KneesOverToesGuy

1/10. Back extension is an obvious one to start with.

2/10. Less often trained, and just above the lower back, is the lower traps. This is a major modern weak point. I think of this as my secret weapon for extra low back protection.

3/10. Also scarcely trained are the QLs right on either side of your lower spine. Start with just 1 set since you could get DOMs for a WEEK. Newbie gains again for back protection. This is also a secret weapon for rotational power.

4/10. The LOWER abs - opposite of the lower back - is another modern weak zone! 90+% of men when starting with me could not do 50% of bodyweight for 20 full reps in this exercise, but 90+% could after a year of training it.

5/10. Then there’s the FLEXIBILITY opposite of your lower spine, a zone of modern weakness AND stiffness.

6/10. Flexibility along the nerve pathway from the back to the legs also seems to affect the lower back.

7. Flexibility along the backside is another obvious one, but… 8. More rarely does someone have flexibility along the frontside, too.

9. Strength of the lower back in a DEEP position is just as important to me as when in an extended one. Notice how the back extension is harder at top, easier at bottom. But the RDL is easier at top, harder at bottom.

10/10. Strength in a deep position has two main categories for me: standing (shown in slide 9) and seated. Standing uses more hamstring flexibility and seated uses more inner thigh. This is listed last but not least! PERHAPS the most effective of all 10 for me personally.

Now if all that seems daunting… Think the OPPOSITE. That’s how much OPPORTUNITY I see for your lower back, with ANY 1 of those 10 capable of helping!

And now factor in that this is simply how I EXERCISE. I don’t separately have to stretch or do body treatments of any kind! 🙌 And an example of results for me is that I can now dunk from a deep squat, even though I reached my 20s having never dunked and with awful mobility.

🚨 Last note: This thread was an overview of how my whole Back Ability programming works. Each exercise scales to GENTLE levels with no equipment and step-by-step path. I have covered each of those 10 in their own individual threads, in great detail, and I will again! 🫡

To summarize my entire theory: The people I’ve helped to life-changing low back results were NOT one tweak away from GREAT function. So when in doubt, build ABOVE-average ability in the low back AND its connecting areas! Back Ability Zero > Basic > Pro: http://ATGonlinecoaching.com

And for the equipment I make to help with user-friendliness: http://ATGequipment.com Thank you for reading today!