks in front of a mirror for visual feedback or have a family member/friend critique them on their form. These are great ways to see what the likely cause is of your pain and take some steps to fix it.

 

 

When done correctly, planks are one of the most effective abdominal exercises you can do. Check out your form and incorporate some of these suggestions to return to full, pain-free planking!

 

 

 

Need some killer workouts to hone your new-found planking skills?
You can’t miss these!

 

 

 

         

 

 

Make it happen,

 

Jared

 

 

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