Lower Back Workouts to Get Strong and Prevent Injury (RX, Scaled and Beginner Options)

A strong back is essential for all CrossFit athletes. The following lower back workouts include specific exercises that will target and strengthen your back in certain different ways under various modalities.

Each of the back workouts includes information about how to scale or select a beginner option. Have fun.

Lower BACK WORKOUTS – JEFFREY PALAZZO

• EMOM For As Long As Possible
• Death by Deadlifts (60% of 1 RM)

Following the “Death By…” format, start clock and do one deadlift within the first minute, two repetitions within the second minute, three deadlifts within the third minute and so on. Add one repetition every minute until you cannot complete the required number of repetitions within that given minute.

DEATH BY… FORMAT IN CROSSFIT

EMOM For as Long as Possible

• 1 Rep in the first minute
• 2 Rep in the second minute
• 3 Rep in the third minute
• etc.

Tip: Do not speed up to get all the reps. Go slow and use good form. Don’t let your back round. If you can’t get the reps using good form, then so be it. There is no shame in that. Injuring your back, however, there is a lot of shame (and pain) in that.

Scaling

This workout is designed to operate with 60% of your 1 RM so it automatically adjusts to your specific level and there is no need to change anything.

OPTIMUS PRIME

AMRAP in 7 minutes

• Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb)
• 5 Deadlifts (225/155 lb) at the top of each minute

Workout starts with wall ball shots. At the top of each minute, starting at 1:00, complete 5 deadlifts, then resume wall ball shots. The total score will be the number of wall-ball shots completed and deadlifts completed.

“Optimus Prime” is one of CrossFit New England’s official benchmarks, first posted on their website on November 14, 2013. Though CFNE names their daily WODs “for fun,” this WOD is from a shortlist provided to us by CFNE’s Director of Operations, Eamon Coyne.

CrossFit New England is famous for being the training ground for multiple CrossFit Games champions, under the expert eye of head coach and owner, Ben Bergeron.

Scaling

AMRAP in 7 minutes

• Wall Ball Shots (16/10 lb)
• 5 Deadlifts (165/95 lb) at the top of each minute

LOWER BACK WORKOUTS – WARM UP

Whether you choose to train with several exercises that specifically target your back together (a “back day” so to speak), or you want to add a few of the following into a workout, make sure you warm up with movements that mimic those that you are about to perform.

A decent warm-up should always include (at minimum) some kind of work to elevate your heart rate and involve movements that are specific to what you will do in your workout. For example, if you about to work on strict presses and overhead strength, it makes sense to select warm-up exercises that will mirror these movements. Your back is comprised of many large muscle groups and is a powerful part of your body, so take the time to warm up properly when you know it will be stressed and worked hard in a training session. Learn more about your thoracic spine and posterior chain to understand how these function together.

JACK

• AMRAP in 20 minutes
• 10 Push Presses (115/85 lb)
• 10 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
• 10 Box Jumps (24/20 in)

Scaling
Reduce the weight on the presses and kettlebell swings and the height of the box so each set of exercises can be performed unbroken and with little rest during transitions.

Intermediate Option
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 push presses
10 kettlebell swings
10 box jumps

Men: 95-lb. presses, 1.5-pood swings, 24-in. box
Women: 65-lb. presses, 1-pood swings, 20-in. box

Beginner Option
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 push presses
10 kettlebell swings
10 box step-ups

Men: 65-lb. presses, 1-pood swings, 20-in. box
Women: 45-lb. presses, 12-kg swings, 15-in. box

LOWER BACK WORKOUTS – ORLANDO

• For Time
• 6 Russian Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 49 meter Farmer’s Carry (70/53 lb)
• 12 Alternating Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 49 meter Farmer’s Carry (70/53 lb)
• 20 American Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 49 meter Farmer’s Carry (70/53 lb)
• 8 Left-Arm Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 8 Right-Arm Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 49 meter Farmer’s Carry (70/53 lb)
• 49 Russian Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
• 49 meter Farmer’s Carry (70/53 lb)

Complete the swing and carry chipper as quickly as possible. Kettlebells should be AHAP [as heavy as possible].

Scaling

Intermediate: Scale weight of the kettlebells to 53/35 lb.

Beginner: Select a kettlebell that you can perform American kettlebell swings well and with confidence.

CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 14.3

MEN – includes Masters Men up to 54 years old

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:

135-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
225-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
275-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
315-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch
365-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 24-inch

WOMEN – includes Masters Women up to 54 years old

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:

95-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
135-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
155-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
205-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
225-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch

MASTERS MEN – includes Masters Men 55+

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:

95-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
135-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
225-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
275-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
315-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch

MASTERS WOMEN – includes Masters Women 55+

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:

65-lb. deadlifts, 10 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
95-lb. deadlifts, 15 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
115-lb. deadlifts, 20 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
135-lb. deadlifts, 25 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
155-lb. deadlifts, 30 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch
185-lb. deadlifts, 35 reps
15 box jumps, 20-inch

FOUNDATION FIVE – Lower Back Workouts

AMRAP in 5 minutes

• 10 Strict Presses (75/55 lb)
• 15 Kettlebell Swings (24/20 kg)

Scaling

Beginners can reduce the weight of the strict press or use dumbbells for the strict press.

EVA – Lower Back Workouts

5 Rounds For Time

• 800 meter Run
• 30 Kettlebell Swings (2/1.5 pood)
• 30 Pull-Ups

Good Times for “Eva” (source)
– Beginner: 59-66 minutes
– Intermediate: 44-54 minutes
– Advanced: 35-39 minutes
– Elite: <32 minutes

–

JOKER

For Time

• 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps of:
• Toes-to-Bars
• 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
• Deadlifts (225/155 lb)

Scaling

For athletes 55+, use 185/135 lb barbells.