You're (Probably) Not Made of Glass: Strengthening the Lower Back
Introduction - You're (Probably) Not Made of Glass: Strengthening the Lower Back
Lower back issues are among the most common problems faced by strength athletes, general trainees, and even those with no interest in lifting heavy. If you’ve been around the gym for any length of time, you’ve either experienced lower back pain yourself or met someone who has. The reality is that few people know more about managing back issues and injuries than I do—a combination of years in the trenches coaching, dealing with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and rehabbing my own injuries.
The lower back isn’t fragile—it’s a muscle group like any other that can and should be trained for strength. While many treat it as a weak link to be protected, the reality is that a strong, well-conditioned lower back is the key to performance, injury prevention, and longevity in lifting. Just like you wouldn’t skip squatting for stronger legs, neglecting direct lower back training limits your overall potential. Smart programming with progressive overload, core stability work, and posterior chain development ensures your lower back becomes a foundation of strength, not a liability.
Most conventional advice on strengthening the lower back is too soft for serious athletes. While some elements of the traditional physical therapy approach have merit, a truly strong, injury-resistant lower back is built through progressive, intelligent strength work—not just stretches and bodyweight exercises.
In this article, we’ll break down:
The traditional physical therapy approach and why it often falls short, as well as where it excels.
How Westside Barbell and similar systems build truly resilient backs, incorporating both maximal and dynamic effort methods.
The importance of core strength, hip and glute involvement, and how they support lower back health—an in-depth look at why these areas are critical and how they interact.
A comprehensive list of 20 exercises to fortify the lower back, each with a brief explanation of its execution and purpose.
How to integrate these methods into a structured training program, including the reasoning behind the exercise selection and programming structure.
The Traditional Rehab Approach: What Works and What’s Missing
If you Google “how to strengthen the lower back,” you’ll come across the same basic recommendations: cat-camel stretches, supermans, bird dogs, and some light deadlifts. A typical physiotherapy-based approach includes:
Pelvic Tilts – These involve small controlled movements of the pelvis to encourage proper spinal alignment and lumbar awareness.
Bird Dogs – Performed on all fours, extending opposite limbs to enhance spinal stability and coordination.
Superman Holds – Lying face-down and lifting the arms and legs simultaneously to engage the erectors.
Bridges – Glute activation exercises where the hips are driven upward, relieving stress from the lower back.
Bodyweight Good Mornings – Light hinge mechanics reinforcing proper movement patterns.
While these are useful in early-stage rehab, they fail to prepare an athlete for high-performance training. The gap between basic activation work and actual strength-building is too vast. Traditional rehab methods often focus on pain relief and movement retraining, but they do not incorporate progressive overload, which is essential for true strength development.
Additionally, many rehab protocols overemphasise rest and underemphasise load tolerance development. Imaging often finds issues such as disc herniations or degeneration, but research consistently shows that many of these findings do not correlate with pain. Proper rehab and structured training can often resolve these issues better than passive modalities or excessive rest.
Westside Barbell & The Conjugate Approach to Lower Back Strength
Westside Barbell treats the lower back like any other muscle—it needs to be trained heavy, frequently, and through various ranges of motion. The three pillars of their lower back training are:
1. Heavy Barbell Movements
Good Mornings: The staple movement of Westside programming. These are trained heavy and often.
Box Squats: Encourage explosive posterior chain strength while limiting unnecessary spinal compression.
Cambered Bar & Safety Squat Bar Squats: Reduce stress on the shoulders but hammer the lower back and core.
2. The Reverse Hyper – The Holy Grail of Lower Back Training
No discussion on elite-level lower back strengthening is complete without the Reverse Hyperextension. Developed by Louie Simmons, this machine:
Strengthens the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings.
Acts as active traction for the lower spine, increasing blood flow and aiding recovery.
Allows concentric power development with minimal spinal stress.
If you have access to a Reverse Hyper, it should be a cornerstone of your program.
