Your lower back is crucial to your bodybuilding success, mainly because it has a role in virtually every exercise. To avoid injury to the critical lower-back area while making it thicker and stronger, include one or two exercises for spinal erectors as part of an overall back routine. Although some gyms have machines devised to train this area, we’ll address three exercises you can do in almost any gym: deadlifts, good mornings and hyperextensions.
Deadlifts In addition to stressing your lumbar region, deadlifts hit your traps, lats and thighs to varying degrees. Deadlifts are as basic as an exercise can get: Start with a barbell on the floor just in front of your shins; bend at the knees, grab the bar and stand up. As easy as that sounds, proper form is paramount for safety and effectiveness. Always lift with your thighs first, keeping your head up. Pull the bar up as close to your legs as possible (it should actually rub against them). An alternate grip (one palm underhand, one palm overhand) will prevent your fingers from giving out before your legs or back are properly taxed, as will training straps. Proper warm-ups followed by sets of six to eight reps will stress your spinal erectors along with other major muscles. Deadlifts should not be performed heavy in every lumbar workout.