A Guide to Building Stronger Lower Back Muscles

Here are tips for building stronger lower back muscles, based on my personal experience and personal training experience. But first, realize that weak lower back muscles will eventually doom you. Building stronger lower back muscles will help guard against a potbelly. Plus, building strong lower back muscles will help prevent injury around the house and in sports. Strong lower back muscles help support the ab muscles, trunk muscles and spinal column. Strong low back muscles (erector muscles) will enable you to better perform your favorite exercises, which can include hiking, jogging, leg press, squats, golf, bowling, and so many others. When walking up hill or jogging, the low back muscles go to work. Of course, strong low back muscles are important for good posture and add to a more attractive appearance. Weak back muscles will eventually play a role in a degenerated vertebral column. Tips for building lower back muscles.

Dead-lifts from floor
Place barbell (which may be as light as 10 pounds) on floor. Stand shoulder width apart before it. Bend over at hips, keeping arch in lower back, knees slightly bent. Pick up bar, keeping arms straight, and return to standing position, arms still straight, holding bar before yourself. That was one rep. Repeat 20 times, do not rush, and always keep that arch. If this is too difficult, use no bar at all until it becomes easier. Eventually add weight to bar and work your way to a challenging 8-12 reps over time. Once you become very conditioned, barbell should be heavy enough to make 8-12 reps very difficult. Do three sets twice weekly for stronger erector muscles.

Warning: Always keep knees slightly bent and lower back arched.

Dead-lifts partial
Repeat technique above except the barbell can be a little heavier, and instead of working it off the floor, work it off a platform about knee height. The platform can be a weight lifting bench or special racks at gyms made just for this purpose.

Dead lifts dumbbells
Repeat techniques above, either to floor or platform, but hold dumbbells at sides rather than using a bar.

Morning stretch
Before getting out of bed, pull knees towards chest and count to 45-60. Feel the erector muscles stretch. Release, wait one minute, and repeat two more times. For flexible people, grab feet and pull feet towards you, over your head and beyond, bringing knees towards shoulders.

Incline walking
Using treadmill, set incline to 15 percent and speed to 1.5 to 3 mph, depending on fitness level. Walk 10-15 minutes. Do this several times a week. Never hold onto the treadmill, as this will remove work from the erector muscles. Swing arms and make these important muscles work to keep you erect during an uphill walk.

Cat back
Got on all floors and hunch back, like a cat does. Then reverse position by arching back. Do this in alternating fashion, slowly and gently for up to 20 reps.

Squats barbell
Using a Smith machine at a gym, do barbell squats with as light as just the bar (45 pounds), always keeping lower back arched! 8-20 reps. As this gets easier over time, increase weight.

Decline leg press
Use light weight so you can do 15-20 DEEP presses. The deepness stretches erector muscles under resistance.

Back extension
Using trunk extension apparatus at gym, perform 8-10 reps. This motion is intrinsically uncomfortable, but great for low back muscles.

Seated twists
Sit on bench or stability ball and gently twist at waist to loosen up low back muscles.