3. Assistance Work and Volume-Based Training
45-Degree Back Raises: Performed with added weight, targeting the erectors through high reps and progressive overload.
Banded Good Mornings: A staple at Westside, these provide accommodating resistance.
Weighted Back Extensions: Done with a barbell or dumbbell, reinforcing end-range strength.
The McGill Approach: Stability Before Strength
Dr. Stuart McGill’s approach to lower back health focuses on core stability as the foundation of a strong back. His Big 3 Exercises provide proven results for reducing pain, improving spinal endurance, and reinforcing bracing mechanics.
McGill Curl-Up – A spinal-friendly anti-flexion core drill.
Side Planks – Reinforce lateral stability and oblique activation.
Bird Dogs – Improve lumbo-pelvic control and coordination.
While McGill’s methods don’t emphasise heavy strength work, they are a necessary component of spinal longevity.
Core Strength, Hip & Glute Training for Lower Back Resilience
A strong lower back doesn’t function alone—it depends on a rock-solid core, strong hips, and powerful glutes.
Ab Rollouts & Hanging Leg Raises: Anti-extension training to reinforce bracing under load.
Banded Side Walks & Copenhagen Planks: Lateral chain strength to support spinal stability.
Glute Ham Raises & Hip Thrusts: Developing glute strength, which alleviates pressure on the lower back.
Primary Strength Movements
Good Mornings (SSB, Cambered, Straight Bar)
What: A hip hinge movement where you bend forward with a barbell, keeping a neutral spine, and then return to standing.
Why: Directly strengthens the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings, reinforcing lower back endurance and resilience under load. The SSB and cambered bar variations reduce shoulder strain and increase core demand.
Box Squats
What: A squat where you sit back onto a box before exploding up.
Why: Teaches hip engagement, proper bracing, and posterior chain recruitment while reducing spinal compression compared to free squats.
Reverse Hyperextensions
What: Using a Reverse Hyper machine, you extend your legs backward while keeping the torso stable.
Why: One of the best exercises for spinal decompression, lower back endurance, and glute-hamstring activation. Also great for rehab and recovery.
45-Degree Back Raises
What: A controlled hip hinge movement on a 45-degree hyperextension bench.
Why: Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, reinforcing isometric spinal endurance.
Weighted Back Extensions
What: Similar to back raises but performed with a barbell, dumbbell, or plate for added resistance.
Why: Increases lower back strength and endurance, improving resilience against fatigue in heavy lifts.
Deadlifts (As per previous deadlift articles)
What: A full-body pull movement emphasising hip and back extension.
Why: Builds total posterior chain strength, reinforcing bracing mechanics, lower back durability, and spinal stability.
Core & Stability Focus
McGill Curl-Ups
What: A core exercise where one leg is bent, and the upper torso slightly lifts without excessive spinal flexion.
Why: Reinforces core bracing and endurance while avoiding excessive spinal compression.
Side Planks
What: Holding the body in a straight line on one side, supported by the forearm.
Why: Builds lateral core stability, which reduces uneven loading on the lower back.
Bird Dogs
What: From an all-fours position, you extend one arm and the opposite leg.
Why: Improves lumbo-pelvic stability and coordination, reducing unwanted movement in the lower back.
Ab Rollouts
What: Rolling forward with an ab wheel or barbell, keeping the core tight.
Why: Develops anti-extension core strength, reinforcing bracing for deadlifts and squats.
Hanging Leg Raises
What: Raising straight legs while hanging from a pull-up bar.
Why: Strengthens deep core muscles and hip flexors, reinforcing lumbar stability under movement.
Pallof Presses
What: A resisted anti-rotation exercise, where you press a band or cable out in front while resisting sideways pull.
Why: Improves core stability and control, reducing shearing forces on the spine.
Posterior Chain Assistance
Glute Ham Raises (GHRs)
What: A knee flexion and hip extension movement on a GHD machine.
Why: Builds glute, hamstring, and lower back endurance, reinforcing posterior chain durability.
Hip Thrusts
What: Lifting the hips against resistance with the upper back on a bench.
