What the lower back does
The erector spinae run either side of the spine. They straighten the back and hold it straight under a load, in every hinge, squat and carry.
5 moves that train it, easiest first
Click a movement for how to set it up, the steps, what to feel for and what usually goes wrong.
Start here: no or light equipment
Back Extension (10 to 20 reps)
Set up. Set up on a back extension bench with your hips on the pad and your ankles under the rollers. Cross your arms on your chest.
- Lower your torso forward under control.
- Lift back up until your body forms a straight line.
- Stop at the straight line rather than leaning back.
Form cues
- Move from the hips.
- Keep the neck neutral.
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
Common mistakes
- Hyperextending at the top.
- Swinging up with momentum.
Bird Dog (8 to 20 reps)
Set up. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, back flat.
- Brace and reach one arm forward while extending the opposite leg back.
- Hold briefly with the back level.
- Return and repeat with the other pair.
Form cues
- Keep the hips level.
- Reach long rather than high.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to lift the leg.
- Tipping the hips to one side.
Prone Cobra (held for time, a variation of Back Extension)
Set up. Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms down.
- Lift your chest a little off the floor.
- Turn your palms out and draw your shoulder blades together.
- Hold for the target time, then lower.
Form cues
- Keep the neck long, looking at the floor.
- Squeeze the glutes.
- Lift only a small amount.
Common mistakes
- Cranking the head up.
- Arching the lower back hard.
Build: dumbbells, kettlebells, cables and machines
Reverse Hyperextension (10 to 20 reps, a variation of Back Extension)
Set up. Lie face down on the reverse hyper machine with your hips at the edge of the pad and your legs hanging down, ankles in the strap or against the pad.
- Hold the handles and lift your legs behind you until they are about level with your body.
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
- Lower under control.
Form cues
- Lift with the hips and glutes.
- Keep the legs together.
- Control the swing.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs up with momentum.
- Lifting the legs far above level.
Jefferson Curl (5 to 10 reps)
Set up. Stand on a sturdy box or step holding a very light dumbbell in front of your thighs, legs straight.
- Tuck your chin and roll your spine down one section at a time.
- Let the dumbbell lower toward your feet.
- Roll back up slowly, stacking the spine from the bottom.
Form cues
- Move very slowly.
- Keep the legs straight.
- Start with no weight at all.
Common mistakes
- Using a heavy weight.
- Moving quickly.
Take care. Start with no weight or a very light one and add load only slowly; skip it if rounding the back under load causes discomfort.
Also trains it on the way
Deadlift (1 to 8 reps)
Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.
- Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar.
- Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins.
- As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall.
- Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.
Form cues
- Keep the bar touching or close to your legs.
- Keep your back flat from start to finish.
- Brace your stomach before each rep.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor.
- Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting.
Take care. Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.
Back Squat (3 to 12 reps)
Set up. Set the bar in a rack at about upper chest height. Step under it, rest it across your upper back and grip it just outside your shoulders, then stand up and step back with feet about shoulder width apart.
- Brace your stomach and take a breath.
- Bend your hips and knees together to sit down between your heels.
- Go as deep as you can while keeping your back flat and heels down.
- Drive up through the whole foot to stand tall.
Form cues
- Keep your knees in line with your toes.
- Keep your chest up.
- Keep the bar over the middle of your feet.
Common mistakes
- Letting the knees cave inward.
- Rising with the hips first so the chest drops.
Take care. Squat inside a rack with the safety pins set just below your lowest point, so a missed rep can be set down.
Romanian Deadlift (6 to 12 reps)
Set up. Stand tall holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart, feet hip width apart and knees softly bent.
- Push your hips back and let the bar slide down the front of your legs.
- Keep your back flat and the knee bend fixed.
- Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, usually around mid-shin.
- Drive your hips forward to stand back up.
Form cues
- Think hips back, not chest down.
- Keep the bar against your legs.
- Keep the shins nearly vertical.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach lower.
- Bending the knees more so it becomes a squat.
Kettlebell Swing (10 to 30 reps)
Set up. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and a kettlebell on the floor a short way in front. Hinge down with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands.
- Hike the kettlebell back between your legs.
- Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about chest height.
- Let it swing back down and hinge to meet it.
- At the end, hinge and park the bell on the floor in front of you.
Form cues
- It is a hip hinge, not a squat.
- The arms guide the bell, the hips move it.
- Stand tall with glutes tight at the top.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the bell with the arms.
- Rounding the back as the bell swings down.
Stiff-Leg Deadlift (8 to 15 reps, a variation of Romanian Deadlift)
Set up. Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, feet hip width apart and knees nearly straight.
- Push your hips back and lower the dumbbells along your legs.
- Keep your back flat and knees nearly straight.
- Lower to a strong hamstring stretch.
- Drive the hips forward to stand up.
Form cues
- Keep the weights close to your legs.
- Keep the back flat.
- Stop where the stretch is, not where the floor is.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach lower.
- Locking the knees hard.
Cable Pull-Through (10 to 20 reps, a variation of Hip Thrust)
Set up. Attach a rope to a low cable. Face away from the machine, take the rope between your legs and walk forward until there is tension.
- Hinge at the hips, letting the rope pull your hands back between your legs.
