Keep training with pain-free movements, brace hard, and swap axial-loaded lifts for supported and machine variations.
Most non-acute lower back pain does better with movement than with rest, so keep training around it rather than stopping. Drop heavy spinal loading like barbell squats and deadlifts for now and use supported options: leg press, chest-supported rows, goblet squats and hip thrusts. Brace your core, keep a neutral spine, and add gentle work like McGill big three and dead bugs.
Replace axial-loaded lifts with supported ones. Leg press instead of back squat, chest-supported or seated rows instead of bent-over rows, and trap bar or hip thrust to keep training the posterior chain without stacking load on the spine.
Add the McGill big three: curl-up, side plank and bird dog, plus dead bugs. These train the core to brace and protect the spine under load without flexing or grinding it.
As pain settles, reload hinges and squats from light, controlled ranges and build back up. Bracing hard and keeping a neutral spine on every rep is what lets you return to heavy work safely.
See a doctor or physio if the pain is sharp, shoots down your leg, comes with numbness or weakness, or does not improve within a week or two.
Keep training with pain-free movements, brace hard, and swap axial-loaded lifts for supported and machine variations.
