In everyday life as a human being, one of the most common and destructive physical complaints we can suffer from is back problems – particularly the lower back. For many, once a back problem materializes, it can be with us for life. They are best avoided, that’s a given.
Ironically, most back injuries don’t happen because of lifting something heavy or awkwardly, they simply occur over time and appear for ‘no apparent reason.’
Besides hereditary or degenerative spinal disorders, or repetitive wear and tear, the number one reason for the majority of back problems is simply having a weak back from under use.
People these days are lazy. They are overweight, have poor posture, slouch in chairs and mope when they walk. The average spine has barely any muscle to support it whatsoever, so it’s not difficult to see, then, why back problems are so common.
Think of building back muscles as reinforcing the spine, because that’s precisely what it is. Studies on arthritis sufferers shows that by reinforcing the muscles with weight training, the bones are less susceptible to wear and tear because they are given support from the muscles. Those’s what you need to do with your back – work it, thoroughly, and prevent injury by having a strong back to support your spine.
In building the back, you’ve got to hit both the lower and the upper back. For upper back development, I highly recommend heavy upright rows and shrugs to build the traps and bent over rows to build the lats. For lower back development, because in the average person the lower back is so weak, I recommend first flexibility and strengthening exercises for the first month, and then after that, dead lifts, stiff-legged dead lifts, and hyper-extensions (sometimes called back extensions).
The main thing with back developing is to always take it steady. Never, ever, ever rush into it, make huge leaps in weight and let your ego take over. You only have one back, and you ruin it at your peril. Take it slow and steady and you’ll build a back which will last you for life.