Lower Back?

[Hand Sword]

Hey all,

Know of any good exercises, weights or not, to strengthen the lower back?

Thanks.

 

[CTKempo Todd]

Hi HS,

Working the low back is tricky because you alway wind up incorporating other mucles and it is difficult to isolate by itself..

Here are a couple..
Without any resistance equipment:
You can do what are called supermans..Lay flat on your stomach, then extend you arms out and legs out both off the ground at the same time. Hold for a count, relax, let them down and then repeat

On a stability ball (hyperextension machine even better)
Hyperextensions
Lay on the ball on the lower part of your stomach, anchor your feet to something, legs stretched out (or have somehold your feet down)
Bend you upper body forwards towards the ground, then pull yourself up in reverse. In order to do this, your lower back muscles contract to pick your body up. Repeat as desired.

If you have dumbbells
Deadlifts also incorporate the low back (although your glutes and hamstrings play a big part in this as well)
Basically reach to your toes with a pair of Dbs in your hand and stand back up.

Remember on ALL of these, technique is very important and so is breathing. (think Exhert = Exhale). never lock your knees etc..Or go too heavy..always start light..

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

All of the above are very good exercises. Definately start out light.

One thing about lower back strength is that if your abdominals are strong then your back will generally follow suit. So work both together and your back will hopefully be in good shape.


Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

 

[Gemini]

Having gone through rehab twice for disc issues, I've found CTKempo Todd's first suggestion to be the most effective and comfortable for me. Though I no longer feel any pain, I still do this excercise regularly as preventative maintenance.

The other main excercise I did were squats, but not in the manner of say, a weight lifter. Place your feet shoulder length apart with your toes pointing out at a 45 deg. angle. Lower yourself, keeping your back perfectly straight. Start with little more than dips and work your way down to a sitting position eventually. No lower! Though you'll feel it in your legs, this excercise requires your lower back muscles to work.

Though not excercises, pay particular attention to posture. Especially those positions you spend most of your time in, such as how you sit, walk and drive.

Good luck and feel better!

 

[samurai69]

Hyper extensions

Reverse hyper extensions

SuperMans

Pull Throughs

Deadlifts

Good Mornings (done carefully - no or little weight)

 

[arnisador]

This is a tough one for me too, but I do need to strengthen it. I find Supermans very hard to get good form on, yet hyperextensions seem too easy. (Maybe that's a matter of form too.) I do deadlifts and good mornings and occasionally hyperextensions but could use some variety.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I like samurai69 and others suggestions save for the superman's. Bridge on your elbows...you know? and then turn to the side and then the other side and then the back...you know what I am talking about? Hmmm...what 'er those called...:idunno:

Work the flexibility of your hip flexors and hamstrings (and everything else!!!).

Umm...

 

[Hand Sword]

Thank you for the responses! BTW, for disc problems in the back, is it felt constantly or just occasionally?

 

[Gemini]

Thank you for the responses! BTW, for disc problems in the back, is it felt constantly or just occasionally?

Given that the pain is from pressure on your spinal column, it could be either. In my first case, it went from occasionally (depending on what I was doing) to constantly (it no longer mattered what I was doing). The more aggitated it got, the more constant and intense the pain became. But it wasn't the pain that made me take action. It was the loss of feeling in my right leg.

Though I think it's great you're asking for and taking suggestions, I hope this isn't in place of speaking to a specialist. Disk issues can be caused by different things with different solutions.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I like samurai69 and others suggestions save for the superman's. Bridge on your elbows...you know? and then turn to the side and then the other side and then the back...you know what I am talking about? Hmmm...what 'er those called...:idunno:

Work the flexibility of your hip flexors and hamstrings (and everything else!!!).

Umm...

Planks! That's it, Booya!