Lower Back Exercises

Hyperextensions

Exercise Advice: Position yourself on a Roman Chair facing forward. If you are not sure what a Roman Chair is, ask a trainer at your gym to point one out to you. Cross your arms in front of your chest and slowly lower your upper torso down so as to try and touch your nose to the floor. Once your torso is completely bent over and virtually perpendicular to the floor, slowly return to the start position and repeat. Be sure that when you return to the start position that you DO NOT arch your back at the top.

Smith Machine Good Mornings

Exercise Advice: Using the Smith Machine, grab the barbell with both hands using an overhand grip about shoulder width apart and let the barbell hang down in front of your body. Begin this movement by bending at the waist and lowering the barbell to the floor. Be sure to keep your legs as straight as possible (a slight bend is ok) and really let the weight of the barbell bring you down. On the way up, really focus on your butt and hamstrings to pull the weight back up. It is very important to keep your back straight and rigid throughout this exercise and to let your legs and butt do the work.

Barbell Good Mornings

Exercise Advice: This is the same exercise as the Smith Machine Good Mornings except that you will be using a free weight barbell. Grab the barbell with both hands using an overhand grip about shoulder width apart and let the barbell hang down in front of your body. Begin this movement by bending at the waist and lowering the barbell to the floor. Be sure to keep your legs as straight as possible (a slight bend is ok) and really let the weight of the barbell bring you down. On the way up, really focus on your butt and hamstrings to pull the weight back up. It is very important to keep your back straight and rigid throughout this exercise and to let your legs and butt do the work.

Dumbbell Good Mornings

Exercise Advice: This is the same exercise as the Smith Machine Good Mornings and stiff legged barbell good mornings except that you will be holding a dumbbell in each hand instead of a barbell. Hold the dumbbells in each hand and hold them with your arms hanging straight down in front of your body. Begin this movement by bending at the waist and lower the dumbbells to the floor. Be sure to keep your legs as straight as possible (a slight bend is ok) and really let the weight of the dumbbells bring you down. On the way up, really focus on your butt and hamstrings to pull the weight back up. It is very important to keep your back straight and rigid throughout this exercise and to let your legs and butt do the work.

Lying Back Presses

Exercise Advice: Lie flat on your stomach on a mat on the floor with your legs out straight and your arms outstretched over you head, parallel to the floor. To perform this exercise, simultaneously bring both of your hands up toward the ceiling as high as you can while bringing your feet up off the ground as well. Imagine that your body is nearly forming the letter ‘U.’