…continued – Lower Back
Good Mornings
Good Mornings are a direct lower back movement. This exercise gets its name from the movement. It’s a bowing movement that is use a greeting in many far eastern countries. The primary muscles used are the lower back (spinal erectors). Secondary muscles are the shoulders, upper back and hamstrings.
This exercise will produce lower back muscles like steel cables.
Execution
Position the barbell just as you would when doing squats – across the rear delts and not the base of your neck. With the bar secure bend forward at the waist. Keep your back straight and you knees slightly bent and descend until your back is parallel to the floor. Return to the upright position and repeat. Perform this exercise under complete control. Don’t get sloppy and don’t go too fast.
Weighted Hyper-Extensions
Weighted Hyper-Extensions are a very effective lower back exercise. They target the lower back directly. The primary muscles used are the lower back (spinal erectors). Secondary muscles are the upper back and hamstrings.
Execution
Weighted Hyper-Extensions are done on a Hyper-Extension bench. Makes sense huh? The movement is kind of like a reverse sit-up. The Hyper-extension bench is typically designed on a 45 degree angle and secures your ankles or lower leg and positions your pelvis face down on a padded section that stops at the waist. This allows you to bend forward and raise back up to starting position using only your lower back muscles. A weight is held at chest level or behind the neck to increase the overload.
Bend at the waist slowly for about a 70 degree angle then raise up until your upper and lower body a in a straight line. Some people will “hyper-extend” past this point somewhat. That’s fine, but don’t get carried away here. Flex your lower back muscle hard at the completion of each rep.
