Leverage Your Strength: Lower Back Exercises for Bodybuilders

Bodybuilding competitions are said to be won by the back. It’s all very well to have big arms and pecs, but no one skips arm or chest day at the gym. The muscles that you cannot see are the ones that really elevate your physique. The same is true for both the lower and upper back.

If you’re looking to get a festive lower back — in bodybuilding, a set of shredded spinal erectors resembles the shape of a Christmas tree — then you should train this part of Your posterior chain as hard as you would any other muscle.

What is the best lower back exercise for bodybuilding? You should do more than deadlifts every now and then (although pulls are an excellent starting point). To build muscle, you need the correct lower back exercises. You’re at the right place.

Lower Back Exercises for Bodybuilders

The Benefits of Training Your Back

There are many reasons to work your lats, traps, and more. Ben West and Jordane Tabona are the co-founders at London Gym 360 Athletic. They will talk you through these reasons.

Back Exercises will Reduce your risk of injury.

The average Joe’s life is characterized by long periods of sedentary activity – commutes, desk jobs, evenings on the couch watching TV – often interspersed with intense exercises that can take you from 0 to 100 in just 45 minutes. We wonder why we are injured. West says that back exercises can reduce your risk of injury and pain and improve your focus and efficiency.

Back Exercises Will Boost Your Bigger Lifts

The back workouts can also help strengthen weaker muscles, which will boost your strength for other lifts that you might not have expected. Does anyone for a stronger Bench Press? Your shoulder joints will also be stronger and more stable. Zammit Tabona says that your back muscles and spine are what support your body. Without them, it would be weak. A strong back helps support your body, and you will be able to function better. This is a win-win situation.

Back Workouts Will: Help Develop Your V-Shape Physique

Men’s health receives a lot of requests for a V-shaped body. This is often in conjunction with a larger chest and more pronounced arms. Spending more time on the rear can help you achieve that desired v-shape. West says that a well-rounded, balanced physique is something most people strive for. Training your back regularly will help you achieve this.

How to Do Lower Back Workouts

You can find below two lower back exercises to try. It would help if you allowed your muscles time to adapt and recover between the two-to-three-day intervals. These workouts are short, so you can add them to a longer session that works other areas of your body.

The 11 Best Lower Back Exercises

1. Good Morning

  1. Install a bar with sufficient weight on the rack that is most suitable for your height.
  2. Step under the bar and place your back (just below the neck) on it.
  3. Position your legs in a shoulder-width position, stepping away from the rack.
  4. Maintain a straight spine and keep your head raised at all times.
  5. Reduce your torso by bending the hips forward until it is parallel to the floor.
  6. Raise the torso to its original position.

2. Bent-over Rows

The bent-over barbell row is a staple in many muscle-building programs.

The bent-over-row is an exercise that builds muscle in the core, back, and biceps.

The bent-over row is a technique used by powerlifters and strength athletes to increase their power in the three main motions.

The bent-over rows are commonly used to strengthen and improve upper back muscles such as the trapezius, latissimus, and rhomboids.

The muscles of the lower back and core, as well as the arms, are needed to support a bent-over row.

How do you perform?

  1. Use a double-overhand grip and adopt a standing position to grab the bar.
  2. Begin by lowering your shoulder blades and pushing the elbows behind you. Start the exercise by pushing your elbows back behind your body and lowering your shoulder blades.
  3. The bar should be raised until it reaches your belly button. Drop it gently back into its original position.

3. Rack Pulls

Rack pulls are a variation of deadlifts that work all the muscles in your back, including the lower, middle, and upper.

Rack pulls are performed by pulling with a restricted range of motion. The barbell should start either just above or below the knee.

Maintaining a neutral spine is easier to manage when you start from a higher position.

This variant allows you to raise heavier weights, which will help your body adapt to lifting heavier weights and develop strength in the muscles of your posterior chain.

