If your lower back hurts, your first instinct might be to stop using it and wait for the discomfort to disappear. But strength coach Brendan Backstrom argues that, in some cases, gradually reintroducing movement and resistance can be a more productive long-term approach.
That doesn't mean blindly training through pain. Instead, Backstrom advocates finding movements you can perform comfortably, then gradually increasing what your lower back is able to tolerate.
'The most sensitive area in your body is your lower back,' Backstrom explains. 'Go do the most direct low back exercise you can – not to fix it, but to break the illusion that you have to avoid it. Even if you do the slightest thing by contracting it non-stop for 30 seconds, the next day it might be just a little more relaxed about that concept. Then it might trust a little more that you can use it.'
To put that principle into practice, he suggests four back-extension progressions, beginning with a simple isometric hold before gradually introducing greater demands and range of motion.
The operative word here is gradually.
'You cannot rest your way back to spine health or resilience. It will take work, and it will take time. Everyone's race is at their own pace. So, play the long game,' he says.
What to read next
'Be mindful, don’t work through excessive, worsening pain. Simply aim to find the easiest level and variation of back training that allows you to get deliberate stimuli to the spine. This stops the loop of inhibition & hypersensitivity so that you can gradually tolerate more force over time. Anyone can improve their lower back regardless of age, injury history, or background. But you have to start gentle enough.'
If you're dealing with persistent, severe or worsening back pain – or pain accompanied by other symptoms – it's worth speaking to an appropriate healthcare professional rather than trying to diagnose or train your way through it yourself.
4 Back Extension Progressions for a Stronger Lower Back
Level 1 – Back Extension ISO Hold
A useful first step is simply learning to create tension through the muscles of your lower back without introducing much movement.
Research suggests isometric training can be an effective way to build strength, making an isometric back extension a relatively simple starting point before progressing to more dynamic variations.
'This teaches the back it's safe to fire and contract, but not spasm and flare up,' Backstrom says.
Level 2 – Single-Leg ISO Hold
The next progression uses the same isometric principle but removes one point of support, increasing the stability demands placed on your trunk.
'Training smaller stabilising muscles help keep you from tipping at the spine,' Backstrom adds.
If you can maintain the position comfortably and without your hips twisting or dropping, you're ready to begin introducing more movement.
Level 3 – Back Extension Hinge
Before progressing to full-range reps, Backstrom introduces a partial hip hinge.
Rather than moving through the largest range possible, hinge forwards under control before returning to the starting position. This allows you to practise the mechanics of the exercise while gradually introducing movement and increasing the demands on your posterior chain.
Keep the range comfortable and avoid forcing yourself deeper simply for the sake of progressing.
Level 4 – Full Back Extension
'Build into relaxation of decompression at the bottom, then strength to come back up with strength at every vertebrae,' Backstrom concludes.
Once you can perform the previous progressions comfortably, the final step is a full-range back extension.
Lower yourself under control before using the muscles of your posterior chain to return to the top. There's no need to aggressively hyperextend your spine at the finish – concentrate on moving smoothly through a range you can control.
Back extensions can strengthen the muscles of your posterior chain and increase your capacity to tolerate loading through the movement. But the aim isn't to prove how much discomfort you can endure. Start with the easiest variation you can perform comfortably, progress patiently and let your capacity dictate when it's time to move on.
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