By: Ryan Bibeau, PT, DPT, CSCS, Clinical Athlete Powerlifting Coach
Many gym-goers, especially powerlifters and olympic weightlifters, hit low back pain at some point. For a lot of them it’s a frustrating stretch, and they struggle to find anything that actually manages the pain and gets them back to lifting. Most rehab and accessory plans lean on core stability drills like bird dogs and dead bugs. Those earn their place, but there’s another area worth adding: isolated low back training.
Why Isolated Low Back Training Works
If you’re dealing with a low back strain, isolated work targets qualities in those muscles that other exercises miss. It’s also efficient. You can superset it with other movements, or run just two sets at the end of a session and still get great bang for your buck. And if your real goal is returning to heavier lifting, a stronger back foundation makes heavy loads more tolerable. You might even find you can move a little more weight. On top of that, many lifters notice less low back tightness, guarding, and fatigue in everyday life. We squat to build the same qualities in the quads, so why not train the low back directly too?
How to Start
If you’re interested and want to try it out, I recommend starting with lighter weight and higher repetitions. Perform exercises like weighted back extensions, reverse hypers, or jefferson curls. These muscles especially respond well to higher repetition, as they work more as postural muscles assisting in endurance. An example can be 2 sets of 20 reps performing back extensions while holding onto 10 lbs! Like any other style of training, ensure that you progress these exercises over time, as your back fatigues less.
What to Expect
Over time, you just might notice your back doesn’t tire out as easily when simply sitting/standing for prolonged periods. Even better, you might notice that heavy squat didn’t cause your back to stiffen or tire out as easily either! If worried about potential harm when doing these exercises, don’t hesitate to ask a qualified physical therapist, especially one who has experience in lifting themselves and/or other clients!
