Heads up to MANY people! Your core is not JUST your “abs!” Yes, I’m talking to YOU!
Strengthening your lower back muscles (aka, the posterior core) will help you function at a higher level, and feel your best!
Here are 5 of my go-to lower back strengthening exercises.
#1) Back Extensions
This exercise strengthens the lower back muscles. You can do this using a back extension bench, ball, or other stable piece of equipment.
Coaching Tips:
- Get in a prone position on a back extension machine, ball, or other stable surface. Your feet should be anchored and secure.
- Start so your body is in a straight(ish) line from your head to feet.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now use your lower back muscles and lower your torso to a range that feels comfortable. Do so with control. Your spine will likely go into flexion here.
- Gain a moment of control, then use your lower back muscles and return your torso to the top/starting position. You can stop when your spine is in a neutral position. Or if it feels good you can go into some extension.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain muscles contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
#2) Double-Arm Anti-Rotations From Staggered Stance RDL/Deadlift
This exercise strengthens the posterior, anterior, and lateral core muscles, posterior chain muscles (glutes and hamstrings), and improves shoulder/scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell (or other weighted object) in both hands.
- Get into a staggered stance RDL/deadlift position. Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your front foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. Be on the forefoot of your back foot.
- Start so your shoulders and directly above your hands and the weight. While keeping your body in a fixed position, swing your arms and weight laterally. Return to the starting/center position. Then repeat in the opposite direction. The farther from the midline of your body the weight travels, the more challenging the exercise will be.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain muscles contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps per direction.
#3) Single Leg Supine Plank
This exercise strengthens the lower back muscles, and improves shoulder and scapular stability. Make sure you can do this first using both legs at the same time.
Coaching Tips:
- Place each elbow on a bench or other stable surface, and point your forearms up towards the ceiling.
- Set yourself up so you are in the top position of a single leg bodyweight hip thrust position.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Your chin should remain tucked and neck in a neutral position.
- Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.
- Keep your shin in a relatively vertical position.
- Take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and flex your glutes.
- Press your elbows into the benches/drive your body towards the ceiling and retract your shoulder blades (move each one in towards your spine). For the duration of the exercise, maintain this press and position. You should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades, and the back of your shoulders.
- Hold for the target amount of time.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to knee. Do not allow your spine to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and flex your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of a 10-30 second hold per side.
Build full body strength, mobility, and athleticism. For intermediates to advanced in terms of training experience and ability, and also coaches. Home workout friendly, and great for gym workouts!
#4) Band Resisted Reverse Hypers
Band resisted reverse hypers are an awesome exercise for strengthening the posterior core muscles, and glutes. Make sure you can do this exercise proficiently with bodyweight only before you add any additional resistance.
Coaching Tips:
- Anchor a resistance band under a secure surface, and place the band around the back of your ankles.
- Get into a prone position on your couch (or another stable surface). Your hip crease should be towards the edge of the surface. Figure out what position works and feels best for you.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Fully extend your knees, contract your quadriceps, and keep your legs and feet together.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now with complete control, and while keeping your knees, ankles, and feet in a fixed position, use your glutes and posterior core muscles and lift your hips and legs so your legs are roughly parallel to the floor. Avoid excessively arching your lower back, and move very smoothly.
- In the top position, pause for a count and really contract your glutes and posterior core muscles.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend (a slight extension is ok), excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
#5) Alternating Bent-Over Rows From ISO RDL/Deadlift
This deceptively challenging exercise, which is VERY anti-rotational in nature, improves lumbo-pelvic stability (think core), shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, and the posterior chain muscles.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a weight in either hand (I’m holding two weights per hand as this was before I got heavier weights).
- Get into a hip hinge/RDL position. Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position. Gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Perform a single arm row on one side and row up and back towards your hip versus pulling straight up, and do not use momentum.
- During the row, think about drawing your shoulder blade in towards your spine (retract).
- In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Lower the weight to the starting position with control. As the weight is lowering on one side, perform the row on the other side.
- During the lowering your shoulder blade should perform the reverse movement (protract) as it did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blade away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep it pinned.
- In the starting/bottom position, your elbow should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position, and you should remain in an RDL. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain muscles contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps per side.
BUILD your lower body and core strength, and improve your mobility and athleticism with this comprehensive and effective program! Currently being followed by THOUSANDS of people in at least 50 countries. For “experienced beginners” to advanced trainees, and also coaches. Great for home AND gym workouts!
Join THOUSANDS Of People From 86 Countries Worldwide And Get The Ultimate Pull-Up Program Now
