Hey Folks,

I'm looking at strengthening my lower back and lateral area and was wondering what the best exercises for doing so would be?  I think my lats and lower back are really my weak point as I may have concentrated to much on upper body and crunches these last few months.  

Thanks

DEADLIFT

No, that's the worst...if you're back's not in shape.


Find a gym that has a back extension machine and use it.   Start out with maybe half your body weight and start with 25 reps.    That shouldn't pose much of a problem for anyone.

The back extension machine is my favorite machine in the gym because it ensures a strong set of muscles around the spine, which is very important and lends resistance to back injuries.

I'm currently doing 100 reps at 305 pounds, the max weight on the back machine at the gym I go to.  


CJ

Quoted: DEADLIFT

+1

Quoted: Quoted: DEADLIFT +1

+2 It is my favorite excersise. it is just you vs. the weight on the floor. No momentum or crazy techniques to lift more. Just pick up the bar off the floor. There is a proper form of course, but that is pretty standard when lifting anything.

Quoted: No, that's the worst...if you're back's not in shape. Find a gym that has a back extension machine and use it.   Start out with maybe half your body weight and start with 25 reps.    That shouldn't pose much of a problem for anyone. The back extension machine is my favorite machine in the gym because it ensures a strong set of muscles around the spine, which is very important and lends resistance to back injuries. I'm currently doing 100 reps at 305 pounds, the max weight on the back machine at the gym I go to.   CJ

+1.  Back extensions.

Deadlifts are great if you've got a little back muscle to start with,  and know good form,  but if you're just starting out,  I'd say that you should get started with a back machine for a while before going to deadlifts.   Let the back machine be your training wheels.

I choose not to deadlift for other reasons.   My back is extremely strong, almost out of
proportion with everything else,   so my inclination would be to try to deadlift more than
my upper body is ready for just because my back is ready for it and more.    So I'm
working on my upper body strength a lot lately.      I'll consider doing deadlifts after I've
managed to even myself up a little bit first,  for safety's sake.

I was in the gym on Sunday,  doing pull-ups (which is a new thing for me in my workout) and when I was done, I let go to fall to the floor and the fall was MAYBE a foot.   And when I hit,
with my feet flexed and knees slightly bent,  it hurt my feet like hell.    It really stung.

Ah, the joys of having your 20s far in your life's rearview mirror.  

I'm stronger than ever before in my life but despite good diet and exercise,  some things
just aren't what they used to be.   I never hurt my feet before by just falling a single foot...and being prepared for the landing.    

They say you get wiser as you get older.  I'd like to trade in 10 year's worth of wisdom for the last 10 years back.  


CJ

Dont be a pussy and deadlift.  If your worried then just do it with the bar and then work your way up.

Sex, lots of sex....with a fat woman after you tell her that you dont like her hair.  That will get your lower back in shape.

Deadlift! Proper technique is essential, but if your not willing to learn it you shouldn't be lifting anything anyways.

While there are plenty of good resources this is a great book to check out Power To The People!

I would also recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.   It's a fundamental strength training program.  No promises to make you look like a fitness model.  Just promises to make you much stronger.  The program is based on the squat, deadlift, bench press, press and power clean and each exercise is described in excruciating detail.  The book is actually targeted to strength coaches but can be used by anyone wanting to learn the correct way to lift.  He has another book, that is geared toward the public, coming out in the near future.  Starting Strength has gotten rave reviews by the folks who do Crossfit.  I have it and I'm highly impressed but that opinion isn't worth much due to my lack of knowledge and experience in strength training.  Listen to the Crossfit folks!

Quoted: I would also recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.   It's a fundamental strength training program.  No promises to make you look like a fitness model.  Just promises to make you much stronger.  The program is based on the squat, deadlift, bench press, press and power clean and each exercise is described in excruciating detail.  The book is actually targeted to strength coaches but can be used by anyone wanting to learn the correct way to lift.  He has another book, that is geared toward the public, coming out in the near future.  Starting Strength has gotten rave reviews by the folks who do Crossfit.  I have it and I'm highly impressed but that opinion isn't worth much due to my lack of knowledge and experience in strength training.  Listen to the Crossfit folks!

Riptoe is the shit!

This is the fist paragraph from the Deadlift chapter preview by Mark Rippetoe.


"Lower back strength is an important component of sports conditioning.  The ability to maintain a rigid lumbar spine under load is critical for both power transfer and safety.  The deadlift builds back strength better than any other exercise, bar none."  



Starting Strength Deadlift sample page

Snow Shoveling.

