How To Strengthen The Low Back, Not Protect It

Photos are AI generated, the words are straight from my brain though!

Here is an issue from our bi weekly newsletter specifically for health and fitness professionals. Our owner, Jesse Lewis, shares his experience and ideas as well as stories to help the health and fitness community connect and learn from each other.

From the Clinic

After someone hurts their back, the most common advice they get is some version of:

“Just protect it.”

Brace more. Move less. Avoid anything that isn’t neutral.

I used to teach that literally every day in the clinic. But, here’s what doesn’t make sense and why I started approaching back pain differently:

• If someone has a heart attack, we put them in cardiac rehab almost immediately

• If someone breaks a bone, they walk on it once it's stable to finish the healing process

• But if someone tweaks their back?

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“Be careful. Don’t lift anything. Let's teach bracing and neutral spine to protect your back”

We make people strengthen their heart after a heart attack but we don't want people to strengthen their back after a back injury?

What We’re Seeing

The spine is tissue, just like the heart or bone or quad or anything else in the body and it gets stronger with progressive load and exposure.

Protecting the back might feel safe short-term, but in the long run it creates:

• Less confidence

• More stiffness

• More reactivity

• And sets people up for failure when they inevitably move “wrong”

  
  

Which brings us to the real question:

Do we want to protect the back or prepare it?

How We Think About Back Pain and Prevention

At District Performance & Physio, our philosophy is simple:

We strengthen the back in every position people will face in real life.

That means:

• Flexion

• Rotation

• Twisting under load

• Awkward angles

• Controlled chaos

  
  

All progressed gradually, based on the person in front of us

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But the end goal is always the same: prepare the system for real life, not just how I want people to move.

Because life isn’t all neutral spine and stacked rib cages. People twist, bend, shovel, sprint, reach, fumble, and recover. 

And when their body’s been trained for that, it adapts, instead of panicking.

How We Coach It

Here's our general treatment progression. This doesn't mean it's perfect, just what we do. And, I'd actually love to hear from you because a lot of these I have learned from other health and fitness pros.

1. Start in Neutral If They're Fearful or Painful

• Bear Planks

• 1/2 Kneeling Chops without spinal rotation

• Pallof Press

  
  

2. Start to Move Through Range

• 1/2 Kneeling chops with spinal rotation

• GHD extensions or supermans

• Band assisted sit ups

• Jefferson Curls

  
  

3. Make It Harder

• Jefferson curls with a twist

• Rotational lifts + chops

• Rotational Ball Slams

• Over the Shoulder Ball Toss

These types of movements aren't just for athletes. Every day people need to twist, move quickly, and lift heavy shit.