Olympic weightlifters contest two lifts in competition, the snatch and the clean and jerk. Both lifts involve taking a heavy weight from the floor to overhead, with the snatch using one movement and the clean and jerk using two. Both of these lifts require and develop total-body strength, and a strong back is important both for performance and injury prevention. There are a variety of lower-back exercises used by Olympic weightlifters for conditioning.
Good Mornings
The exercise is an effective lower-back strengthener that also develops your hips and hamstrings. In weightlifting, the hamstrings, hips and lower back always work together. To perform good mornings, rest and hold a barbell across your upper back. Bend your knees slightly and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your chest, push your butt back and hinge forward from your hips. Lean as far forward as you can while keeping your lower back tightly arched. A rounded back is a weak back, so do not allow this to happen. Push your hips forward and stand back up. Perform four to six repetitions using a heavy weight.
45-Degree Back Extensions
This exercise requires access to a 45-degree back extension bench -- a common workout device found in most gyms. Stand in the apparatus and place your feet on the footplate and your hips on the restraining pad. Bend your knees slightly. Lean forward from your hips and lower your upper body toward the floor as far as feels comfortable. Push your hips into the restraining pad and lift your upper body back up until your shoulders, hips and feet form a straight line. Make this exercise more demanding by holding a weight across your chest or behind your head. This exercise is generally performed for higher repetitions -- between eight and 15.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts target the lower back along with the hips and hamstrings. Deadlifts are one of the events contested in the sport of powerlifting. Although powerlifting is a strength sport with some similarities to weightlifting, weightlifters do not perform this exercise in competition but use it as a strengthening exercise. Place a heavy barbell on the floor, stand with your toes under the bar and your shins lightly touching it. Squat and grasp the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Lift your chest, shrug your shoulders down and back and tightly arch your lower back. Extend your knees and then your hips and lift the barbell off the floor. Stand completely upright with your arms extended. Push your hips back, bend your knees and lower the bar back down. Deadlifts are best performed with heavy weights for low repetitions.
Skydivers
The skydiver exercise helps develop lower-back endurance and also teaches the correct arch position necessary for safe weightlifting. Lie on your front on an exercise mat with your feet and forehead resting on the floor. Place your hands next to your hips with your palms facing downward. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor while simultaneously rotating your palms outward and pointing your thumbs up to the ceiling. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds and relax. Make sure your feet remain on the floor throughout the exercise and you hold your shoulders down and back.
References
- "Powerlifting"; Barney R. Groves; 2000
- "Starting Strength (2nd edition)"; Mark Rippetoe, et al.; 2007
- "Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches"; Greg Everett; 2009
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