Straight brigdes, full squats: lower back pain#1502

Hey, I’m feeling lower back pain when I do the straight bridges(level 1) and the full squats routine.

Straight bridges:
I try my best at contracting my glutes to prevent lower back pain on the bridges but it keeps coming back, I just started this routine.

Full squats:
I also felt pain on jacknife squats when I started, so back then, I just stopped squating till the bottom, reducing range of motion and using a wider stance.
But it continues happening whenever I squat too low and I really want to be able to do full squats without back pain. Also, I’ve started training abductors flexibility to see if it helps with extending them more when full squatting but it’s a work in progress. I’ve filmed myself and a small “butt wink” appears even when I brace my core and do a wide stance, it’s enough to set my back on fire, I’m running out of ideas.

And by the way, I’m 25, and I have diagnosed hypermobility, so the issue is not lack of ankle, hip or any joint mobility.

What can I do to stop feeling pain on both routines?

Good evening! So id recommend building of the glutes. This is likely from weak glutes hence the lower back pain for the squats. Once glutes are stronger, they will take more of the load on the squat vs your lower back

Hey, and what other exercises do you recommend? I keep thinking this back pain when squatting is because of the small ‘butt wink’ but haven’t been able to get rid of despite few changes.
And what can be done about the straight bridges? I felt fine when leveling up glute bridges, don’t know what to do about the pain in this new progression and don’t wanna get stuck in past progression forever…

If your back pain during squats is linked to butt wink, it’s likely a mobility issue, especially in your hips, hamstrings, or ankles. Try working on hip mobility drills like deep squat holds, 90/90 stretches, and hip flexor stretches. Strengthening your core with exercises like dead bugs and planks can also help stabilize your pelvis. If mobility isn’t the issue, adjusting your stance—widening your feet slightly or turning your toes out more—might help reduce the posterior pelvic tilt at the bottom of the squat.

For straight bridges, the discomfort could be coming from wrist, shoulder, or spinal mobility limitations. If your wrists feel strained, try doing them on fists or parallettes to keep a neutral wrist position. If it’s a shoulder issue, work on shoulder mobility (wall slides, shoulder dislocates with a band) before attempting full bridges. If your back is the issue, strengthening your lower back with superman holds or reverse hypers might make the movement feel more stable. Instead of getting stuck on glute bridges forever, modify straight bridges by elevating your hands on a low surface to reduce the strain while still progressing.

Try these solutions out and hit me up in a few days to let me know how you feel!