Back extension

The back extension strengthens your lower back muscles. Performing this exercise on a regular basis may help reduce lower back pain. Use caution if you have a history of back problems or if your lower back is bothering you right now.

Getting set
Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor, arms straight out in front of you, palms down, and legs straight out behind you. Pull your abs in, as if you’re trying to create a small space between your stomach and the floor.

The exercise
Lift your right arm and left leg a couple of inches off the floor and stretch out as much as you can. Hold this position for five slow counts, lower back down, and then repeat the same move with your left arm and right leg. Continue alternating sides until you’ve completed the set. See Figure.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower.
• DO pretend as if you’re trying to touch something with your toes and fingertips that’s just out of reach.
• DO pay special attention to how your lower back feels.
• DON’T lift up higher than a few inches.
• DON’T arch your lower back.

Other options
Sequential back extension (easier): If the basic version of the back extension bothers your lower back, lift and lower your right arm, and then lift and lower your left leg.
Kneeling opposite extension (easier): Kneeling on your hands and knees, extend your right arm out in front of you and your left leg out behind you. This version places less stress on the lower back and is an excellent modification for those new to lower back training and those who feel lower back discomfort when doing back extension exercises.
Same-side back extension (harder): Do the same exercise while lifting your right arm and right leg at the same time.

Pelvic tilt

The pelvic tilt is a subtle move that focuses on your lower back, but also emphasizes your abdominals. This is a good exercise to do if you have a history of lower back problems. The pelvic tilt restores mobility to tight or stiff muscles and it heightens body awareness of the muscles of the lower back. It is also a great warm-up exercise for more strenuous core training.

Getting set
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hipwidth apart. Rest your arms wherever they’re most comfortable. Start with your pelvis in a level position with the natural curve in your lower spine. See photo A.

The exercise
As you exhale, draw your abdominals in toward your spine and gently press your back down, tilting your pelvis backward. Don’t tilt your head up and back or hunch your shoulders. As you inhale, return your pelvis to a level position. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed.
• DON’T lift your lower back off the floor as you tilt your pelvis up.
• DON’T arch your back off the floor when you lower your hips back down.

Other options
Chair tilt (easier): Lie on your back and place your heels up on the seat of a chair with your knees bent at a right angle and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Then perform the exercise exactly as the basic version.
Bridge (harder): At the top of the pelvic tilt, continue peeling your spine off the floor until only your shoulder blades and shoulders remain on the floor. Work hard to keep your abdominals pulled inward to prevent your back from sagging. Hold a moment and slowly lower your body downward.

Getting a Lower Back Workout

We often take for granted the role that our lower back muscles play in our everyday mobility. So, while your lower back muscles need to be strong, they also need to be flexible.
This balance between strength and flexibility is particularly important with your lower back. That’s why we include the pelvic tilt, which both strengthens and lengthens out the muscles attached to your spine.
With the widespread incidence of lower back pain among adults, everyone should practice this exercise. The same goes for back extension exercises. However, if you’re experiencing back pain right now or have a history of back trouble, check with your doctor before performing any extension exercises. When you do a lower back exercise, you should feel a mild pull or pressure build within the muscle, not a sharp pain. If you do feel a piercing pain, back off. Review the exercise description to make sure that you haven’t pushed your body too far and then try the movement again. If you still feel pain, seek medical advice before proceeding.
You may feel a dull ache in your back a day or two after you’ve worked your lower back. This is normal. But if the pain is sharp and so debilitating that your most upright posture looks like you’re trying to duck under a fence, you’ve either pushed yourself too far or you have a back problem.

Enjoying a Strong Lower Back

Most lower back exercises — particularly those appropriate for beginners —don’t involve free weights or machines. Usually, it’s just you and the floor.
Here’s what you can accomplish without any equipment at all:

• Real-life benefits: Sitting puts your spine under a lot of pressure, much more pressure than if you stood all day, and particularly compresses your lower spine. That’s why your lower back feels sore after a day in front of the computer. When your back muscles are weak, you tend to slouch or arch your back, which places the spine under even more stress. In addition to strengthening and stretching your lower back on a regular basis, you should get up a few minutes every hour when you’re sitting throughout the day.
• Injury prevention: Ironically, even people with chronic lower back pain tend to neglect lower back exercises, often because they’re afraid of inflicting even more damage. Also, while people have gotten the message that abdominal exercises help alleviate back pain, many don’t realize that lower back exercises are equally important in this pursuit. When one of these sets of muscles is stronger or more flexible than the other, your posture is thrown off kilter, and you’re more prone to back pain. This scenario is common.
• The “feel good” factor: Strengthening your lower back helps you stand up straight, which, in turn, makes you look taller, as much as 5 pounds slimmer, and gives you a more confident, commanding presence.

