Its easy to almost forget we have muscles in our back.
In fact, there are atonof muscles back there.
What are your lower back muscles?
These are two columns of muscle that run down either side of our spine.
If you bend forward and round your back, youre relaxing your spinal erectors.
And when you stand up from that rounded position, those spinal erectors straighten your spine.
Theyre also the muscles that help us arch our back or tilt our pelvis forward.
And if youve ever done heavy deadlifts, you know what it feels like to work these muscles hard.
Guess what muscles need to work hard to keep your spine straight?
Those same spinal erectors.
Your back muscles are contracting.
Flexingorroundingyour back is the direction you move when youre bending forwards.
Your abs are responsible for a lot of this movement.
The lower back exercises well be talking about today are the ones where you extend your back.
(Meanwhile, theglutesextend ourhips, which is a related but different job.
A lot of lower back exercises involve both the glutes and the back muscles.)
(The deadbug was the beginner-friendly one.)
To do a bird dog, you get on your hands and knees.
Then attempt to raise one arm and the opposite leg, while keeping your back flat like a table.
If this is hard, great!
There are several variations of this exercise.
Usually people keep their back straight the whole time, aiming to hinge from the hips.
If you come up to a straight position at the top, its a back extension.
Both are great, but check that youre choosing the one you want.
Aiming for extensions and accidentally doing hyperextensions means youre not in control of the exercise.
(Hyper as in hyperextension, get it?)
Best kept secret: Jefferson curls
Still with me?
Today, Id like to introduce you to the Jefferson curl.
But our backs are able to bend, and its healthy and normal to bend them.
(Ive even had them programmed as part of physical therapy when I had a back injury.)
Add weight by holding a kettlebell, barbell, or any weight you like in your hands.
