6 Best Lower Back Barbell Exercises for a Rock-Solid Lumbar Region

Most lifters won’t touch lower body exercises with a ten-foot pole. This, however, makes their lower back the weakest link in their physique, hampering their performance in compound lifts and daily activities. 

When it comes to posterior chain training, the lower back often receives step-motherly treatment. Most back workouts focus on the upper back and traps, whereas the glutes, hamstrings, and calves dominate lower back workouts. 

If you have a lagging deadlift, squat, or lunge, it could probably be because of a weak lower back. Your lower back is a supporting muscle in most compound lifts, and neglecting training your lumbar region can cause problems later in your lifting career. 

Most exercisers avoid lower back training because they have been told that their lower back is a delicate muscle group and is the most susceptible to injury. Although you must be careful while training your lower back, overlooking this muscle group will only add to the trouble. 

A strong lower back will help you build a robust foundation in most upper back and leg exercises. It will make your lifts more stable. Imagine, for example, a weak lower back on the bent-over barbell row; you won’t be able to hold your torso parallel to the floor for an extended period if you lack lower back strength. 

You must prioritize your form over lifting heavy while training your lower back. Furthermore, you’ll have to tweak the form for most exercises so you can feel better lower back stimulation. 

In this article, we cover the best lower back barbell exercises, the benefits of adding them to your training regimen, how to warm up your lower back before a workout, and some training tips to reduce the injury risk.

Best Lower Back Barbell Exercises

Building a strong and shredded lower back is essential for developing the coveted Christmas tree in the lower back. Here are the six barbell exercises that will improve your lower back strength and aesthetics:

• Deadlift
• Good Morning
• Barbell Hip Thrust
• Rack Pull
• Barbell GHD
• Bent-Over Barbell Row

1. Deadlift

The deadlift should be a staple in every back training routine. It is a compound (multi-joint) exercise that helps build strength and muscle mass. Plus, it results in full-body activation, stronger legs and back, higher calories burned, better core strength, and improved athleticism. It also promotes the release of key anabolic hormones, such as testosterone and HGH. [1]

Since the deadlift is a hip-hinge movement, it results in lower back engagement. You can also add variations of this lift, such as the Romanian deadlift and sumo deadlift, to train your lower back from different angles. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and a barbell placed over your midfoot.
2. Bend down by flexing your knees and pushing your hips back and down, and grab the barbell with a shoulder-wide overhand or mixed grip.
3. Your back should be in a straight line at the start position, and your head in a neutral position.
4. Driving through your midfoot, lift the bar off the floor by extending your knees and hips.
5. Lockout at the top.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

Check out our complete deadlift guide here!

2. Good Morning

The good morning is an advanced exercise that requires a lot of practice to master. Instead of pushing back your hips, focus on lowering the weight by bending at your hips. It will remove tension from your hamstrings and put it on your lower back.

Steps:

1. Stand tall with a hip-width stance and a barbell placed across your shoulders.
2. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor.
3. Pause at the bottom.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
5. Rinse and repeat.

Check out our complete deadlift guide here!

3. Barbell Hip Thrust

The barbell hip thrust is a ladies-favorite for building bigger and stronger glutes. This exercise is also incredibly effective in stimulating and strengthening your lower back. 

Steps:

1. Sit on the floor and place your back against a sturdy elevated platform like a flat bench.
2. Roll up a barbell to your hip crease.
3. Place your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
4. Lift your hips toward the ceiling.
5. Your knees, hips, shoulders, and head should be in a straight line at the top.
6. Slowly return to the start position.
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

Check out our complete hip thrust guide here!

4. Rack Pull

The rack pull is an underrated exercise. It is a deadlift variation that removes the lower half of the exercise’s range of motion, which is generally the weakest part of the lift for most lifters. Staying in the top half allows you to lift heavy while reducing your risk of injury. 

Steps:

1. Set the squat rack safety handles at a height so the bar is at your knee level at the starting position.
2. Stand tall with a shoulder-wide stance. The bar should be resting against your knees.
3. Bend over and grab the bar with an overhand grip outside your shoulders.
4. Stand straight while keeping the bar touching your body.
5. Pause at the top.
6. Repeat for recommended reps.

Check out our complete rack pull guide here!

5. Barbell GHD

Use an empty barbell for this exercise. If you don’t have access to a GHD machine, you can do this exercise on a hyperextension bench. 

Steps:

1. Get into position by placing the top of your quads on the thigh pads and inserting your ankles in the foot pads.
2. While keeping your legs locked, lower toward the floor until your torso is perpendicular to the floor.
3. Lift a barbell off the floor and place it on the top of your shoulders. You must pull the bar into your body to keep it in place.
4. Alternatively, ask your training partner to place a bar on your shoulders.
5. Raise your torso toward the ceiling.
6. Your upper body should break parallel with the floor at the top.
7. Pause and contact your lower back.
8. Slowly return to the starting position.
9. Rinse and repeat.

