Exercise the lower back muscles

introduction

The muscles of the lower back include the broad back muscle, the gluteus muscle, and especially the back extensor.
There are also deeper muscles, such as the straightening back muscle, which runs along the spine and can therefore also be partially counted as part of the lower back.

Above all, these muscles ensure that you can walk, stand and sit upright. If the lower back is well trained, the posture improves and you shouldn't get back pain due to muscle weakness in this area.

Read more on the topic Build back muscles

Figure back muscles

Figure back muscles

Back muscles

  1. Trapezius -
    Trapezius muscle
  2. Deltoid -
    Deltoid muscle
  3. Small round muscle -
    Teres minor muscle
  4. Subbone Muscle -
    Infraspinatus muscle
  5. Large round muscle -
    Teres major muscle
  6. Broad back muscle -
    Latissimus dorsi muscle
  7. Back extensor (lower lying) -
    Erector spinae muscle
  8. Outer weird
    Abdominal muscles -
    M. obliquus externus abdominis
  9. Belt muscle
    (second layer) -
    Muscle splenius
  10. Scapula lifter
    (second layer) -
    Muscle levator scapulae
  11. Small rhomboid muscle
    (second layer) -
    Rhomboideus minor muscle
  12. Large rhomboid muscle
    (second layer) -
    Rhomboideus major muscle
  13. Iliac crest -
    Iliac crest
  14. Gluteus Middle -
    Gluteus medius muscle
  15. Gluteus Muscle -
    Gluteus maximus muscle

You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations

Exercises

The lower back exercises can do three groups organize.
There are exercises for the lower back on a device or on a machine, e.g. the "Lower Back", where you get the Back extensor targeted and isolated training.
More exercises can be found under "Exercises with small devices" summarize, belong to it Long- or Dumbbell.
The third group is suitable for training at home so that you can no tools needed.

Here we will only deal with the last two exercise groups, i.e. exercises with the barbell, dumbbell and without equipment or aids.

Deadlift

With the exercises with the barbell, they did "Deadlift" and the "Good Mornings" established.

The Deadlift is tough exercise and just should under guidance and control as incorrect execution can lead to injuries.

From a shoulder width stand becomes the Barbell in the Change handle (the fingertips of the hands point in different directions when grasping the dumbbell) a little more than shoulder width. You should grip so wide that the elbows do not hit the knees when performing the exercise.
Then you crouch down and make sure that your back is in one during the entire exercise slight hollow back is located.
The Core muscles is tense and the head is in line with the spine.

When standing up, the Barbell as close as possible to the lower thighs and thighs. First, the legs are stretched and then the back is straightened so that the strength only comes from the thighs and lower back.
While standing you should now push your hips forward and pull your shoulders back slightly without lifting them.

Good mornings

Both "Good Mornings" Execution is no less important than with the deadlift.
The starting position is a shoulder-width stand from which the barbell is gripped and placed on the neck or shoulder muscle.
The bar should not be placed directly on the bone, only on muscles. Now you change position and stand hip-width apart, the upper body is straight and upright and the entire core muscles are tense.
Here too one becomes whole slight hollow back position taken and the chest is pushed out forward.
Now the upper body is bent forward while breathing out so that a Flexion only in the hip joint takes place.
Now you bend your upper body up to the horizontal positionso that the back remains straight and retains the slight hollow back position.
After a second in this position, the upper body goes up slowly and in a controlled manner and you breathe out on the side.

Back extensor

An exercise that you do too without devices and can easily do it at home Back stretching.

You lie on your stomach on a blanket or an exercise mat with your face pointing towards the floor. The arms are stretched forward and the legs are stretched out on the floor.

You can do this exercise vary at will and divide it into different steps.

From the starting position, lying on your stomach, you can lift your right arm and left leg as high as possible and hold them at the highest point for a few seconds before lowering them back to the ground.

Now you can switch sides and do the exercise with your left arm and right leg.

That is an alternative simultaneous raising of both arms up. Again the position is held at the highest point for a few seconds before the arms are lowered again. The same can be done with both legs as well.

The next increase is lifting both of them at the same time Arms and legs to the highest point. After a few seconds of holding, the arms and legs can be lowered again.

The longer you can hold the limb at the highest point, the more intense the exercise.

In addition to lifting your arms and legs, you can perform sideways movements or move your arms and legs up and down, thus increasing the level of difficulty further.

Exercises for lower back pain

Especially people who work in the office, for example, often complain too much Back paincaused by frequent sitting and the weakening back muscles.