I personally don't believe in "back exercises", as I've noticed that people eventually injure themselves in time.  When I did competitive level gymnastics college, & we used to do an exercise called a "log roll" which develops the body's muscles to work in unison for control, which is crucial for learning bascially all gymnastics movements.  This static routine worked both the ventral & dorsal sides, & is perhaps one of the most fundamental conditioning methods; it was nothing more than as follows:

Note: This exercise is not for beginners or the faint of heart.  If you aren't in shape & in particular if your midsection/abdominal region isn't well-conditioned, then DO NOT attempt this exercise. If done correctly, you will feel it work.  Be sure to work both sides.  This isn't a pick-you-favorite-side routine.

Ventral: the basic idea is to support all of your body weight on the small of your back.  Keep your straight & legs together, & lift them up, but focus on your stomach muscles & avoid using your hip flexors.  "Push" your arms straight & forward over your chest & lift up your upper body so that your torso rolls up & forward.  Again, focus on the stomach, use the gluteals top control the lower body & keep you rlimbs straight - & I do mean straight (not overstrained, but in a controlled manner).  Imagine doing V-ups, only you don't actually lift up & touch your toes.  Rather, you initiate the movement, using your stomach to lift both ends of the body.  Once you've "rolled" your chest forward & up, & your ass tight, legs straght & up, & toes off the ground, hold the position, focusing on the stomach muscles for lifting & the other muscles in your limbs & torso to hold everything together.  If done right, someone should be able to grab you by the feet & spin you around w/ only the small of your back contacting the floor (assuming the surface is slick enough).

Dorsal:  Rolling over onto your stomach, stretching your arms straght in front of you & keeping your legs straight, use your back & stomach muscles to arch up so that only your stomach touches the ground.  Keep your legs & arms straight the whole time.  Again, your glutes, legs, arms, etc. should all be working together so the body is a solid unit.  This will focus on your back as well as other muscles (There's actually no such thing as isolation workouts, despite what "pros" say).    If done right, someone should be able to grab you by the feet & spin you around w/ only your stomach contacting the floor (again, assuming the surface is slick enough).

We called these "log rolls", & would hold position on one side, then roll over & hold it for the other side.  Try to work up to holding each position for ~10 sec.  Since it's a static exercise, it won't put you at the kind of risk that dynamic lifting does.  That doesn't mean, however, that it's cake.

Caveat: I'm no MD.  Be sure to consult your physician 1st before performing any exercises.  Engage at your own risk.

Quoted: Sex, lots of sex....with a fat woman after you tell her that you dont like her hair.  That will get your lower back in shape.

You owe me a new keyboard!

Quoted: Sex, lots of sex....with a fat woman after you tell her that you dont like her hair.  That will get your lower back in shape.

When I was in Turkey my landlady was a 300 something pound woman who'd been a prostitute when she was young and skinny.  Whenever I needed to talk to her about anything important I'd schedule an appointment with the housing affairs office so they could translate and keep everything on the up and up.  One day I'm in a meeting and the guy doing the translating was an attractive young guy with a reputation as a lady's man.  

I have never seen abject horror like I saw on his face when she looked him up and down admiringly then asked him if he had a strong back.  

Deads (with good form, even if you start with very little weight).

If you're working on your lower back, do not forget your ab workout.  Strong lower back + weak abs = recipe for disaster.  Don't just work on your back, work on your all around core strength and your deadlifts will improve much faster.

Quoted: Deads (with good form, even if you start with very little weight). If you're working on your lower back, do not forget your ab workout.  Strong lower back + weak abs = recipe for disaster.  Don't just work on your back, work on your all around core strength and your deadlifts will improve much faster.

If your doing deadlifts correctly (i.e. not using a belt, maintaining interabdominal pressure) you abs will benefit as well. But your right your max deadlift is, to an extent, a function of how strong your abs are. They counter act the contraction of the lower back muscles

Good mornings along with deadlifts will get you going on a morning or evening workout.  Place bar on neck as if to do squats. Then with legs flexed slightly bend forward at waist until back is parallel to floor. Repeat 10-15 times breathing out as you straighten up.  Use about 1/4 to 1/8 of weight you can squat to start and move up to 1/2 as you get stronger.  This, along with ab crunches, squats, deads and hack squats will form and strengthen your lats, erectors, traps, abs and glutes.

height=8

Quoted: height=8 Quoted: Sex, lots of sex....with a fat woman after you tell her that you dont like her hair.  That will get your lower back in shape. When I was in Turkey my landlady was a 300 something pound woman who'd been a prostitute when she was young and skinny.  Whenever I needed to talk to her about anything important I'd schedule an appointment with the housing affairs office so they could translate and keep everything on the up and up.  One day I'm in a meeting and the guy doing the translating was an attractive young guy with a reputation as a lady's man.   I have never seen abject horror like I saw on his face when she looked him up and down admiringly then asked him if he had a strong back.

You may as well come out and admit that the young guy was actually you.  We wont dog you for taking one for the Turkish team.