How do you perform:

  1. Place the barbell on the rack either below or above your knees.
  2. Use your normal deadlifting posture and grip.
  3. Squeeze your armpits as you pull up until lockout. Finish with the glutes.
  4. Reverse your direction of travel.
  5. Repeat the repetitions until you reach your desired number.

4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

A single-leg or single-arm movement should be included in every excellent workout.

Unilateral exercises help to discover, attack, and correct muscle imbalances.

Strengthen your lower back by performing the Romanian deadlift with a single leg.

How do you perform?

  1. Standing straight, hold a bar and shift the majority of your weight to your right foot.
  2. Then, slowly tilt your hips into a hinge position while lifting the non-working leg off the ground.
  3. The non-working leg should fall behind and be relatively straight when you tip.
  4. Once you feel a significant stretch in your muscle groups on the working leg, reverse the movement and get up.

5. Back Extensions

The back extension is performed by flexing the lower back in order to raise and lower your torso while lying down on a hyperextension machine or bench.

This exercise can be performed using your own body weight or with the help of a dumbbell or a barbell.

Slow repetitions and tempo training can stimulate muscle growth in the lower back.

How do you perform?

  1. Face down and lie on the hyperextension bench.
  2. Make sure the upper thighs of the thighs are flat, and there is enough room to bend the waistline.
  3. Keep your body straight and cross your hands in front of you (or place them behind your back).
  4. Start by bending forward as much as you can at your midsection while keeping your back flat.
  5. You can continue to move forward without rounding your back until you start feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
  6. Return your torso gently to the original position without bending your spine.
Lower Back Exercises for Bodybuilders

6. Hyperextension

  1. The 45-degree back extension, or hyperextensions as they are also called, is a great lower back exercise that’s good for your spine. This popular gym exercise strengthens not only your erector spine muscles but also your glutes and hamstrings. It is a great move for the entire posterior chain.
  2. Hyperextensions can be done with your own body weight or weights for a more challenging workout.
  3. You can also use them at home. You can also do this back exercise by lying down on a stabilization ball, a great alternative for home users.

7. Superman

  1. Superman got its name because when you perform this exercise, you will look like the Man of Steel, flying through the air. It’s a bodyweight exercise that is perfect for home workouts.
  2. When doing the superman, be careful not to lift the legs or upper body off the floor. This could cause injury to your spine if you hyperextend (extend too far) it. This exercise may be more comfortable if a gym mat or cushion is placed under your hips.

8. Barbell Hip Thrusts

  1. Barbell hip thrusts are viewed as glute exercises. They actually work the entire posterior chain, including your lower spine. Hip thrusts are better for your lower back than other lower-back exercises because they do not put pressure on the lumbar spine.
  2. This exercise is usually performed with a barbell. However, it can be done using a dumbbell or weight plate on your hips or even your own body weight. It can be done without a bench or while lying on the ground, making it a great home exercise. This variation is known as a shin bridge.

9. Kettlebell Swing

  1. Suppose you are able to maintain a neutral spinal position during the slow-tempo exercises described above. In that case, you can take your lower back workouts to a new level by using kettlebell swings. If you do any lower back exercises at speed, your lumbar spinal stabilization will be more difficult. This means your glutes and hamstrings will get a good workout.
  2. It’s better to raise your kettlebell to shoulder height (the Russian Swing) than to lift it overhead. This allows you to use heavier weights while not hyperextending your lower spine.

10. Dumbbell Single-Arm Row

The dumbbell one-arm row is a great exercise for lats. It works both sides of the body and can help you to focus on (and fix) weaker areas by destroying strength imbalances. One tip: Don’t let your shoulders drop at the end of the exercise. Your back should lift the weight and not your arm.

How to:

  1. Place your right hand on a flat bench and keep your arm straight. Rest your right leg on the bench, and then step out your other foot. Grab a dumbbell from the floor with your free hand and raise it to your side until your upper arm is at a right angle with the floor. Repeat the exercise by lowering slowly to the floor.

