Lower Back Curl

A beginner mobility exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.

Lower Back Curl — Starting position Starting position
Lower Back Curl — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Stretching
Equipment No Equipment
Primary Muscle Abs
Logged As Time held

How to Do Lower Back Curl

  1. Lie on your stomach with your arms out to your sides. This will be your starting position.
  2. Using your lower back muscles, extend your spine lifting your chest off of the ground. Do not use your arms to push yourself up. Keep your head up during the movement. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front

Primary

Where Lower Back Curl does most of its work.

Alternatives to Lower Back Curl

7 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Overhead Stretch

    Overhead Stretch

    A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the abs.

    beginner Not specified
  2. 2 Seated Overhead Stretch

    Seated Overhead Stretch

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the abs.

    beginner Not specified
  3. 3 Standing Lateral Stretch

    Standing Lateral Stretch

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the abs.

    beginner Not specified
  4. 4 Torso Rotation

    Torso Rotation

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the abs, using an exercise ball.

    beginner Exercise Ball
  5. 5 Scissor Kick

    Scissor Kick

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  6. 6 Stomach Vacuum

    Stomach Vacuum

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  7. 7 Toe Touchers

    Toe Touchers

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do lower back curl work?

Lower Back Curl primarily works the abs.

What equipment do I need for lower back curl?

None. Lower Back Curl is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.

Lower Back Curl: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Lower Back Curl is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of lower back curl?

Overhead Stretch, Seated Overhead Stretch, Standing Lateral Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 4 more alternatives above.

How do I log lower back curl in Fitnit?

As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the abs on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Lower Back Curl with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.