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Other/Mixed Sore Back from Shoveling Snow

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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rlance

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I hope I can post here.
NEPA yesterday I spent 3-4 hrs snow throwing/shoveling. Today my back hurts a couple inches above my tail bone both sides of my spine mostly the right side, this is not new. I train S&S light deadlifts. My question is, does anyone know something I can do so that every time I do some shoveling wheel barrowing, I can avoid this. I'm sure I'm missing something. Oh I'm 73 if that matters. Thanks Lance
 
Did you switch grips, low hand, high hand, or throw snow 3-4 hrs. same direction same grip ? Glute bridge, two legs and single, clam shells,hip tilts,lizard stretch, rolling crucifix. Sounds like Ql,psoas,glute medius. Demos in vid begin at 4:27. Lizard and rolling stretch not in vid.



Don't let the title throw you off.
 
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Switch hands, change how you toss it, shave the top off and get the rest on a second pass, reverse your lead hand and toss it like you're paddling a canoe, make sure you use good hinge form, fire your abs like crazy to support the lower back, move your lead hand right up to the shovel head before tossing.
Shovels with longer handles can be levered using the top of the thigh like a fulcrum.
 
In addition to the excellent advice @North Coast Miller has said, when you toss the load, focus on what your feet are doing....if you toss it sideways turn your body towards that direction but turn your feet too so you are facing the direction you are planning to throw your snow, vs standing stationary and twisting in your trunk.
 
rlance said:
My question is, does anyone know something I can do so that every time I do some shoveling wheel barrowing, I can avoid this. I'm sure I'm missing something. Oh I'm 73 if that matters.
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Don't get old. Seriously, that's the answer -- if you can manage it. Which is a roundabout way of saying of course you're going to feel it, even if you are active and train regularly.

I did 3 hours of shoveling on Monday and another 3 hours on Tuesday. In some places I had to carry each shovelful across the street before throwing it on the pile. In other places I had to throw the snow onto raised ground 4 feet above where I was standing. I feel pretty good today (some ab soreness more than anything), but I'm only 56.

I've done a lot of snow shoveling over the years and one thing I've learned is not to throw snow forward. Pivot and throw it backward or to the side, generating force by pivoting and rotating. You can generate a lot of force and speed that way, and still keep a flat back, a relatively upright torso and straight arms. It might look a little funny (I've gotten some comments from passersby about my "pirouettes"), but it really works.

Trying to hinge like a KB swing when throwing snow is a lot more tiring and less powerful. Try to keep a flat back as much as possible instead of flexing the spine, but when scooping up snow off the ground, some spine flexion is hard to avoid.

If you have a big job of shoveling, don't be afraid to take smaller shovelfuls. If you keep at it, all the snow eventually gets moved. When I was younger, I would go into full "John Henry" mode. Nowadays, slow and steady gets the job done.
 
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Get a snow blower.

It took approximately one big 4 ft dump of heavy Sierra cement to clear the driveway to get to the ski hill on a powder day to figure that out.

When you’re done shoveling, lie down prone on the floor for 10-15 min. It helps reset things. I read it from a cycling coach somewhere who had his riders lie down prone and read a magazine article. By the time they’ve finished, they’ve reset the back from the time spent in forward flexion. Snow shoveling is similar..
 
Deadlift heavier. Do high volume hinging with a negative to condition the body for the prolonged stress on the lower back.
 
I'm a mad man when i shovel. I actually enjoy it. But this last one made my back a little sore.

I find you gotta get down low and put your whole body into it and spring up, sometimes use your knee as a fulcrum point.
 
I thank all of you for your support and comments. When I said snow throwing , I should have said snow blowing, but I was actually using a snow thrower, not a snow blower, but thats a whole nother on and on, either way my back was aching. Its not bad now. So thanks again.
And thanks for that " three daily moves" at the top. I think thats on to something, How To Awaken Your Glutes vid. appreciation!
 
I’m part of this club now for real. This recent PNW storm dropped a couple feet of Cascade Concrete that needed repositioning. It’s been a few years since I was shoveling Sierra Cement in Tahoe, before I was strength training consistently, but it was much easier than I recall. An interesting and welcome WTH effect.

Note: I do not have enough status to be using the blower, but even still, there are plenty of areas it couldn’t reach, so a shovel was needed.
 
rlance said:
I hope I can post here.
NEPA yesterday I spent 3-4 hrs snow throwing/shoveling. Today my back hurts a couple inches above my tail bone both sides of my spine mostly the right side, this is not new. I train S&S light deadlifts. My question is, does anyone know something I can do so that every time I do some shoveling wheel barrowing, I can avoid this. I'm sure I'm missing something. Oh I'm 73 if that matters. Thanks Lance
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Hi @rlance, SEPA and 70 here. We didn't get hit quite as hard as you recently. But I did about two hours on a couple different days recently, one was very heavy as we say. Did you do 3-4 hrs at one time, or break it up into 3 or 4 sessions? You're not missing anything, you got 73 on the books.
 
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If you are looking for a quick fix, the best I can offer is hot baths and Franzbranntwein or a similar preparation. If you are looking to adjust your training regimen to help you prepare for such efforts in the future, in my experience anything that mimics the motion of hip hinging repeatedly is a good start. Since we are on Strongfirst, I will go ahead and recommend mid- to high-volume kettlebell swings and snatches first. Of course, there are also other approaches that can work, such as hitting tires with a sledgehammer of appropriate weight for time (John Brookfield recommends 45 minutes), digging holes regularly (again, an idea from John Brookfield that he published in "MILO" in the same issue where Pavel's iconic first article on kettlebells appeared), doing squat thrusts/burpees for higher volumes etc. It goes without saying that you shouldn't jump into anything without learning the technique, consulting a competent doctor and listening to your body.

In any case, stay strong and keep the upper hand on the snow
Period.
 
Whosonfirst said:
Hi @rlance, SEPA and 70 here. We didn't get hit quite as hard as you recently. But I did about two hours on a couple different days recently, one was very heavy as we say. Did you do 3-4 hrs at one time, or break it up into 3 or 4 sessions? You're not missing anything, you got 73 on the books.
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Well it was in one shot, if I stopped rigamortis would set in. It would not get done.
 
A few more insights from shoveling yesterday:
- keep your elbows close to the body at all times
- if hoisting a heavy load, lead with the foot opposite the lead hand on the shovel, and get that foot in right up to or under the shovel head.
 
Before I left the north for warmer weather, I found that longer handle shovels were much better than the short ones on your back. I like to drive power from the hips and legs. So I would be pretty upright the entire time.
If you have ever thrown square bales for a summer it is a similar movement.
It really saves the back and is very efficient. Although not as efficient as a snow blower. In that case always get multi stage and don’t fall for the cheap snow sweeper single stage blowers.
 
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