Tight hamstrings and hips are the leading cause of low back pain. If inflexibility is not addressed, your posture will be affected when you lift weights which could lead to

injuries. In this video, Jonny with Insane Home Fat Loss offers three stretches for each area to ensure reduced pain and injury prevention.

If your core is weak, the door is opened to a variety of back injuries. Your core stabilizes your trunk to ensure that you may focus on working specific muscle groups

while in the gym. In this video, Dr. Axe recommends planks, cat & cow, v-ups, swimmers, and seated rows as exercises you can to to put more power in your powerhouse.

It is critical to keep good form on every single lift in order to have effective workouts and prevent injuries. If you are attempting to lift very heavy weight, consider

doing fewer repetitions to make sure each rep is performed properly. If your workout uses lighter weights and higher repetitions, cut back on the reps if you are losing your form.

Depending on your fitness goals, it might sometimes be better to adjust both. Be consistent and patient. You will reach your strength and volume goals in time, as long as you have

the foundation of form to go with it.

You must allow plenty of time to recover between workouts. Your efforts in the gym will be well-rewarded if you take off at least one day a week to rest

and allow at least 36-48 hours in-between working specific muscle groups. Strong back muscles protect the spine and control its movement so it is critical that your nutrition promotes tissue growth.

If you are in pain after a day of rest, consult your physician before hitting the gym.

The old saying, "too much of a good thing", is especially true when it comes to your workouts. You might be tempted to keep up with your buddies, but overraining causes more harm

than good. The injuries you might sustain from working your back too much will cost you time away from the gym as well as daily activities. 

How do you know

if you are overtraining? Bodybuilding.com lists the following symptoms persistent muscle soreness, elevated resting heart rate, increased susceptibility to infections, increased incidence of injuries, irritability, depression, loss of

motivation, insomnia, decreased appetite, weight loss.