Lower Back

Heads and regions

Erector spinae
QL
Multifidus

What it does

Spinal extension
Anti-flexion
Lateral stability

How to train it

It already works hard on squats and deadlifts. Direct work should be light and controlled.
Build endurance rather than max strength — high-quality reps, no grinding.
If it is chronically sore, you are under-recovering, not under-training.

Common questions

How many sets of lower back a week?

4 to 10 hard sets, spread over 1-2x per week. A hard set is one taken close to failure — warm-ups and easy back-off sets do not count towards it. Below that range you are maintaining rather than building; above it, for most people, the extra sets cost more recovery than they buy.

How often should I train lower back?

1-2x per week. Splitting the week's sets across more than one session means each one is done fresher, and the quality of the last set matters more than the number of them. With 7 movements to choose from there is no need to repeat the same session twice.

Where should a beginner start?

4 of the 7 movements here are rated for a beginner. Start with the compound at the top: it teaches the pattern and loads the muscle hardest.

What else works the lower back

12 other movements in the library train the lower back as a secondary mover rather than as the target. That volume is real and it counts: if a week already contains a lot of these, the direct work needed to reach 4–10 sets is at the lower end of the range, not the upper.