11. Lat pulldowns

Working at a slower pace will maximize your muscle gain. Reward yourself by maintaining strict form. Always bring the bar up in front of you. The version that is behind the neck can cause damage to your rotator cuff.

How to:

  1. Kneel before the cable machine, facing away.
  2. Hold the bar shoulder-width apart with your palms facing you.
  3. Push your chest out and lean back slightly. The bar should be pulled down to your chest.
  4. Return slowly to the starting position. The torso must remain in a constant position.

Trainer Tips for Lower-Back Exercises

When programming exercises to target a muscle as vital and articulate as the lumbar spinal, it is important to be tactical and precise.

It is important to get the timing and technique right when it comes to lower back conditioning.

Warm-up

It is important to train the lower back muscles for a muscular, healthy physique. However, many people rush straight into workouts with heavy loads without properly preparing.

To get the most from your training, warm up your whole body before you do your Back Exercises.

For Hypertrophy

Growing the lower back can be as easy as bulking up other muscles.

All muscles, including those in the lumbar region, will eventually respond to increased tension.

You don’t want your lower back to be strained by high-intensity exercises.

To strengthen your spine, focus on increasing the number of reps you do or spending more time in a stressful situation.

For Stamina

If you want to build a strong spine, start your exercise with lower back exercises.

However, there is one important limitation.

You don’t want your lumbar spine to be overworked if you are doing other exercises in the same workout. This includes deadlifts, rows, and overhead presses.

After the workout, isolate the lower back muscles by performing isolation exercises along the posterior chain.

The Arnold Back Routine

Back muscles are muscles of pulling. These muscles help you pull an object toward your body or your own body weight toward a stationary object. Exercise physiologists classify these movements as vertical Pulls (think chin-ups) and Horizontal Pulls (think rowing a vessel).

Both old-school bodybuilders and modern ones make similar distinctions. Still, because they focus more on muscle than movement, these movements are classified differently. Arnold says that when you train your back, you need to focus on both width and thickness. Vertical pulling exercises are “width building” exercises, as they focus on the lats located on either side of your back. Horizontal pulling exercises are “thickness building” exercises because they target the traps and the rhomboids at the center of the back.

These two movements are the basis of all upper-back exercises. Whether you want to build maximum muscle mass or improve strength and function, it’s important to include both variations. This workout achieves that.

Wide-Grip Pull-Up

5 sets with 8-12 reps

  • Hold a bar at arm’s length with your hands wider than shoulder-width. This is your starting position.
  • Reverse the movement and then pause to return to your starting position.

Pro tip: Can’t get 8 reps? If you are unable to complete 8 reps, try shorter sets.

T-Bar Row

5 sets with 8-12 reps

  • Straddle the T-bar, and grab the handles with an overhand grip (no T-bar? Double-D handles can be used on the Olympic bar end to create a landmine.
  • Raise the bar off the ground a few inches while keeping your back flat and core engaged.
  • Keep your elbows tucked and pull the weight explosively up towards your torso.
  • Reverse the movement and then pause to return to your starting position.

Pro Tip: A bent-over barbell can be substituted. Arnold would often round his lower back when performing this exercise, but you shouldn’t do the same. Keep your back flat and your core engaged to reduce your injury risk.

Lower Back Exercises for Bodybuilders

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

4 sets of 8-12 reps per arm

  • Holding a dumbbell at arm’s length in your right, place your left leg and your left hand on a bench. This is your starting position.
  • Pull the dumbbell away from your body, keeping your back flat and your elbows tucked.
  • Reverse the movement and pause before returning to the original position.
  • Repeat the same steps, but switch sides.

Pro Tip:

  1. Grab something stable at chest level (a railing or a cable column).
  2. Repeat the stretch on the other side. This stretch can be done during the rest period of any back exercises — or whenever you need to release tension.

Conclusion:

To challenge muscles safely, it is important to perform lower back exercises using the correct form. It is equally important to balance lower back exercises with the core and to stretch to ensure core strength and flexibility.

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