Tip The Worst Lower-Back Stretch Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Worst Lower-Back Stretch Avoid this stretch if you' re a lifter and use two other methods to take the stress off by Tom Morrison February 23, 2019May 20, 2022 Tags Mobility, Tips, Training Lifters often develop tight hip flexors which cause a slight anterior pelvic tilt. This, in turn, causes tightness in the lower back. The natural assumption is to stretch out the lower back with something like the cobra pose from yoga. Problem is, pain in the back can actually be a symptom of a bad pelvis position. By not knowing how to initiate extension from the thoracic spine and instead overextending your lower back, all you're doing is overextending something that's already overextended. When you finish cobra stretching, you go from very overextended to just "regular" overextended. So you think you've found temporary relief. (By the way, I'm not hating on the cobra pose. It has its uses when someone is shown how to do it properly.) Temporary relief is a very dangerous thing. It's like a crash diet: it may feel like it works very quickly, but it's not sustainable and you'll most likely rebound. So What Should You Do Instead Train your muscles in better positions that'll support greater stability where it's needed. Better mobility will come! First, use the couch stretch to open up the front of the hips. This will help take the pressure off the lower back and set the pelvis into a better position. Second, implement that into how you move in general by training your core to work with that new position. The Pallof press is a great one for this. If done correctly, you'll be training your body in positions of strength, which will carry over to your general resting posture, increasing your performance and recovery. Remember, whenever you feel pain or tightness you must think about your body as a whole. Rarely is the point of pain the source of the pain. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Master the Single-Leg RDL Here's a great way to nail your posterior chain, no heavy barbell required. Training Ryan Sapstead February 18 Training Tip Build Your Lats With These Two Techniques Use these strategies to make gains and perfect your pull-ups. Here's how. Tips, Training Lee Boyce December 24 Workouts The Single Most Effective Workout Split There are several ways to organize your training week, but one split is superior for the vast majority of lifters. Here it is. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Training Charles Staley May 31 Training Tip 3 Reasons Trap Bar Deadlifts Are King For non-powerlifters, trap bar deads beat the pants off the barbell variation. Here's why. Deadlift, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips, Training Lee Boyce May 10