I have been working on my swimming stroke relentlessly in the pool. However, after a significant improvement from being a beginner to a mediocre swimmer, I have hit a plateau. I know that “plateau” is just a phase, and I will eventually get over the hump (for all of you who are or have been in my position, don’t give up!). To get through the plateau, I have been adding more lower back exercises to help me to increase my core strength. Remember, core muscles wrap around your mid-section, not just your abdominal.

Here are some lower back exercises that I have been doing:

• Straight leg deadlift - hold the barbell in front of your body and bend your knees slightly to avoid hyperextended knees. Keep your back upright and slowly bend over by using your hips and do not slouch. Once you feel that your back is bending, lift yourself up by using your hamstring and lower back strength. The secret to have a good form in this exercise is to have your butt sticking out in the down-phase. Your glutes are the strongest muscles and they will help to you stay in a neutral position.

• Lower back lifts with extended arms - place yourself facing the floor with a stability ball tucked under your hips (place your feet against a wall to stabilize your body).  Lift your upper body with your lower back strength. Start with your hands behind ears, then do the same exercise with arms extended to the front and hands on top of each other once you get stronger.
• Inverted 1-arm rows - do 1-arm rows standing up with the free arm extended to the front and one of the legs extended to the back.
• Superman - similar to lower back lift (from above), but start with your arms attached to your torso and extend them fully on the up-phase of lower back lift.

Do you have any great lower back exercises that I can guinea-pig?