Up to 80% of people will experience lower back pain during their lives, and it may get worse with age. Protecting your back requires a multi-pronged approach, and strengthening the muscles in the lower back area is a key component. Regular training can build functional strength and stability while preventing future injury.
Try these eight lower back workouts to protect your health and minimize your chance of back pain now and in the future.
The Importance of Lower Back Strength
Your lower back supports the weight of your entire body every day. It drives kinetic movement like twisting, throwing, and pushing, and protects your core.
You can’t ignore your lower back in the gym if you want to stay active. Not only does it reduce the risk of muscle strain or disc herniation, but it also protects spinal alignment and improves posture. And, while you may not realize it, a weak lower back can also translate to weakness in the hips and knees, creating problems as you age.
A strong lower back and posterior chain enhances your athletic and gym performance, allowing you to carry heavier loads without straining and ensuring proper form under resistance.
Lower back strength is helpful even when you’re sitting. It supports proper spinal alignment and posture, reduces lower back pain, and allows you to hold your body upright without excess strain.
8 Lower Back Strengthening Exercises To Try
Try the back strengthening exercises outlined below during your next workout to gain stability and foundational strength. You’ll notice they’re not all load-bearing strength training moves, and that’s on purpose. Balancing strength alongside stretching, mobility, and stability work keeps the lower back healthy and flexible.
Cable Bird Dog
A cable bird dog improves stability and coordination in the core, including the lower back. It also builds unilateral strength by working one side at a time to address any present imbalances. Neutrality in the spine, even under resistance, will help protect it from heavy loads.
Set the cable at the lowest setting and attach a single handle. Position yourself on your hands and knees facing the machine, elevating one of your legs straight behind you.
Grab the cable handle with the opposite hand and begin rowing backward as you bend your knee and pull it forward, bringing your elbow and knee to touch beneath you without touching the ground.
Slowly return to the starting position until your arm is long in front of you and your leg is extended behind you.
The challenge is keeping your hips level and spine neutral with your core engaged throughout the movement.
Superman
Superman is a simple bodyweight back exercise you can perform anywhere, with no equipment necessary. It targets your erector spinae muscles directly while improving activation of your posterior chain.
Lie face down on the floor and extend your arms overhead. Keeping your neck neutral and avoiding craning, lift your chest and legs off the ground simultaneously to hover 6-12 inches off the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at this top position and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Slowly lower the arms and legs down again.
You can easily progress this movement by holding the top position longer or adding light ankle or wrist weights.
Cable Pull Through
Deadlifts are a classic move to build strength in the lower back, but they require more force and can be hard on the joints.
A cable pull-through is an excellent alternative that still teaches the same proper hip hinge mechanics and strengthens the posterior chain, but is a lower-impact option.
Stand facing away from a low-set cable with the rope attachment. Reach through your legs and grab the rope, with one hand holding each end.
Keep your spine neutral and hinge at your hips to push your glutes behind you. Feel the full stretch of your hamstrings, press through your heels to drive your hips forward, and return to standing. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
You’ll notice the movement is very similar to a deadlift.
Glute Bridge
A glute bridge strengthens your glutes, which support your lower back and core. Repeating this move frequently teaches proper hip hinge movement and can also counteract the impact of prolonged sitting.
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You can place a weight on your hips if you want a challenge beyond bodyweight.
Drive through your heels and press your hips up as you tilt your pelvis toward your belly button. Hold for 2-3 seconds at the top. Ensure your lower back is not carrying the weight or driving the movement.
Keep your core engaged throughout the movement.
Cable Reverse Fly
Cable reverse flyes target the upper back, reducing overcompensation in the lower back, so it only works when needed. They also improve forward head positioning and strengthen the rear delts and rhomboids, which support the lower back.
Set the cables to chest height and use two handle attachments. Face the machine and grab the handle on the opposite side of each hand.
Hinge at your hips so you’re bent over at about 45º.
Pull the handles apart in a wide arc and squeeze the shoulder blades together like you’re pinching a pencil between them. Keep a slight bend in your elbows to protect the joints.
Return to start with control, but maintain the hip hinge position throughout.
