5 Workouts To Build a Ripped Lower Back

July 24, 2023

Lower Back Building Workouts

A ripped lower back is something that truly shows the status of a lifter, as it takes a lot of hard work and focus to build up. Though the lower back is a small muscle group, it is highly important for other lifts and your every day tasks, but training lower back is often overlooked. A weak lower back can disrupt your day-to-day tasks like sitting, bending down and even standing for extended periods.

Lower Back Overview

Although you may not think of it as important because it is quite literally second nature, the lower back is such a crucial muscle group to keep up on, as it helps with stabilization throughout many different things. The lower back helps during major lifts such as the squat and many other leg exercises, but also overhead presses, bench press, and any other standing exercises.

However, the lower back is also important for basic tasks that can include walking, standing up and sitting down, and more. For that reason, you do not want to ignore training your lower back.

Lower Back Workout

Since the lower back is a smaller muscle group as compared to your back as a whole, 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

Deadlifts – 5 Sets 15 Reps
Reverse Glute Raise – 5 Sets 15 Reps
Seated Cable Rows – 5 Sets 15 Reps
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, meaning they hone in on a specific muscle group. You must maintain a strict form while performing the movements. You should avoid using cheat reps (momentum or jerking motions) for leverage.

Since there isn’t a significant muscle 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 maintain a good mind-muscle connection and really squeeze the life out of your lower back at the contraction point of every exercise.

Week 2

Hyperextensions with Dumbbells – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
Good Mornings – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
V-Bar Lat Pulldowns – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
Hip Thrusts – 4 Sets Dropsets 10-10 Reps
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

Trap Bar Deadlifts – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
Lat Pulldowns – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
Underhand Barbell Rows – 5 Sets 15 Reps (Intraset Stretching)
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, and that is something no one wants.

Focusing on form and contractions rather than how heavy the weight is is key to success when it comes to training the lower back.

Week 4

Deficit Barbell Deadlifts – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
Bent Over Dumbbells Rows – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
Smith Machine Good Mornings – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
Underhand Cable Rows – 4 Sets 20-15-12-10 Reps
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 classic 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, as stated above, the form and getting a good contraction is far more beneficial than the amount of weight.

Week 5

Rack-Pulls – 5 Sets 30 Reps
Straight Arm Cable Pulldowns – 5 Sets 30 Reps
Cable Deadlifts – 5 Sets 30 Reps
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.

Importance of Recovery for Lower Back Training

When it comes your lower back training, only half of the work is done in the gym. Sure, lifting more and more is the most fun thing to do, but focusing on proper recovery is where true growth is made. Going through all of these lower back exercises breaks down the muscles, but in order to build them back up, a good recovery protocol is crucial. Especially if your lower back is sore, it can hinder your entire day?

So, what should you focus on to help make sure your lower back muscles grow back better and feel good?

Diet

Maintaining a good diet, hitting your macros is crucial. Proper protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake helps to build back the muscles.

Supplementation

Along with diet, supplementation is huge for recovery, as it helps to get your body the necessary nutrients that even a proper diet may not be able to get you. Some supplements to include for your recovery protocol are:

Lower Back Training Wrap Up

Overall, training your lower back is something that can be beneficial not only to your other lifts, but to your every day tasks, yet it is so often overlooked and undertrained. The lower back is essential for stabilization and balance, making it one of the most beneficial muscle groups to focus on.

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.