jack720

Hello fellas,

I'm new to the forum, but not so new to the sport. The reason of this thread is to ask for ideas on training the lower back (erectors) more intensively and effectively.

A few years back I have suffered a serious injury in my lower back due to a car wreck. Pretty bad accident. The doctors said that a couple of my vertebraes had cracked in the lumbar region, and that I was to be very careful from that moment on because I wasn't going to be given a second chance. I started taking it slowly ever since, meaning taking it easy, not participating in sports, not being very active during the day in general also because of distress caused by weak muscles that had been left behind because of the long time spent sitting or laying in bed as a result of the accident. Just a few months later, I started suffering inflammation in my spine and joints (hips, knees, and so on), which was later given the diagnose "ankylosing spondylitis". Started taking regular doses of corticosteroids and antiinflammatory drugs. Doctors said the spine was fusing and that it was irreversible (the condition had no cure). I just had to exercise to keep my back straight at all times so that the spine would fuse in an upright normal position, thing that was impossible for me to do, except from when laying in bed. And I also had to be very careful with it.

4 years rolled by. My life had turned into shit. I was becoming depressive, and sometimes almost in the brink of killing myself. I was just 20 years old, and had no perspective on life. From an active type of person that couldn't sit for more than 2 hrs a day that it used to be, I now had totally withdrawn from normal daily activities, lost contact with friends, staying home most of the day, and keeping distance from everyone and everything. It took so damn long....
Then suddenly, I don't know what happened, but from last october, I decided to wake myself up from the long long hibernation, I decided I wouldn't give a shit anymore for what the doctors had told me and about my spine condition, started reading around, got the tools, and started training, at the beggining biting my teeth from the pain, now getting used to it. I remember back from when I started exercising my back, I could hardly lift 12 kgs from the ground for 8-10 reps struggling and crying from the pain. Now, about 4 months later, I can easily deadlift 80 kgs for 12 reps. Training hard in a routine of 3 days on 4 off. First day back, second chest, third shoulders. Of course I do hyperextensions (sometimes also goodmornings and squats with light weights) everyday in the morning and before I sleep, except dhe day after my back training which is pretty intense. Started using the bicycle instead of the car to move around during the day, to go to work or school. Frankly speaking, I started to get that ugly, whitish, tired looking body of mine in shape, looking good. Started drinking lots and lots of water, which could have in part been a strong factor of change. And the change was really happening.

Now I feel much better, my life is gaining pace, and I'm starting to really feel it. Getting away from my boring depressive suicidal lifestyle, now much different. And all due to the heavy training. But there's still much improvement to be done. I still feel I ain't yet halfway of where I need to go. So I have to keep working hard.



Now to return to the topic, although my upper back has gained an incredible amount of mass over this time, my lower back which is the weakest link in the chain, doesn't seem to have developed much, at least from what I can see from the mirror. Although I am much different now from what I used to be (back strength, started playing impact sports, etc), I still want it go gain more strength faster. My energy levels during the day, although much improved from before, still are low, and it is mostly because of the still week lower back.

For the training, I use mostly compound exercises like deadlifts, barbell rows, chinups, squats, bench press, barbell press, etc. What exercises or training routine would you suggest me to work more intensively my lower back (spinal erectors).
On the back training day I do barbell rows 4 sets x 12 reps at 50 kgs at the moment, deadlifts 4 sets x 10-12 reps at 80 kgs, and chinups 3 sets of max reps (14 at the mo). Workout time 45-50 mins. At the end, my back is extremely sore. I roll the order of these three exercises from week to week, but these are basically the ones I do in every back workout. At this time, I aim to increase the weight by 5 - 15 kilos every week depending on how strong I'm feeling.

Later I will post some pictures to better illustrate what I have been writing above, and to show my progression during these months. I am a hard worker. Help me get my life back faster.

Thanks for having had the patience to read a page from my life.


Regards,
jack

davtown

Hey Jack,

Some good lower back exercises are goodmornings and hyperextensions. You know your body best so you know what you can and can't do, but those are my suggestions.

Barbell Bent Knee Good-morning

Weighted Hyperextension

p.s. - this website is great for finding exercises: ExRx Exercise & Muscle Directory

__________________
--Training Journal--

current/goal
D: 350/380
S: 280/300
B: 235/260

DJSTARER

bump to the GMs.


Believe it or not... squating with stationary knees (PLing Squat) is a really great posteriod trainer. In general, you arn't going to want to "isolate" your lower back (not that you'll really be able to do so unless u use a machine). Instead, pick a variety of moves like GMs, Deadlifts, Squats (not olympic). Hyperextentions are awsome too. I don't do them anymore because I do a bunch of other lower back moves... but I attribute my gifted lower back strength to my hard work on the old hyper rig with heavy DBs in the beginning.

Remember to train your ABS very hard as well. Your lower back will only be as strong as your core. The abs are nature's lifting belt. You make that whole region strong, all your lifts will increase.

__________________
My philosophies on training:

"Extreme training yields extreme results"

"Just because you can, does not mean you should"

"The best program is the one you are not doing"





Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass

PGA Professional of America


Current Stats:
474 Squat
601 Deadlift
320 Bench


Goals for next training cycle:

500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

davtown

bump to that

In terms of safety I stick to the 8-12 rep range for my weighted ab exercises (same with hyperextensions). I'd go as low as 6, but no lower.

__________________
--Training Journal--

current/goal
D: 350/380
S: 280/300
B: 235/260

2 HUGE

have any of you tried the back extension machine. Its more for lower and middle back but I love that machine. I use it every time I train core (I use a belt), good machine

Ikaika

Never tried it...its always occupied by chubby middle aged women at my gym.

You mean to tell me its actually useful? I'll have to battle them and try to get on it one of these days.

__________________
No supplement can make up for the lack of a strong work ethic.

2 HUGE

lol I assume youre talking about the back extension machine? lol because usually its being used by elderly people and more out of shape people. But I tell you, I never used to use it until I started training with a belt. I think its great for core lower back strength and development, really targets the inner middle and lower back for core strength