Cable Wood Chops
Your trunk, which includes your lower back, is the foundation of your rotational strength and stability. But to build that strength, you have to practice rotational movements. These wood chops are an excellent cable back workout you can do with your Speediance Gym Monster 2. They mimic real-world movement patterns that strengthen your obliques and deep core muscles in your lower back.
When standing, set the cable at chest height. Stand perpendicular to the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take hold of the handle with both hands and extend your arms down and diagonally off to the side closest to the cable.
Rotate your torso away from the machine in a diagonal movement, bringing the weight upwards toward the opposite shoulder as you turn.
Keep your arms straight. They’re not doing the work; your core is.
Keep the tension as you return to the start position.
Back Extension
A back extension will work similar muscles to the superman while allowing for more flexibility to progressively overload the movement by adding resistance as needed.
Find a back extension machine and place your weight (if using) in front of the machine.
Position yourself on the machine with your hips on the pads and feet secured into the base of the machine or the floor.
Bend down to pick up your weight. Choosing plates is often easier than dumbbells for this exercise.
Hold the weight close to your chest and bring your chest up as you extend your spine into a neutral position. Squeeze your lower back and glutes at the top.
Avoid rounding excessively and slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat.
Plank Variations
Planks should be in everyone’s workout arsenal. A plank is a full-body exercise emphasizing core strength, including the lower back.
You can play around with different variations, such as single-arm planks, single-leg planks, and even side planks or reverse planks to hit the full 360º of your lower core.
A traditional plank starts with hands directly beneath shoulders and feet out long behind you. Your core should be engaged, and your glutes should be squeezed to form a straight line from head to toe.
If you start lifting one leg or one arm (or opposite legs and arms simultaneously), brace your core to resist rotation and maintain your neutral position. This recruits the lower back to stay stable.
Combining Stretching and Strength Training
Your lower back is more delicate than other parts of the body. It must be protected, so it’s critical that you’re not overloading the muscles or overworking them too frequently. In addition, stretching must be an integral part of your lower back work to avoid injury.
It’s common to compensate with the lower back in other movements, like deadlifts or squats. You must also be mindful that you’re engaging the right muscles and not straining them inappropriately.
A combination of intentional strength training, mobility, and flexibility work is ideal. And you’re not just working the lower back; you also need to stretch the hamstrings, hip flexors, and piriformis regularly, as they can contribute to lower back pain.
Mobility work, like foam rolling, helps with recovery and prevents muscle imbalances. It should be performed at the end of your workouts a few times weekly. Not only does this release the muscles, but it also helps release fascial restrictions in the outer layer of the muscle fibers.
Stretching should be done before and after every workout. Try cat-cow stretches to improve spinal mobility, seated spinal twists to release lower back tension, and child’s pose to decompress the back after workouts. Yoga is a great way to incorporate all of these poses and more. It’s an excellent option for light movement on an active rest day.
You may also benefit from a quick mobility and stretching routine every morning and evening to wake the body up, prevent daytime stiffness, and release any tension before bed. It can be just a few moves focusing on the hip flexors, lower back, and hamstrings, or incorporate more upper body movements for a full-body benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Big 3 Exercises for the Lower Back?
The three primary exercises for the lower back include planks, glute bridges, and deadlifts or cable pull-throughs. Planks reinforce core stability, glute bridges create a strong posterior chain, and cable pull-throughs strengthen the lower back muscles.
What Is the Best Exercise for the Lower Back?
There’s no one “best” exercise for the lower back, as everyone’s needs and limits are different. Two exercises that are ideal for beginners are bird dogs and glute bridges. As you advance, you can move on to loaded movements and plank variations. Consistency and progressive overload over time are key.
Lower Back Workouts Support Stability, Prevent Injury, and Enhance Strength
If you want to train your lower back without excessively straining it, a cable machine like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 is a safe bet that allows for progression even if you’re a beginner. Start low and progress slowly, listening to your body for any pain or discomfort.
With a combination of strength and stability exercises targeting the lower back, you’ll gain more power in your trunk to support your core and upper-body lifts while protecting your back from injury.