6. Bent-Over Barbell Row

The bent-over barbell row primarily targets the lats. You can, however, place more emphasis on your lower back by using a relatively heavier weight and ensuring your torso is parallel to the floor. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with a hip-width stance while holding a barbell with a shoulder-wide overhand grip against your quads.
2. Bend your knees slightly, push your hips back, and lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor.
3. The bar should be below your knees.
4. Pull the bar to your belly button by driving through your elbows and keeping them close to your sides.
5. Pause at the top.
6. Slowly return to the start position.

Check out our complete barbell bent-over row guide here!

Benefits of Lower Back Barbell Exercises

Given below are the advantages of adding lower back barbell exercises into your training regimen:

Build a Solid Foundation

A strong lower back can improve your performance on upper and lower body exercises like the squat, lunge, deadlift, and bent-over rows. It also promotes a strong core, improving your strength, stability, and balance. 

Improved Posture

Many people develop hunched back and rounded shoulders from using their computers and phones for extended periods. Training your lower back can improve your posture by strengthening your posterior chain.

Lower Injury Risk

Lower back injuries during squats and deadlifts happen because of a lagging lumbar region. Adding lower back barbell exercises to your training regimen can prevent injuries such as strains, sprains, and herniated discs. 

Enhanced Performance

A strong core can boost your overall physical performance by enhancing your power and explosiveness, improving your posture, balance, and core stability, and lowering your risk of injury. You’ll also notice an improvement in your jumping, sprinting, and throwing by adding lower back exercises to your training regimen. 

Lower Back Barbell Exercises Warm-Up

Your lower back is a small muscle group. To limit your risk of injury, you must ensure you are properly warmed up before starting the working sets. Notably, you shouldn’t limit your lower back warm-ups to back and lower body days. 

The lumbar region plays a crucial role in compound lifts like the overhead press, snatch, and even bench press. 

You must spend at least 5-10 minutes before each workout warming up your body. It will ensure that your muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments are ready for action and have enough blood and nutrient supply to make the most of your workouts. 

Performing core-focused movements is a great way of priming your lumbar region for a workout. Here are some of the movements that should be a part of your pre-training ritual: [2]

1. Downward Facing Dog: 60 seconds
2. Cobra: 60 seconds
3. Cat-Cow: 60 seconds
4. Plank: 30-60 seconds
5. Squat to Stand: 60 seconds

Furthermore, you can do 1-2 warm-up sets of a few exercises from your back and leg workouts to drive the blood to the target area. Use light weights and focus on drilling the movement. It will also help improve your mind-muscle connection during the working sets. 

Safety Tips For Lower Back Barbell Exercises

Lower back training can be risky. Sustaining lower back injuries during training can hamper your longevity. Here are a few suggestions to lower your risk of injury while training your lower back: 

Prioritize Form

You must focus on lifting with the correct form. Chasing bigger weights and using momentum can increase your odds of injury. Start small and with the basics. Master the correct lifting form before moving onto heavier weights. 

Also, drill the basic movement before trying the advanced variations. For example, you should nail the military press before trying the push press or clean and press. Trying too many things at once can elongate your learning curve. 

Incorporate a Variety of Exercises into Your Regimen

Although this article is all about lower back barbell exercises, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the bar. Use various equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, machines, and resistance bands to build a stronger back. 

Train Your Core

Building a strong core can help ease lower back pain. Furthermore, it can improve your stability and balance, which are essential for lower back training. Perform core exercises at the beginning and end of your workout to boost your lower back strength and stability. [3]

Listen To Your Body

Although you must constantly push yourself to build a bigger and stronger physique, you should know when it is time to step off the gas. Avoid training your lower back if you are facing stiffness or pain.

Wrapping Up

Since the lower back is a small muscle group, you don’t need to dedicate a workout to it. Throw one or two exercises mentioned in this article into your back and leg training routines to ensure optimal lower back development. 

Remember, you must focus on performing the lower back exercises with a picture-perfect form to reduce the risk of injury. Stay consistent with these exercises, and watch the Christmas tree on your back light up in no time. Best of luck!

References

1. Shaner, Aaron A.1; Vingren, Jakob L.1,2; Hatfield, Disa L.3; Budnar, Ronald G. Jr1; Duplanty, Anthony A.1,2; Hill, David W.1. The Acute Hormonal Response to Free Weight and Machine Weight Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 28(4):p 1032-1040, April 2014. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000317
2. Akhtar MW, Karimi H, Gilani SA. Effectiveness of core stabilization exercises and routine exercise therapy in management of pain in chronic non-specific low back pain: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Pak J Med Sci. 2017 Jul-Aug;33(4):1002-1006. doi: 10.12669/pjms.334.12664. PMID: 29067082; PMCID: PMC5648929.
3. Amit, K., Manish, G., & Taruna, K. (2013). Effect of trunk muscles stabilization exercises and general exercises on pain in recurrent non-specific low back ache. Int Res J Med Sci, 1(1), 23-6.

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