Any advice for keeping my lower back neutral during squats and rows?

[mikefromnj]

My back rounds when I get tired, and I’m worried it’s going to catch up with me. I’ve been working on bracing but can’t tell if it’s working.

 

[tuesdayghost]

my back rounded on the last reps too until i quit grinding sets and stopped 1 or 2 reps earlier. when form slips, i drop the weight a bit instead of pushing through. for bracing, take a big belly breath before each rep like you're about to get punched, and film from the side, that's how i saw mine. if it hurts and not just looks ugly, get it checked tho.

 

[mikefromgym]

Focus on lighter sets for a while and practice bracing before every rep.

Adding more weight wont help much if you cant maintain proper form.

 

[crunchtime247]

i’d try lighter weight with a 2 sec pause at the hardest part of the rep. it showed me exactly where my back started giving up. for rows, chest supported ones took the lower back out of the equation for me, so i could train lats without worrying about it

 

[bigdave]

one thing that helped me was a quick check on tempo. if the last reps get fast and sloppy, that’s usually when my back rounded, so i slowed the lowering to 2 or 3 seconds and my form held way longer

 

[jaylifts]

check your depth and stance. if your back rounds at the bottom of squats, that’s often just going deeper than your hips or ankles allow right now. i fixed mine by widening my stance a bit and putting small plates under my heels