Lower back Training

[wj19]

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice into lower back training. In the past i have used deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, hypers and good mornings. Right now I am pretty much basing my training on Bill Starr type workouts of heavy medium and light days. I severley pulled a muscle in the side of my back in December and took a month off from training. Since I started again January 1, I have been going pretty light on my lower back it has held up pretty well with one exception about two weeks ago I tweaked it again. Right now in terms of direct work I am just doing hypers at the beginning and end of each workout with no weight and on my medium day I am following front squats with stiff legged deadlifts. I was using weight on the hypers but my low back was beginning to feel overtrained and paln on starting more pulls in a week. If anyone has any advice it is greatly appreciated as I am just getting urge to compete and know if I can't get my lower back strength greatly increased I am going to be in trouble. Jesse also just wanted to say thanks for the forum. Being in south florida there isn't a whole lot of local interest (at least that i've noticed) with regards to strength training it's pretty much all bodybuilding type stuff so sources like Milo, IronMan, and this site are where i can get the majority of my info.

[Dana Matheson]

Hey Bro,

I found Cambered Bar Hypers ( i use about 135 for sets of 10) have made my lower back a lot stronger! I usually finish off my Deadlift workout on fridays with them. Its night and day doing them with a bar on your back or having somthing at your chest.

[jonboy]

Hey wj, I do a lot of RDL's, back extensions (on a GHR) and a lot of ab work (weighted and non). My abs/back were weak for a while (leaning over in squats, back always sore, etc), I just recently started working them out twice a week, and its made the world a difference in my squats and general core strength.

[Ryan Rhodes]

I don't know about everybody else, but it sounds to me like you could have a bulging/herniated disc. I'd get checked out instead of doing the self diagnosis thing and possibly causing permanent damage. I've been where you are. Same symptoms and all.

[Paul Sazy]

Years ago I sprained my sacro-illiac joint while deadlifting. Went to my doc and then went to see a chiropractor for the first time. After the pain subsided I did some evaluation of my training and looked at where I was weak. I decided that ab training was what was missing. Abs and obliques need to be trained with weights. Some example excercises are: spread eagle sit-ups, roman chair sit-ups, stability ball sit-ups, leg raises, standing ab work, side bends. I haven't had any back problems since I started doing this.

[wj19]

i've seen rdl's mentioned a couple times....what exactly are they?...thanks to everyone for the advice

[Jesse Marunde]

check this article Romanian Deadlifts (http://www.marunde-muscle.com/fitness/askem_rdl.html)

[Jesse Marunde]

oh ya, and please add your real name to your signature. we keep it legit around here. thanks!

Jesse

[wj19]

Sorry about the signature..that should be fixed as of this post. Will definitely have to try the romanians....are they better used for higher reps or can they be done with a variety of rep patterns?