- Keep your back flat and knees softly bent.
- Drive your hips forward to stand tall.
Form cues
- Push the hips back, not down.
- Keep the arms relaxed.
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
Common mistakes
- Squatting instead of hinging.
- Pulling with the arms.
Ab Wheel Rollout (5 to 15 reps)
Set up. Kneel on a pad holding the ab wheel on the floor under your shoulders.
- Brace and roll the wheel forward, extending your body.
- Go only as far as you can keep the back flat.
- Pull the wheel back toward your knees using your stomach.
Form cues
- Keep the hips tucked.
- Keep the arms straight.
- Start with short rollouts.
Common mistakes
- Letting the lower back sag at full reach.
- Leading the return with the hips.
Cable Romanian Deadlift (8 to 15 reps, a variation of Romanian Deadlift)
Set up. Attach a straight bar to a low cable. Hold it in front of your thighs and step back so there is tension, feet hip width apart and knees soft.
- Push your hips back and let the bar travel down your legs.
- Keep your back flat.
- Lower to a strong hamstring stretch.
- Drive the hips forward to stand tall.
Form cues
- Hips back, not chest down.
- Keep the knee bend fixed.
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back.
- Turning it into a squat.
Good Morning (6 to 12 reps, a variation of Romanian Deadlift)
Set up. Rest a barbell on your upper back as for a squat, feet hip width apart and knees softly bent.
- Push your hips back and lower your torso forward with a flat back.
- Stop at a strong hamstring stretch, usually before the torso is level with the floor.
- Drive your hips forward to stand back up.
Form cues
- Keep the back flat throughout.
- Keep the knee bend small and fixed.
- Start with a light bar.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back as you lean.
- Bending forward further than your hamstrings allow.
Take care. Start very light and progress slowly; perform it in a rack with the safety pins set.
Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift (8 to 15 reps, a variation of Romanian Deadlift)
Set up. Stand tall holding a kettlebell by the handle in front of your thighs, feet hip width apart and knees soft.
- Push your hips back and slide the bell down your legs.
- Keep your back flat.
- Lower to a hamstring stretch.
- Drive the hips forward to stand.
Form cues
- Hips back.
- Keep the bell close.
- Keep the knee bend fixed.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back.
- Letting the bell drift away from the legs.
Prepare for the big lifts
Mobility work that reaches the lower back:
Cat-Cow (held for time)
Set up. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Breathe in as you let your stomach drop and lift your chest and tailbone.
- Breathe out as you round your back toward the ceiling and tuck your chin.
- Move slowly between the two.
Form cues
- Move one segment at a time.
- Match the movement to your breath.
- Stay in a comfortable range.
Common mistakes
- Moving only the neck.
- Rushing.
Seated Hamstring Stretch (held for time)
Set up. Sit on the floor with one leg straight and the other bent, its foot against the inside of the straight thigh.
- Sit tall and hinge forward from the hips toward the straight leg.
- Stop at a comfortable stretch behind the thigh.
- Hold and breathe.
- Switch sides.
Form cues
- Lead with the chest, not the head.
- Keep the back long.
- Keep it gentle.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach the toes.
- Bouncing.
Child’s Pose (held for time)
Set up. Kneel on a mat with your big toes together and your knees apart.
- Sit your hips back toward your heels.
- Walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the mat.
- Breathe slowly and hold, letting your back lengthen.
Form cues
- Reach your arms long.
- Let the shoulders relax.
- Walk the hands to one side to stretch the opposite side.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the hips down if the knees complain.
- Holding your breath.
Prone Press-Up (held for time)
Set up. Lie face down with your hands under your shoulders, legs relaxed.
- Press your upper body up with your arms, keeping your hips on the floor.
- Go only as high as is comfortable.
- Lower slowly and repeat.
Form cues
- Let the lower back relax.
- Keep the hips down.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the hips off the floor.
- Pushing into a range that pinches.
Balance it
These undo what this muscle does. Training both is what holds a joint where it belongs.
- Trunk. The other side: Abs.
Completes the loop. Training the lower back without Obliques leaves a function out: it does a third job rather than the opposite one.
Track it in StatBlockFit
The app's training map draws this same body and fills each muscle with the sets you gave it this week, so the gaps are visible at a glance. Tap the lower back there and it offers these movements, ready to add to a routine or log in one tap. The training guide explains the map, the routines and the overload rules.
For a session today, the Daily Bounty Board draws a full-body workout from this catalog for the equipment you have, and the Guild Ranker tells you what rank your bench press, squat and deadlift have earned.
Questions
What exercises train the lower back?
Movements that train the lower back as their main target include Back Extension, Bird Dog, Reverse Hyperextension, Jefferson Curl and Prone Cobra. The catalog in StatBlockFit lists 5 of them, and 14 more that train it on the way.
What balances the lower back?
In the trunk pattern, the other side is abs. Training both sides is what holds a joint where it belongs.
How do I progress lower back exercises?
Add load in the smallest step the equipment allows once every set reaches the top of its rep range with good form, and move up a rung (from bodyweight to dumbbells, from dumbbells to the barbell) when the lighter version stops being a challenge. StatBlockFit does the arithmetic: it suggests the next weight after each session and lightens the load after two missed sessions in a row.