Frankie started pouring concrete in Phoenix in 1991. By 2009, he couldn’t tie his shoes without sitting down.
“It ain’t the heavy stuff,” he told me. “It’s the repetition. Every day. Same motion. Same curve in your spine.”
He was forty-one.
The anatomy of concrete back
Here’s what they don’t teach you in apprentice programs: Your spine is a stack of discs designed to compress and rebound. But wet concrete weighs about 145 pounds per cubic foot. And you’re not just lifting it—you’re raking it, spreading it, vibrating it, and finishing it.
All while bent forward at the waist.
A concrete finisher bends forward about 400 times per day. Each time, the pressure on your L4-L5 disc—that’s the one that always goes—increases by 200% compared to standing.
Multiply that by 250 work days. Multiply that by twenty years.
The math is ugly.
Why it’s worse than other trades
Frankie worked with a guy who came from framing. “Thought concrete would be easier. Less overhead work.” Lasted three months.
The difference? Framers lift heavy things but get variety. Up, down, move around. Concrete workers live in the bent-over position. Your lumbar muscles never get a break.
Plus there’s the vibration factor. Power trowels, screeds, vibrators—all that shaking travels up through your feet and into your spine. Vibration causes micro-trauma to the disc tissue. Over time, it adds up.
Then there’s the uneven ground. You’re not standing flat. You’re reaching, stretching, compensating. Every pour is a new ergonomic nightmare.
What actually helps
Frankie’s not pain-free. But he’s still working, which is more than he expected ten years ago.
The biggest change: learning to hinge. Not bend. Hinge. Your hips are a ball-and-socket joint designed to fold. Your lower back is not. He worked with a physical therapist for six weeks just to relearn how to pick things up.
Anti-inflammatory routine. He takes fish oil and turmeric daily. “Doesn’t fix anything, but takes the edge off.” Brands like Built Daily Supply make formulas for guys like him—workers who can’t afford to be laid up.
Core work that’s actually useful. Not crunches. Planks, bird dogs, dead bugs. The deep stabilizers that hold your spine in place while you work.
The bottom line
Your back will fail if you treat it like a crane. It’s a support structure, not a lifting mechanism.
Learn the difference now or learn it later. Later comes with surgery.