Tight Hips and Lower Back Pain: How to Fix the Link

Squat University breaks down a real patient case where hip mobility restriction, not the back itself, was causing lower back pain during a bird dog exercise. He explains the Faber test used to diagnose it and shares a simple hip-opening stretch that eliminated her pain immediately upon retesting.

Erector Muscle Activation: Bill Kazmaier's Fulcrum Trick

Squat University breaks down a fulcrum board exercise, picked up by Dr. Stuart McGill from strongman Bill Kazmaier, that targets the erector muscles standard lat exercises and even deadlifts miss. Because each spine segment has its own nerve, this technique can push a specific erector compartment toward 100% activation, versus the 60-70% seen from a deadlift or RDL.

Why Strong Lifters Still Get Back Pain (Spine Test Guide)

Squat University breaks down a real case study on Carson, an incredibly strong weightlifter who developed back pain despite his strength. Step-by-step spine and hip testing revealed lumbar flexion intolerance, shear load instability, and left hip dysfunction — fixed with the McGill Big 3 routine and hip airplane exercises.

Hip Mobility and Low Back Pain During Squats

Dr. Aaron Horschig (Squat University) breaks down a real patient case where right-sided low back pain during squats was actually caused by limited right hip mobility, not a weak back. He explains the testing process, the movement diagnosis, and the exact three-exercise fix that let the patient squat 135 lbs pain-free the same day.

Sorensen Test: How Long Should You Hold It?

Squat University breaks down the Sorensen test, a decades-old assessment of low back muscular endurance performed on a GHD machine or Roman chair. According to the creator, research shows back endurance—not back strength—is the more protective factor against future low back pain, with 3 minutes cited as the benchmark for strong athletes.

Weightlifter Back Pain: Hip Dysfunction, Not Spine Issue

Dr. Aaron Horschig of Squat University walks through his real examination of a weightlifter with back pain after heavy clean and jerks, showing how spine tests, the Sorensen test, and hip screens pointed to left hip dysfunction rather than a pure back injury, and how he fixed it through stability work instead of stretching.