Assisted pull-up

The assisted pull-up targets your back, with additional emphasis on your shoulders and biceps.
Be careful if you have lower back or shoulder problems.

Getting set
Step up on the platform of an assisted pull-up machine (sometimes called a gravitron) and carefully kneel onto the kneepads. (Some versions require you to stand.) Grab the handles that place your palms facing forward and straighten your arms. Pull your abdominals in and keep your body tall. See photo A.

The exercise
Pull yourself up until your elbows point down and then slowly lower your body back down. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO relax your shoulders so they don’t hunch up by your ears.
• DON’T rock your body to help move you up and down.
• DON’T arch your back or round forward.
• DON’T dawdle at the bottom of the exercise. Move steadily until you finish your reps.

Other options
Different grips: Some assisted pull-up machines have a choice of wider or narrower grips. Experiment with your hand placement to see which ones you like best.
Bar pull-up (harder): Using a Smith machine or power cage, set the bar so that it is securely resting against the stops set in the center of the frame. Grasp the center of the bar with your hands a few inches apart and palms facing you. Kick your legs out in front of you so that your torso forms a 45-degree angle with the floor. Bend your arms and pull yourself upward until the top of your chest touches, or nearly touches, the bar. Slowly lower to the start position.

Cable row

The cable row strengthens your back, along with your biceps and shoulders.
Be careful with the cable row if you’ve had lower back or shoulder problems.

Getting set
Hook the short straight bar attachment onto a low pulley. Place a riser from a step bench (or box of similar length) directly against the base of the cable tower. (Some machines come with a foot bar so you don’t need to add a box.) Sit facing the tower with your legs slightly bent and hip-width apart, and your feet firmly planted against the riser. Grasp the handle and straighten your arms out in front of your chest. Sit up as tall as you can, sliding your shoulders down, pulling your abdominals in and lifting your chest. See photo A.

The exercise
Sitting up tall, pull the handle toward the lower part of your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull. Your elbows should travel straight back, arms brushing lightly against your sides as you go. Without stretching forward, straighten your arms slowly back to the start. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO feel this exercise in your back, not just in your arms. Concentrate on starting the pull with the outer edges of your back.
  
• DON’T arch or round your back.
• DON’T rock back and forth to help you lift and lower the weight.

Other options
Extended row: The basic version of this exercise is excellent for targeting the upper back muscles. However, you can strengthen your lower back at the same time by leaning forward a few inches at your hips as you stretch your arms out and by leaning back slightly as you pull the handle toward you. Some exercise purists scorn this version because it doesn’t “isolate” your upper back, but the extended row works the upper and lower back work together and is great for people who do a lot of rowing or activities: weeding, dancing, or climbing. However, skip this version if you have a history of low back pain.
One-arm cable row: Attach a horseshoe handle and perform this row one arm at a time.

Lat pulldown

The lat pulldown is primarily a back exercise, although your shoulders and biceps also see some action. Try switching grips and attachments to give this exercise a different feel.
When engaging in the lat pulldown, be careful if you have shoulder or lower back problems.

Getting set
Before you start, sit in the seat and adjust the thigh pads so your legs are firmly wedged underneath the pads with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Stand up and grasp the bar with an overhand grip and your hands about 6 inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Still grasping the bar, sit back down and wedge the tops of your thighs (just above your knee) underneath the thigh pads. Stretch your arms straight up, keep your chest lifted, and lean back slightly from your hips. See photo A in Figure 11-6.

The exercise
In a smooth, fluid motion, pull the bar down to the top of your chest. Hold the position for a moment, and then slowly raise the bar back up. When you’ve completed the set, stand up in order to return the weights to the stack. Don’t just let go of the bar while you’re seated — the sudden release causes the weight stack to come crashing down. See photo B in Figure 11-6.

Do’s and don’ts

• DON’T rock back and forth in an effort to pull down the weight.
  
• DON’T lean way back as you pull the weight down. Keep that inch-or-two lean that you had at the beginning of the movement.
  
• DON’T move so quickly that you jerk your elbows or shoulders.
• DON’T bend your wrists.

