arch your back and get injured?

[Maximum6]

every guide i read about deadlifts say to keep your back flat.

I don't look at my back when i deadlift. I keep it tight by pushing my chest up which would cause a slight arch in my back.


Is this alright?

[mrky03]

Yes, keep your back arched and tight just like you would for squats or bent over rows.

[youngblood]

When it says keep your back flat, it's somewhat incorrect.
The back has a natural arch to it.
So by keeping your back flat you generally already have an arch to it.
What they mean by keeping it flat is that you don't want to ROUND your back. Rounding it means arching FORWARD. By rounding your back, you put undue stress on parts of your disks, and that's when you will get a slipped disc, due to the uneven pressure put on them by rounding your back.
When you arch your back you protect the disks.
It's perfectly OK to arch your back as long as you do not OVER arch it. Meaning, you don't have to consciously remember to arch your back. Just make sure you're not rounding it and dragging your knuckles on the ground.

[gti steve]