Weight Training Tips and Articles

Lower Back Weight Training Exercises

December 22, 2007 on 2:12 am | In Lower Back, Weight Training Exercises, Weight Training Routines | No Comments

  One of the most important areas of the body to strengthen through weight training is the lower back. The lower back muscles help support your body while performing almost any weight training exercise, whether you’re training your upper body or lower body. Having a weak lower back will negatively affect the weights you can use on many exercises, especially the major compound ones that help build the most muscle size.

  The best weight training exercise for strengthening the lower back is without a doubt the deadlift. Deadlifts are a great exercise for the lower back, as well as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and even the upper back and trapezius to a lesser extent. When you deadlift you should try to use your leg muscles to get the weight off of the floor and the lower back to finish a rep at the top. Get your butt low to the ground and keep your lower back arched instead of bent. Use chalk instead of lifting straps to assist your grip when you deadlift because you could pull a forearm muscle if you use straps.

  Another great, though underused, exercise for the lower back is called the good morning. you put a barbell on your trapezius/upper back area like you would while squatting and bend forward with your butt stuck out so you don’t actually bend the lower back too much. Use your lower back and hamsting muscles to lift the weight back to the starting position.

  Hyperextensions will also help you gain lower back strength. Get on a hyperextension apparatus and bend down and raise the body until it’s parallel to the floor to perform a rep. If you want you can use a light weight help to your chest for added resistance.

  Be careful not to overtrain the lower back. Trying to do exercises like squats with sore lower back muscles won’t do you any good and may put you at risk of an injury.

  Once you’ve built up some strength in your lower back you may be surprised by how much more weight you can handle on certain weight training exercises.