Other options
Changing your grip: Experiment with the width of your grip and the orientation of your palms to give this exercise a different feel. For example, use the triangle attachment for a triangle-grip lat pulldown. Or use an underhand grip (reverse-grip lat pulldown) and hold near the center of the bar for a pulldown that feels similar to a chin-up. Avoid pulling the bar behind your neck Experiment with other attachments of varying lengths and curves, such as the short straight bar and rope.

Machine row

The machine row focuses on your back, with additional emphasis on your shoulders and biceps.
Take special care performing this exercise if you’ve had lower back or shoulder injuries.

Getting set
Sit facing the weight stack of the machine with your chest against the chest pad. Adjust the seat so your arms are level with the machine’s handles and you must stretch your arms fully to reach them. This adjustment is important —and one that many people forget to make. If you can’t fully straighten your arms when you grasp the handles, you’ll end up using your arm muscles a lot more than your back muscles. Grasp a handle in each hand, slide your shoulders down, and sit up tall. See photo A.

The exercise
Pull the handles toward you until your hands are alongside your chest. As you bend your arms, your elbows should travel directly behind you, not out to the side. At the same time, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly straighten your arms, feeling a stretch through your shoulder blades as you return the handles to their original position. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO sit up even taller as you pull the weight.
• DON’T lean back so far that your chest comes off the pad as you bend your arms.
• DON’T round your back or lean forward as you return the handles to the starting position.
• DON’T stick your neck forward as you pull the weight.

Other options
Other machines: Although each manufacturer has its own version of the machine row, the same basic rules apply. Depending on the brand, the handles may be parallel, perpendicular, or diagonal; some machines have all three grips. Experiment with different grips to get a different feel from this exercise.
Advanced machine row (harder): Do this exercise without keeping your
chest on the chest pad. Without the support, you have to work harder to sit up straight.

Dumbbell shrug

The dumbbell shrug is a small movement with a big payoff: It strengthens your shoulders and the trapezius muscles of your upper back. Be careful if you’re prone to neck problems.
Getting set
Stand tall and hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight down, palms in front of your thighs and facing in. Pull your abdominals in, tuck your chin toward your chest, and keep your knees relaxed. See photo A.

The exercise
Shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears the same way you do if you don’t know the answer to the $500 geography question on Jeopardy! Slowly lower your shoulders to the starting position. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your neck and shoulders relaxed.
• DON’T roll your shoulders in a complete circle — a common exercise mistake that places too much stress on your shoulder joint.
  
• DON’T move body parts other than your shoulders.

Other options
Barbell shrug: Hold a bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and in front of your thighs, palms facing in. Do the exact same movement as in the basic version.
Shrug roll (harder): Shrug your shoulders upward as in the basic version, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then lower them back down. This version brings the trapezius and rhomboids (two back muscles) into the mix.
Modified upright row: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell in front of you at waist level. Place your hands about 6 inches apart. Bend your elbows to raise the bar upward until the bar is just above the level of your bellybutton. Slowly return to the start.
We don’t recommend the full upright row, which involves pulling your arms up until the bar is directly underneath your chin. This movement can be hard on your shoulder joints, rotator cuff, tendons, and ligaments.

Dumbbell pullover

The dumbbell pullover is mainly a back exercise, but it also works your chest, shoulders, biceps, and abdominals.
If you have shoulder or lower back problems, you may want to skip this exercise because the dumbbell pullover requires raising your arms overhead, while stabilizing your spine.
Getting set. Holding a single dumbbell with both hands, lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your arms directly over your shoulders. Turn your palms up so one end of the dumbbell is resting in the gap between your palms and the other end is hanging down over your face. Pull your abdominals in, but make sure that your back is relaxed and arched naturally. See photo A.

The exercise
Keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the weight behind your head until the bottom end of the dumbbell is directly behind your head. Pull the dumbbell back up overhead, keeping the same slight bend in your elbows throughout the motion. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO make sure that you grip the dumbbell securely.
• DO concentrate on initiating the movement from the outer wings of your upper back rather than simply bending and straightening your arms.
• DON’T arch your back up off the bench, especially as you lower the weight.
• DON’T lower the weight too far behind you.

Other options
Barbell pullover: Do this same exercise with a bar, holding the bar in the center with your palms facing up. Another variation on the same theme: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in.
Machine pullover: Many gyms have a machine that mimics the action of a dumbbell pullover while you’re in a seated position. Cross bench pullover (harder): Perform this exercise squatting in front of the bench and resting your shoulders on the top. Because your body isn’t supported by the bench, you have to work extra hard to maintain good form; this variation kicks in all the deep muscles in the back and abs.