Why: Strengthens the glutes and lower back, reducing excess lumbar strain during heavy lifts.
Banded Good Mornings
What: Similar to barbell good mornings, but using bands for accommodating resistance.
Why: Develops explosiveness and endurance in the posterior chain, improving spinal resilience.
Copenhagen Planks
What: A side plank variation where the top leg is elevated on a bench.
Why: Strengthens hip adductors and core stability, improving overall lower back control.
Lying Hamstring Curls
What: Curling a weight with the hamstrings while lying on a machine or using bands.
Why: Strengthens hamstrings, preventing lumbar compensation in deadlifts and squats.
Miscellaneous but Effective
Yoke Walks & Heavy Carries
What: Carrying heavy loads (yoke, sandbags, farmer’s walks, etc.) over a distance.
Why: Reinforces full-body stability, spinal endurance, and bracing mechanics under heavy loads.
Kettlebell Swings
What: A dynamic hip hinge movement where the KB is swung between the legs and up.
Why: Develops explosiveness, posterior chain endurance, and spinal stability.
Reverse Lunges with Forward Lean
What: A lunge variation where you lean slightly forward, engaging the posterior chain.
Why: Improves single-leg stability, glute activation, and core engagement, reducing lower back strain during heavy bilateral movements.
Why These Exercises Matter for Lower Back Strength
This comprehensive selection ensures that the lower back is strengthened in all necessary movement patterns: Isometric endurance (planks, carries, Copenhagen planks). Concentric and eccentric strength (good mornings, reverse hypers, hip thrusts) Dynamic coordination and resilience (KB swings, yoke walks, bird dogs). A strong lower back isn’t just about brute force—it’s about coordination, endurance, and smart training. Integrate these movements properly, and you’ll build a resilient, bulletproof lower back for strength, injury prevention, and longevity. 💪🔥
Structuring Lower Back Training for Strength & Longevity
A strong lower back is more than just raw strength—it requires stability, endurance, and balanced muscular development. The four-step structure below ensures that athletes, lifters, and anyone prioritising spinal health develop a bulletproof lower back that is resilient under load, resistant to injury, and capable of sustained high performance.
Step 1: Use McGill’s Big 3 as a Warm-Up or Primer Before Heavy Training
Few people in the world have studied spinal mechanics, injury prevention, and rehabilitation as extensively as Dr. Stuart McGill. His decades of research have changed the way we understand lower back health, proving that proper bracing, stability work, and progressive strengthening are essential to long-term durability.
Why McGill’s Methods Matter
Dr. McGill’s approach is rooted in scientific research on how spinal injuries develop and how to prevent them. His Big 3 exercises—Curl-Ups, Side Planks, and Bird Dogs—form the foundation of spinal endurance training, ensuring that the core can resist unwanted movement and protect the lower back under heavy loads.
In this article, we’ll explore:
McGill’s research on lower back health and injury prevention.
How his Big 3 exercises work and why they are essential.
The practical application of McGill’s methods for strength training.
How to integrate McGill’s principles with progressive overload for a bulletproof back.
Understanding the McGill Approach to Lower Back Strength
The Science Behind Spinal Stability
Dr. McGill’s research highlights that most lower back injuries aren’t caused by one-off traumatic events but rather by repeated stress and improper movement mechanics. Issues like poor bracing, excessive spinal flexion, and instability contribute to disc injuries, nerve impingements, and chronic pain over time.
McGill emphasises that a strong lower back isn’t just about raw strength—it’s about stability, endurance, and the ability to resist unwanted movement. The spine functions best when it is properly braced and supported by a strong core, which prevents excessive shearing forces that lead to injury.
The Problem With Traditional Core Training
Many lifters assume that directly strengthening the lower back means doing high-rep sit-ups, supermans, or excessive spinal flexion exercises. However, McGill’s research shows that these movements can actually increase the risk of disc herniations and chronic pain. Instead of reinforcing movement through the lumbar spine, McGill prioritises core stiffness and endurance, ensuring that the spine remains stable under load.
McGill’s Big 3: The Foundation of a Strong Back
The McGill Big 3 exercises—Curl-Ups, Side Planks, and Bird Dogs—are designed to improve core stiffness, reinforce proper bracing, and enhance spinal endurance.
1. Curl-Ups
✅ What it is: A modified crunch performed with one leg extended and the hands placed under the lower back to maintain a neutral spine. Only the head and upper shoulders lift off the ground.
✅ Why it works: Encourages core activation without excessive spinal flexion, reducing compression on the lumbar discs.
✅ How to do it: Perform 3-4 sets of 8-second holds, ensuring proper bracing throughout.
2. Side Planks
✅ What it is: A lateral core exercise where you hold a plank position on your forearm, keeping the body in a straight line.
✅ Why it works: Strengthens the lateral stabilisers of the spine, preventing excessive side-to-side movement that leads to instability.
✅ How to do it: Hold for 10-15 seconds per side, performing 3-5 sets.
3. Bird Dogs
✅ What it is: A quadruped exercise where you extend one arm and the opposite leg while maintaining core stability.
✅ Why it works: Improves lumbo-pelvic control, spinal coordination, and bracing under movement.
✅ How to do it: Perform 2-3 sets of 8 reps per side, focusing on smooth, controlled movement.
Why These Exercises Work
The Big 3 aren’t designed to build brute strength—but rather to create a solid foundation for heavier loading. They improve neuromuscular coordination, reinforce proper bracing techniques, and reduce the likelihood of lower back breakdown under heavy squats and deadlifts.
Applying McGill’s Methods to Strength Training
How McGill’s Big 3 Fits Into Your Training
Many lifters assume that prehab or stability work isn’t necessary until pain arises, but McGill’s approach suggests using these exercises proactively to build injury resilience. The best way to integrate them into your training is:
Use McGill’s Big 3 as a primer before heavy lifting. This reinforces proper bracing before loading the spine.
Incorporate endurance-focused core work (planks, Pallof presses, hanging leg raises) alongside your Big 3.
Gradually introduce progressive overload through posterior chain work (e.g., reverse hypers, good mornings, back extensions) to further reinforce lumbar durability.
Step 2: Train Primary Strength Movements 1-2x Per Week
(Good Mornings, Reverse Hypers, Squats)
Why These Strength Movements?
The lower back doesn’t just need endurance—it needs absolute strength. While McGill’s Big 3 builds control and stability, primary strength movements develop the power and resilience to handle high loads. These exercises train the lower back dynamically under progressive overload, reinforcing the ability to brace and resist spinal collapse under maximal stress.
Why Only 1-2x Per Week?
The lower back recovers slowly—it plays a stabilising role in nearly every lift, so overloading it too frequently can cause fatigue accumulation and decrease performance.
Heavy compound movements (squats, good mornings, deadlifts) are extremely demanding on the spinal erectors—too much heavy loading without recovery increases injury risk and central nervous system (CNS) fatigue.
Twice a week allows for heavy loading without overuse, ensuring both maximal strength and recovery are accounted for.
Exercise Breakdown
✅ Good Mornings – Strengthens the hip hinge, reinforcing posterior chain development while heavily taxing the spinal erectors.
✅ Reverse Hyperextensions – Provides traction to the spine, strengthening the lower back without compressive forces.
✅ Box Squats – Teaches posterior chain control, ensuring the lower back is engaged while reducing excessive lumbar stress.
These exercises target the lower back under progressive load, ensuring long-term strength gains while minimising overuse risks.
Step 3: Add Posterior Chain Assistance Work 2-3x Per Week
(Glute Ham Raises, Back Extensions, Banded Movements)
Why is Assistance Work Critical?
While primary strength work builds max effort strength, posterior chain assistance exercises develop muscular endurance, hypertrophy, and movement quality. These high-rep, moderate-load movements allow for:
✅ Extra volume without excessive spinal stress.
✅ Strengthening surrounding musculature (glutes, hamstrings) to reduce lower back strain.
✅ Building fatigue resistance, ensuring the lower back can sustain high training loads over time.
Why 2-3x Per Week?
Lower back muscles are endurance-based—they respond well to frequent, lower-intensity work.
Assistance work allows for blood flow, recovery, and hypertrophy without adding excessive central fatigue.
These movements also reinforce movement patterns, ensuring proper mechanics under lighter loads before progressing to heavier ones.
Key Assistance Exercises
✅ Glute Ham Raises (GHRs) – Strengthens hamstrings and glutes, reducing reliance on the lower back.
✅ Weighted Back Extensions – Trains isometric and concentric spinal erector strength, reinforcing lower back endurance.
✅ Banded Good Mornings – Provides dynamic, accommodating resistance, reinforcing the hip hinge and posterior chain endurance.
By supplementing max effort work with these exercises, you build lower back resilience, balance, and long-term durability.
Step 4: Core Work Should Be Done Daily (Even at Low Intensity)
(Bracing & Anti-Flexion Training for Spinal Stability)
Why Daily Core Work?
While heavy lifting builds strength, the core plays a stabilising role in nearly every movement. A weak core forces the lower back to overcompensate, increasing strain, fatigue, and injury risk.
To create a truly strong lower back, core strength must be developed in all movement planes.
✅ Anti-Extension (Prevents the lower back from overarching):
Ab Rollouts, Hanging Leg Raises – Strengthen the deep core musculature, reinforcing lumbar control under heavy loads.✅ Anti-Rotation (Prevents unwanted spinal twisting):
Pallof Presses, Copenhagen Planks – Improve spinal rigidity under uneven forces.✅ Anti-Lateral Flexion (Resists sideways collapse):
Side Planks, Yoke Walks – Reinforce core and spinal endurance, improving total-body strength.
Why Daily Work at Low Intensity?
Core muscles recover quickly, making them ideal for frequent training.
Low-intensity work (planks, Pallof presses, McGill Big 3) builds long-term endurance without adding unnecessary fatigue.
A strong core minimises energy leaks, making all other lifts stronger and safer.
By training the core every day, even at low intensity, you create a protective system that keeps the lower back safe under load.
Why This Structure Works for Long-Term Strength & Injury Prevention
This four-step structure isn’t random—it follows a logical progression that ensures lower back strength is built safely and effectively over time.
1️⃣ Start with stability (McGill Big 3) – This teaches proper bracing, setting up safe, effective movement for heavy lifting.
2️⃣ Train primary strength movements (1-2x per week) – Builds absolute strength while allowing for recovery and adaptation.
3️⃣ Add posterior chain assistance (2-3x per week) – Strengthens supporting musculature, reinforcing movement mechanics.
4️⃣ Perform core work daily – Maintains bracing strength, spinal control, and overall structural integrity.
The Road to a Resilient, Strong Lower Back
A strong lower back isn’t built overnight—it’s built with smart programming, consistency, and strategic exercise selection.
This structured approach prevents injury, builds endurance, and reinforces movement efficiency.
By combining core stability, strength training, and posterior chain work, you create a truly durable, injury-proof lower back.
A truly strong and resilient lower back is built through intelligent training, balancing progressive overload, stability work, and posterior chain development. Many lifters suffer from chronic lower back pain, often due to weak bracing mechanics, imbalances, or simply neglecting targeted back work. However, research has shown that consistent, progressive strength training can resolve many of the issues commonly identified in imaging—a weak lower back isn’t a life sentence.
By implementing the structured approach outlined in this guide, you can develop a bulletproof lower back that is not only strong under heavy loads but also resilient against wear and tear over time. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or looking to push your lifts to new levels, these methods will set you up for success.
📌 Looking for a customised approach tailored to your specific needs? I can help you build strength, reinforce stability, and eliminate weak links in your training. DM me “BACK STRONG” today, and let’s create a stronger, injury-proof lower back together!
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