3 Exercises for a Strong Lower Back

One of the easiest body parts to injure is most certainly the lower back, or lumbar back. The word lumbar is derived from the latin word lumbus, meaning lion, which is fitting considering that many guys get injured while trying to unleash their inner jungle cat—allowing their egos to push more weight than their bodies can handle. Throw in a dose of bad form, and you’ve got the perfect storm for a weightlifting-related injury.

To significantly lower your chances of back injury and gain strength in your lower back, consider incorporating these isolation exercises into your workouts.

Here are three excellent moves to ensure a strong lower back.

Good Mornings

Edgar Artiga

1. Set up a bar (with sufficient weight) on a rack that best matches your height.
2. Step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
3. Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
4. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a medium, shoulder-width stance.
5. Keep your head up at all times and maintain a straight back.
6. Lower your torso forward by bending at the hips until it is parallel with the floor.
7. Elevate torso back to starting position.

Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps

Deficit Deadlift

Chris Nicoll

1. Start by standing on a platform, 1-5 inches in height.
2. Make sure that your feet are hip width apart.
3. Bend at the hip to grip the bar at shoulder width, allowing your shoulder blades to protract.
4. Lower your hips and bend knees until your shins contact the bar.
5. Look forward, keep chest up and back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward.
6. After the bar passes the knees, aggressively pull it back, bringing your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward into the bar.
7. Lower the bar by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor.

Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Hyperextensions

Edgar Artiga

1. Lie face down on a hyperextension bench.
2. Ensure your upper thighs lie flat across the wide pad, leaving enough room for you to bend at the waist.
3. With your body straight, cross your arms in front of you (or place behind your head).
4. Then start to bend forward slowly at the waist as far as you can while keeping your back flat.
5. Without rounding your back, keep moving forward until you feel a nice stretch on the hamstrings and you can no longer keep going without a rounding of the back.
6. Slowly raise your torso back to the initial position without arching your back.

Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps