8 back exercises at home

Why pump up your lower back?

Athletic achievements in almost any sport depend on the development of the lumbar muscles. When performing exercises, tricks and other sports elements, a colossal load falls on the spine.

All coaches know this well. And that is why performing athletes regularly and persistently pump up their lower back muscles. This creates a natural muscle corset that protects the spine from possible injuries.

In strength sports such as powerlifting, bodybuilding, weightlifting, CrossFit, etc., the spine is subjected to compression loads every workout.

Without a strong lower back, the risk of injury increases significantly. Moreover, for this it is not necessary to lift heavy weights, it is enough just to have weak lumbar muscles.

Lower back exercises are one of the main elements of training methods in all strength sports.

Ordinary gym goers who “work out for themselves” often naively believe that they don’t have to work out their lumbar muscles. After all, they are not going to train with a heavy barbell or compete.

But the fact is that the spine is anatomically predisposed to injury and damage.

This can happen not only when lifting heavy objects, but also during sudden, awkward movements. Or simply over time, from wear and tear of the osseous-ligamentous apparatus of the spine.

With age, the back muscles begin to atrophy and cease to perform one of their main functions - to support the spine in its natural position. Therefore, back health is directly related to its muscle development.

This means that pumping up the lower back muscles and maintaining their tone throughout life is important for everyone! And regular strength exercises come first here.

exercises for the lower back.

7 Core Exercises for Low Back Pain (SUPER IMPORTANT!)

Best exercises

There are not so many truly effective exercises for the lumbar muscles.

Basically these are various options and modifications of just 3 movements:

1. Hyperextension

The most effective and at the same time simple and accessible exercise for the lower back.

Here the load is more isolated and targeted. Additionally, the gluteal and hamstring biceps are involved in the work.

They begin to master the exercise with their own body weight. Therefore, this movement is suitable for absolutely everyone, regardless of the level of physical fitness.

1. Bent-overs with a barbell on your shoulders

The next in degree of complexity, it involves the use of weights and the presence of a certain muscle tone of the lumbar muscles. Therefore not suitable for beginners.

The same muscle groups work - lower back, buttocks, hamstrings.

By the way, an interesting modification of this exercise is bending over with a barbell on your shoulders while sitting. Quite a rare exercise for the gym, but quite popular among weightlifters.

1. Deadlift

The deadlift is a complex basic exercise that involves about 70% of the muscles of the entire body (more than 400 muscles contract at the same time).

In terms of the unique impact on the human body, only squats can be compared with deadlifts.

The deadlift works the legs, buttocks, back, abs and forearms.

This exercise is valuable for the back muscles because it simultaneously pumps up all of its muscle groups:

• trapezius (responsible for the health of the cervical spine)
• lats (thoracic region)
• psoas muscles (lumbar)

But as effective as deadlift is for comprehensive back training, it is also dangerous for injuries. Especially if the execution technique is very poor.

This exercise is definitely not suitable for beginners. And even advanced gym-goers should be careful when performing this movement.

It is better to have the equipment controlled by someone who is good at it. For example, a coach.

Lower Back Exercises – Deadlift

Bend forward and then straighten your torso while holding a heavy barbell in your hands - a truly basic exercise. It affects the maximum number of muscles in the human body. When combined with squats and weightlifting bench presses, the deadlift helps you gain good muscle mass.

The exercise is done using the lumbar erectors, adductor muscles of the hips, buttocks, lats, trapezius and forearms. It is performed with the heaviest weights.

Recommended number of repetitions in each working approach:

a) for accentuated work on the lower back – 10/12; b) for gaining total muscle mass – 6/8; c) for developing strength in pulling exercises – 3/5.

Technical nuances of performing the most common version of the deadlift

1. We stand in front of the barbell so that our shins almost touch the bar. Place your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. We slightly spread the socks outwards.

2. Straighten your back and bend in the lumbar region. We move our shoulders back and bring our shoulder blades together. We fix the body in this position.

3. We bend over the barbell by moving the pelvis back and bending the legs at the knees. The back remains straight. The chin is parallel to the floor.

4. We grab the bar with the same or opposite grip with a gap between the hands slightly exceeding the width of the shoulders.

5. Having slightly pulled the bar towards you and created some tension in the hands, using the force of the back muscles, we lift the barbell off the floor. The lower the pelvis is located, the more load on the initial movement will go to the leg muscles: buttocks and quadriceps. The higher the pelvis, the more the lumbar spinal erectors and hip extensors will be loaded.

6. We begin to slowly and simultaneously straighten our legs and back at the knees. The bar should pass (slide) along the shins. The closer the bar is to you, the less stress will be placed on individual small muscles of the lower back. This will allow you to work with the heaviest weight possible.

7. When the bar reaches the middle of the front of the thighs, the knees should be fully extended.

8. We complete the straightening at the top point, moving the pelvis forward, due to the work of the gluteal muscles. During this segment of the amplitude of movement, the bar of the barbell should be in contact with the body.

9. We take a position parallel to the vertical axis. In this case: the body is straight, the chest is straightened, the shoulders are pulled back, the shoulder blades are brought together, the stay is in the straightened arms and just touches the front of the hips. We look forward, in front of us.

10. Stay at the top peak point for 1/2 second. We concentrate on the tension in the lower back.

11. Downward movement is a mirror image of upward movement.

Recommendations for lower back training

Before training, be sure to warm up.

This will warm up the muscles and ligaments and prepare them for the upcoming loads.

The lumbar muscles are strong, but medium and light weights are used to target them, with an emphasis on correct execution technique and smooth movement.

Rep Range:

• for hyperextension - 10-20 repetitions in 1 approach
• for slopes - 8-15

Optimal training frequency:

• for beginners – 3 times a week
• for intermediate level – 2 times

Beginners usually use hyperextension.

The average level alternates 2 exercises - in 1 lesson hyperextension (2-3 sets of 15-20 times), in 2 - bending over with a barbell (or, as an option, deadlift).

Bends are performed in 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions, deadlifts are performed in 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions.

As for the advanced level, they usually train the lower back once a week, performing 1-2 exercises on it.

You can also pump up your lower back at home. For this, as a rule, the “Boat” exercise is used.

At the beginning, it is performed with your own body weight, and later pick up a light weight. The main thing is to make smooth and controlled movements.

There are many options for implementation. These are lifts of opposite arms and legs, lifting the body with straight arms, with bent arms, and so on. Read more about how to replace hyperextension at home here.

Exercises on how to pump up your lower back at home or on a horizontal bar

Bend the torso forward. Take a lightly weighted barbell or a simple stick and bend your torso, keeping your back straight. Lower and rise slowly, fixing the load. Don't lift too much weight at first.

We recommend reading: Raising dumbbells overhead

Squats with dumbbells. You can also do simple squats, but using dumbbells. Try to do squats not quickly as usual, but slowly, trying to put the load not on your legs, but on your spine.

Pull-ups on the bar. You need to pull yourself up not as usual, with your chin touching the bar, but on the contrary, pulling up the back of your neck and back. This exercise is the most effective for pumping up your lower back on the horizontal bar or at home. Find out what it is: gymnastics for the lower back.

Contraindications for lower back training

If you are just starting to train in the gym, it is better to sign up for several training sessions with a personal trainer to establish the correct exercise technique.

If you are at an advanced level, you may need help adjusting your bends or deadlifts.

But in any case, tell the instructor about problems with the spine, if any.

When training the lumbar muscles there are many contraindications and restrictions:

1. Spinal curvatures (lordosis, kyphosis)
2. Vertebral displacements
3. Pinched nerve roots
4. Intervertebral hernias and protrusions

All this often prohibits training the lumbar muscles.

This usually happens when back pain progresses. Doctors' help is needed here.

When the acute phase of the disease subsides, begin moderate loads, performing movements in a small amplitude.

However, if back problems are only in the initial phase, doctors strongly recommend going to the gym and pumping up your lower back. But correctly, competently and under the supervision of instructors.

How to pump up your lower back at home

Of course, you don't need to go to the gym to pump up your lower back , although it's much faster to do it there. But even at home there is a whole range of exercises necessary for the lower back that will effectively and safely allow you to achieve results.

At home, it is advisable to pump your lower back every other day to give it some rest and not overload it, so as not to harm your health.

We recommend reading: Program for gaining muscle mass in the gym for men

Work your lower back slowly for the first time, gradually increasing the load.

Make a plan and schedule for training every other day at the same time, following your diet and exercise routine. And also, knowing immediately what exercises you will perform and in what sequence.