Lower back pain is a common issue among people of all ages, especially those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or engage in activities that put a lot of strain on the lower back. Fortunately, there are many lower back strength exercise options that can help alleviate pain, improve posture, and increase overall strength and stability.
In this article, we’ll explore 10 effective lower back strength exercise ideas from popular sports and fitness influencers and Youtube vloggers that you can incorporate into your workout routine to strengthen your lower back and prevent future injuries. From deadlifts to planks, these exercises will target the muscles in your lower back and surrounding areas, helping you build a strong and healthy back.
Here are 10 lower back strength exercise ideas:
1. Deadlifts: This compound exercise targets several muscle groups including the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, making it an excellent way to build lower back strength. This Youtube video by Alan Thrall provides a detailed tutorial on how to perform the deadlift exercise correctly, including proper form, grip, and breathing techniques:
2. Back extensions: This exercise strengthens the muscles in the lower back and can be done with a back extension machine, a stability ball, or lying face down on the floor. The video below by Proraw Gym demonstrates different variations of the back extension exercise, including the standard machine-based version and bodyweight alternatives:
3. Good mornings: This exercise involves bending forward while holding a barbell on your back, which targets the lower back muscles. This video by Jeff Nippard provides a tutorial on how to perform the good morning exercise with proper form and technique:
4. Superman holds: This lower back strength exercise involves lying face down and lifting your arms, legs, and chest off the ground to engage the lower back muscles. This Youtube video by Fit Father Project demonstrates how to perform the superman hold exercise, which helps improve spinal stability and posture.
5. Hip bridges: This method targets the glutes and lower back muscles and can be done with bodyweight or with added resistance using a barbell or weights.In this video, Dan Murphy from the Clubs at Charles River Park and Mass General Wellness Center demonstrates how to perform the hip bridge exercise to help improve hip mobility and posture.
6. Bird dogs: Balancing on your hands and knees and extending opposite arms and legs helps to engage your lower back muscles, making it a useful lower back strength exercise. This video by a strength coach and personal trainer with a degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology, Andrew Barr provides a tutorial on how to perform the bird dog exercise, which helps improve spinal stability and posture.
7. Cable pull-throughs: With a cable machine, you can target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles all at once, making this exercise an effective lower back strength exercise. By watching the video below by Canadian Josh and Kyle of #TeamColossus of Colossus Fitness Youtube channel with over 150K subscribers, you’ll learn the correct way to execute the glute pull-through exercise, enabling you to challenge yourself beyond your current limits and achieve increased strength and development in your glutes.
8. Romanian deadlifts: This popular workout targets the hamstrings and lower back muscles and involves hinging forward from the hips while holding a barbell or dumbbells. This video clip by Jeremy Ethier provides a tutorial on how to perform the Romanian deadlift exercise with proper form and technique.
9. Kettlebell swings: Swinging a kettlebell between your legs and up to shoulder height targets your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, making it a dynamic lower back strength exercise.
In the 5-minute video below, a sports performance coach at Stanford University Cory Schlesinger demonstrates a series of kettlebell exercises, including the kettlebell swing, goblet squat, lunge, and overhead press. He provides clear instructions on proper form and technique for each exercise and offers modifications for beginners or those with physical limitations.
Throughout the video, Schlesinger emphasizes the importance of using proper form and avoiding common mistakes that can lead to injury. He also provides tips on how to progress the exercises to make them more challenging as you become stronger and more advanced.
10. Planks: Strengthen your entire core, including your lower back muscles, with variations of this exercise such as side planks and stability ball planks, making it a popular choice for a lower back strength exercise. Helping you to improve spinal stability and posture, this Youtube video by Fitness Blender provides a tutorial on how to perform different variations of the plank exercise:
Note: These videos are meant to provide general guidance and instruction on how to perform these exercises, but it’s important to consult with a qualified fitness professional to ensure proper form and technique and to avoid injury.
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