How can I really tone my sides AND lower back? I seem to have a slight roll r/o

[kellyp]

I am toned everywhere else. My upper back is really cut, however, my low, lower back, right about at waist level and including my sides, seem to be lacking. Are there certain exercises that can target this area effectively? Would supermans work? Please help me find some good ways to target these trouble spots. Thanks so much and please include descriptions with proper form for the exercises.

Thanks soooo much.

Kelly

 

[hippahips]

Hi Kelly, I am still working on defining my lower back. But as far as my sides go, I'm getting good results from the ab workouts in the Intensity Series. Those moves where you hold a ball or dumbbell and move side to side for the longest time are showing me a few tiny muscles on my sides. I don't know what those muscles are called, but they're between my obliques and my ribs. I believe all the core training exercises have helped me in that regard as well. I couldn't do planks before but just recently I have been able to hold them as long as Cathe can. Took many, many months...

Supermans and deadlifts have definitely strengthened my lower back but I'm still waiting to see something in that area. After pregnancy, my body seems to have found my lower back a nifty place to deposit the fat and is stubbornly holding it there.

Pinky

 

[dcat]

RE: How can I really tone my sides AND lower back? I s...

Hi Kelly -
If you have a stability ball, prone back (trunk) extensions work really well. Lying prone over the ball, place your hands as fists on either side of your head at the temples. Lower and lift. Make sure you keep your spine in alignment - don't hyper-extend. Also, lower then lift on an angle. You can do the same move lying prone over a step but you may need to place a towel under you to cushion the hip bones. Another one is lying supine on the ball with the head and shoulders supported, cross your arms over your chest, keep legs together, feet flat on the floor, then raise and lower the hips. It's similar to the move in PLB but these modifications really target the lower back more than the glutes. Hope this helps.