🚨 IS ROUNDING THE BACK ALWAYS BAD?

✅ Let’s face it, when trying to pull extremely heavy (1RMs) weights, it becomes basically impossible to hold a neutral spine throughout the entire lift. And if you can, chances are that’s not your 1RM and you can go heavier.

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✅ Is it bad when your back rounds? 
It depends. In most cases, the answer would be yes, however, it depends on which part of the back actually goes into flexion (if it does).

1) ✅ The safest spinal posture is a neutral position, with no incidents of flexion or hyperextension in any segments. This is an ideal deadlift, which you can perform with sub-maximal weights.

✅ Why do PLers round their backs?

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2) ✅ Powerlifters flex their spines considerably, and those who avoid injury, do so because they avoid end-ranges of lumbar flexion.
Furthermore, if you examine where most of the rounding occurs in powerlifters, a vast majority takes place in the upper back (the thoracic spine), and this strategy is safer compared to the other way around (mostly lumbar rounding).

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3) ✅ Lumbar flexion happens when you simply load the bar too heavy or you still can’t Deadlift. When we get our lower back to get into flexion, that’s where the bad happens: sure, you might still get the lift up, and probably even get applauded by your Gym crew cheering you up – but you’d get a herniated disc and chronic back pain as a reward, too. –
Obviously, not ANY degree of lumbar flexion is bad, but because you will never be able to conciously control how many degrees you should or shouldn’t allow yourself to bend, it’s always wise to keep your lower back in the most neutral position. You rather not lift the weigt than lift it in a way that leads to injuries.