>I worry about the deadlifts though because they hurt my lower
>back when I go too heavy & the 1 leg lifts are esp. hard on my
>back. I don't know if I shoudl keep going to strenghten it
>because it's weak or if I am hurting it more?
rose2boys, as Cathe says in GS-Legs, make sure you keep the natural curve of your back as you hinge from the hip. Keep your head neutral and your eyes looking front, not down at the floor. Also keep your hands very close to your thighs as you hinge downward. I find that if my hands leave the proximity of my thighs, my spine curves in a bad way and I feel pressure on the areas where scoliosis and osteoarthritis have developed. (Yep, I was introduced to these conditions in my 20's!) Keep the neutral spine, eyes looking front, and hands close to the thighs on your way back up.
I have two curves in my back, one on the upper part (the worse one), and one on the lower (milder but the vertebrae is a bit bigger than the others, bulging out a bit and quite scary to touch). When I first learned to do deadlifts, I practiced with a pair of 10's, just to get used to the move. The most that I do for deadlifts is 45, although I stick to 40 with GS, and I go down to 30, with the reverse deadlifts. I make up for this when doing floorwork. When doing L&G floorwork, I use 5-lb. ankle weights, and when using bands, I give my leg maximum tension.
Edit to add that if you're still hurting, rest your back first before exercising further. And if it's still hurting, consult a doctor. I ask my doctor to check my back regularly. In some visits, she actually found out that my muscles were spasming (sp?)! Heat and rest always help.
Pinky
