5 Workouts To Build a Ripped Lower Back

Lower Back Building Workouts

A ripped lower back is what separates the men from the boys. The lower back is a small but important muscle group that is often overlooked in training. A weak lower back can disrupt your day-to-day tasks like sitting, bending down and even standing for extended periods.

Since the lower back is a smaller muscle group as compared to your upper back, you don’t need to dedicate entire workouts to training it. The five workouts below will help people with feeble lower backs in bringing up the lagging muscle group.

Week 1

1. Deadlifts – 5 Sets 15 Reps
2. Reverse Glute Raise – 5 Sets 15 Reps
3. Seated Cable Rows – 5 Sets 15 Reps
4. Hyperextensions with Dumbbells – 5 Sets 15 Reps

The majority of the exercises you’ll be doing in this 5-week lower-back training program will be isolation lifts. You must maintain a strict form while performing the movements. You should avoid using momentum or jerking motion for leverage.

Since there isn’t a significant mass that can be added to your lower back, you should focus on improving the conditioning by performing a higher number of repetitions. Make sure you squeeze the life out of your lower back at the contraction point of every exercise.

Week 2

1. Hyperextensions with Dumbbells – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
2. Good Mornings – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
3. V-Bar Lat Pulldowns – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
4. Hip Thrusts – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
5. Dumbbell Deadlifts – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps

You need to follow a (0:2:1:1) rep scheme while performing the exercises. You’ll be performing the concentric (lifting) movement explosively, contracting the muscles at the top for two seconds, spending one second on the eccentric (returning to starting position) part and taking a one-second rest at the bottom.

Week 3

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
2. Lat Pulldowns – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
3. Underhand Barbell Rows – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
4. GHD – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)

Before you get into the workout, spend at least 10 minutes warming up your lower back. Priming your lower back for a workout can help lower the chances of an injury. Lifting too heavy or using too much volume while training your lower back can also take you out of action for a few weeks.

Week 4

1. Deficit Barbell Deadlifts – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
2. Bent Over Dumbbells Rows – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
3. Smith Machine Good Mornings – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
4. Underhand Cable Rows – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
5. Weighted Planks – 4 Sets 1 Minute Each

In the deficit deadlifts, stand on an elevated platform like a weight plate or an aerobic step and hold the barbell with a shoulder wide grip. The deficit deadlifts increase your range of motion which can add more tension to your lower back as compared to the vanilla deadlifts.

The good-mornings are one of the most underutilized back exercises. Maintain a slight bend in your knees and keep your lower back arched throughout the exercise. If you don’t feel the tension on your lower back while performing the exercise, you should consider dropping the weights – and your ego.

Week 5

1. Rack-Pulls – 5 Sets 30 Reps
2. Straight Arm Cable Pulldowns – 5 Sets 30 Reps
3. Cable Deadlifts – 5 Sets 30 Reps
4. Bodyweight Hyperextensions – 5 Sets 30 Reps

The last workout of the program is a high-rep training session. Due to the high-intensity, you’ll invariably get a nasty lower-back pump. Using the right form and following a complete range of motion are keys to effective lower back development.

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Which is your favorite lower back exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.