lower back

page19 · October 11th, 2006, 05:04 AM

When doing excercises such as the flutter kick, or similar to it, I have pain in my lower back--I was told that this is because my muscles there are too weak

What exercises can I do to strengthen my lower back?

Bodyweight exercise that I can do at home is preferred, if possible

Thanks for any help I get!

**ultraman8** · October 11th, 2006, 07:34 AM

there could be a number of reason, I wouldnt put it down to just a weak lower back.
Do you ever stretch the lower back muscles out?
I previously had an injury in my lower back muscles which meant I wasnt very mobile. movement was verylimited, and when that healed up, it seems weak...
however through personal experiences, I've found that stretching does make a hell of alot of difference between pain and no pain.

i can think of one exercise off the top of my head that you probalby can do to strengthen your own back up. basically lie on your front, and put your arms right out infront (kinda like how superman flies)
and then you lift both upper torso and legs at the same time...so that your muscles in your lower back are tensed. lower and repeat. dont over do it because it can cause injury.

if you have access to weights, i suggest deadlifts, they are the mother of all back strengthenin exercises.

**stephenlavin** · October 11th, 2006, 11:55 AM

an awful lot of back pain can actually come from tight glutes ...if you give your glutes a good stretch it can often resolve stiffness of the lower back ..if you are looking for exercises then look no further than core exercises which, done properly can help strengthen your muscles ..i could explain them but you are better off finding some diagrams on the net buddy .....like i say flexibilty is an unbelievable reliever of lower back pain

**Vizigoth** · October 11th, 2006, 10:49 PM

Ultraman and stephenlavin are right. Stretching is the key to reduction of lower back pain. My back is destroyed and I do forty minutes of stretching in the morning and twenty or so minutes at night just to be able to cope with my Life. I strongly recommend "Stretching," by Bob Anderson. There are millions of copies in print and it is a cornerstone of every sports medicine physical therapist I have ever encountered. Get a copy and consult with a P/T specialist about your specific needs. Remember to stretch after your work out to reduce lactic acid build up which is another source of low back pain.

dazzler · October 23rd, 2006, 05:03 AM

Hey fellas
New to the site, so i hope i'm posting right
Dont forget McKenzies as part of your daily routine. All your deadlifting and everyday activities mean you spend a lot of time in flexion, meaning your discs will have a tendency to be pressurised, possibly bulge and maybe even prolapse. Simple solution is to lie on your front, propped up on your elbows. Relax your abs too, as this will allow gravity to assist in the spinal extension thus helping to 'balance the books' as far as your intervertebral discs are concerned.

**Vizigoth** · October 23rd, 2006, 11:01 PM

dazzler is correct in his analysis. If you want to more of the mechanics of it, find a book called, "Strain and Counterstrain." by Lawrence Jones. It will show you the biomechanical neccessities and principles of building muscle groups evenly. It is available in soft and hard bound. My edition was printed in 1981. Apparently it was re-released in 1995.