How I Fixed My Back Pain with 3 steps (Even While Deadlifting & Squatting at the Gym)

If you’re someone who’s stuck in the cycle of “I go to the gym, I stretch and I’m still in back pain,” I get it.

I lived it.

I was doing all the “right” things showing up at the gym, foam rolling, following my exercises but my lower back wasn’t getting the memo. Whether it was back pain during deadlifts, discomfort while squatting, or that lingering ache after workouts, it felt like I couldn’t win.

It wasn’t until I made these 3 key shifts that things finally started to click:

1. I Turned My Rehab Exercises into My Warm-Up Ritual

Instead of saving my rehab drills for before or after training (or skipping them when I was tired), I built them into my session around deadlifts and squats.

I didn’t just “do them to get them done” I used them with intention. Every time I moved through those exercises that would trigger pain, I was sending a message to my body: “You’re safe. You’re ready to lift.”

This simple shift primed my nervous system, reduced the protective tension around my lower back, and allowed me to deadlift and squat with more confidence not just grind through pain.

2. I Had Big Conversations That Were Keeping My Body Stuck

Here’s the part that most “back pain tips” skip over.

Sometimes pain isn’t just about how you move in the gym it’s about what’s happening outside the gym.

For me, this meant having honest (and uncomfortable) conversations with old bosses. Unresolved stress that was keeping me in a constant state of tension. And guess what? That tension shows up when you're deadlifting. It shows up when you’re squatting. It shows up when you're trying to rehab your back pain and wondering why nothing’s changing.

Not everyone can fix their life stressors overnight. But if you’ve been doing all the rehab and still feel stuck, it’s worth asking: “Is there something outside the gym that’s keeping my body in survival mode?”

3. I Followed a Workout Program That Was Actually Designed For Me

If you’re dealing with back pain and deadlifting feels sketchy, or squatting always tweaks your lower back, following a cookie-cutter program is the fastest way to stay stuck.

Once I ditched the generic plans and committed to a training program designed for my back pain, my movement patterns, and my specific goals, everything changed.

It wasn’t about smashing PBs every week it was about building trust with my body, lifting without fear, and training in a way that didn’t flare up my lower back after every session. This meant ditching my ego.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve been grinding away at the gym and still dealing with back pain after, during deadlifts, back pain while squatting, or just general stiffness after workouts, it might be time to rethink the approach.

For me, getting out of pain wasn’t about working harder it was about working smarter, listening to my body, and addressing both physical and non-physical factors that were keeping me stuck.