However, simple exercises can make a huge improvement and eliminate the pain:

The starting position is sitting on the chair with a 90 degree angle between the lower thigh and thigh. From this position, slowly lower your upper body onto your legs so that your chest rests on your thighs.
The arms and head are left hanging.
You should spend a few seconds in this position, breathing concentratedly into your stomach.
Then you roll your back Vortex after vortex back up until you are sitting upright in your chair.
This exercise can be repeated up to five times and performed anywhere.

The Back stretching lying down also provides pain relief in the lower back and can also be done at home or in the office.

The Pelvic circles is another exercise that can help eliminate the pain in the lumbar region.

Strengthen the lower back muscles

Who his Strengthen lower back muscles want, he can achieve good results with simple exercises.

Back extension with countermovements

An exercise that is a little more difficult to perform, but also great for strengthening the lower back muscles, is this Back stretching with countermovement.
The starting position is again the four-footed stance from which the left arm and the right leg be stretched forwards or backwards. The head is in Extension of the spine.
From this position, the left arm and right leg are now guided under the body in a countermovement so that the Back slightly round becomes.
From this position you can go straight back into extension and repeat the sequence a few times on each side.

Back leg raises

A good Beginner exercise is this Back leg raises in a four-foot stand on the floor.
To do this, you first go into the four-legged stand on a blanket or a yoga mat.
Only the hands, knees and lower legs are on the floor. The head is in Extension of the spine.
Now the left and right leg are lifted up and back alternately. Ideally, there is always a 90 degree angle in the knee joint.
Then the raised leg is fully extended before it is returned to the four-footed position.

Stretching the lower back muscles

In addition to strengthening the lower back is also the strain important to keep the lower back fit and flexible.

One variant is that Stretching the lower back in Stand.
You are in a hip-width position and your arms hang down on the left and right of your body. From this position you can now slowly lean forward until you get a light Stretch pain in the lower back feels.
You should hold this position briefly and do not try to get further down by rocking, as this could result in a strain.
Then move the upper body back into the upright position and directly further into an overstretching. To do this, you can put your hands on your hips to increase the stretch.

Another stretching exercise takes place in the Quadruped instead of. From this position the head is raised and the back moves in at the same time Hollow back.
The navel is literally pulled towards the floor and the stretching tension is held for a few seconds. Then the movement is reversed, the head goes down between the arms and the back goes into one Cat hump over while exhaling at the same time.

Relax the lower back muscles

There are relatively simple exercises to relax the lower back, but they are very effective.

One of those exercises is that Pelvic circlesas it happens, for example, in belly dancing.
This exercise relaxes the back muscles and makes them more flexible. The exercise has many advantages, it can be performed anywhere, and it takes a maximum of five minutes.
The starting position is a hip-width stand in front of a mirror in order to better control the movements. The legs are not fully extended, that Abdominal muscles are tense and the buttocks are tensed up (buttocks squeeze).
Now put your hands on your hips and begin to paint the number "8" on your hips. Imagine an eight in your head and try to trace the lines with your pelvis in front of your inner eye.
You should continue this exercise for about two minutes, then take a short break and train for another two minutes, if you like.

Another good position for Relaxation of the lower back muscles is the Step storage. You lie on your back on the floor or on an insulating mat or exercise mat and place your legs on a chair or exercise ball. The angles in the hip and knee joint should be approx. 90 degrees be. The arms are next to the body and the head is also on the floor.

Pain when exercising

Unfortunately, exercise cannot always help relieve lower back pain. In certain cases it is even the trigger for Back pain in the lumbar region.

In this case one is not closed weak back muscles responsible for the pain, but a different trigger. First of all, the choice of sport can be decisive here.

Some sports are accompanied by incorrect postures and can be too Back pain to lead.

The Golf for example is a sport in which the back is unevenly stressed.When knocking off, the upper body is leaned forward and twisted less in one direction (backward movement) than in the other. This uneven load with integrated twisting of the spine can lead to serious back pain in the long run, even though the back is well trained.

At the Field and indoor hockey there is a similar problem. The back is constantly strained by the constantly bent posture when running and playing. There are also turning movements when shooting and passing. Here, too, lower back pain can occur despite well-trained muscles.

Other sports that can lead to back pain after exercising are Basketball, squash, badminton and handball. In these sports there are a lot of jerky movements and the jumping and running on sometimes hard ground can in the long run, the Band washers to damage.

But it's not just the choice of sport that can lead to back pain after exercise. When starting a sport, you should always be aware of the correct execution inform and be guided by an expert or experienced athlete, especially at the beginning.