lower back exercises

travwj

travwj

Active member
Hi all,
I have had some lower back injuries with squats and dead lifts in the past. I want some recommendations on lower back excersises to strengthen my lower back... Like rack pulls, hypers...are there any others?
Thanks
Trav.
 
It sounds like you may need a coach or a trainer to watch you lift. Lower back issues with squats or deads are usually due to arching of the back while lifting, and not keeping a strong, straight lumbar. Back extensions and good mornings are good, low weight exercises to strengthen your lower back too
 
You do not want to lose your arch during squats and/or deadlifts as the lumbar has a curve to it. The problem is that most people round their lumbar and do not maintain the tightness needed to avoid injury and also often wear improper footwear which shifts the weight to the toes and exacerbates the issue.
 
Rodja said:
You do not want to lose your arch during squats and/or deadlifts as the lumbar has a curve to it. The problem is that most people round their lumbar and do not maintain the tightness needed to avoid injury and also often wear improper footwear which shifts the weight to the toes and exacerbates the issue.
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Good point as well! You really wanna make sure you are keeping your weight over your heels and not leaning forward or standing on your toes! This was really hard for me at first, since I played sports my whole life and all you hear from coaches is "stay on your toes!!" Much the opposite in weight lifting!
 
It's best to keep your weight on the outside of the foot to keep proper knee tracking and to help engage the hips.
 
I've found it helpful on squats to actively contract the muscles of the lower back just before and after I've unracked the weight. Keeping it tight and focusing on the activation down there goes a long ways (for me) when it comes to noticing when form starts to break down and dangerous rounding begins to occur.

You might also want to work on hip mobility and make sure your hamstrings have the elasticity they need to get you through the proper ROM in the squat. Some additional, specialized glute and hamstring work would probably be good for you as well since they can contribute to improper form if they're not strong or flexible enough.

I'd start with these exercises and see what helps you:

Cable Hip Abduction/Extension, Monster Walks, Good Mornings (ease into these - don't hurt your back trying to fix it)
 
I realize with my squats i have to get my weight onto my heels as I tend to have the weight on my toes to much. As for hamstrings I am working on my flexibility and I do SLDL and glute bridges to help with flexibility and strength. What are monster walks?
 
Monster Walks:

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It's good you noticed you're putting too much weight on your toes. Keep that weight on the heel and outer portion of the foot, not the front.

If you run a quick Youtube search there are some great videos by Dave Tate and Louie Simmons on improving the squat - probably worth looking into if you're serious about improving the exercise.
 
Thanks for the help Does. Those so you think you can squat clips are very helpful. Will work on my squats now.
 
Google "Hyper Lordosis" and find ways on how to fix this. Once you have a neutral spine at all times, especially during your lifts, much of your lower back pain experienced should dissipate.
 
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