Is it true that pain in lower back is often the result of too much or incorrect abdominal training? PDF Print E-mail
 
Without correct assessment of the condition of the athlete, one cannot jump into conclusions. There are a lot of reasons for lower back pain. When you face any problem you should visit a doctor and take the opinion of an expert.
Nevertheless it's a fact that short and tight psoas can cause lower back pain.
If you do hundreds of sit-ups daily or if you train incorrectly your psoas will eventually become very tight and may cause you back pain.
Many prefer to do crunches in order to avoid this problem. But even crunches can cause you a problem if you over do it.
Crunches train the Rectus Abdominus or the six pack muscle. If you train daily with very high numbers, this muscle is also going to get short and tight.
The Rectus Abdominus, starts at the rib cage and ends at the pelvis. When it’s tight it compress the rib cage and pulls your shoulders and shoulder blades forward causing you problems to the muscles of the upper back and compromising your structure.
The conclusion is that we should do everything in moderation.
Overtraining certain muscle groups will certainly cause imbalances and will lead to serious problems.
The abs are just like any other muscle. You don’t need hundreds of reps τo get a six pack. Focus on quality and not quantity.