🏋️‍♂️ 8 best lower back exercises for strength and stability

Today’s newsletter is presented by HOP WTR. Celebrate Sober October with HOP WTR’s line of non-alcoholic sparkling hop water crafted with adaptogens and nootropics. Head here for a chance to win a three-month supply.

Here’s what we’ve got on this beautiful hump day:

• Tips for increasing your protein intake.

• The best over-the-counter testosterone boosters.

• Eight exercises that build a strong lower back.

Nutrition

Eat the Meat

The leading voices from the diet and nutrition world are pretty clear about one thing: You need protein — and lots of it — if you want to build muscle.

For BBQ enthusiasts, avid hunters, and non-doomsday meal preppers, this doesn’t come as a challenge. For everyone else striving to meet their protein quota for the day, life isn’t always so rosy.

But if you’re looking for some tips on getting more muscle-building goodness into your diet, we’ve got you covered. You can start by taking some cues from the meat-filled bellies of those mentioned above by learning how to effectively meal prep for the week ahead. You can also incorporate protein-laden snack bars, shakes, and snacks into your regular rotation. (And we’ve got some primo suggestions for you!)

Read below and find the strategy (or strategies) that works best for you as you trudge on in your pursuit of protein.

From Our Sponsor

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Supplements

Test Study Guide

Testosterone is a crucial hormone for men’s health and influences muscle growth, fat distribution, bone density, and mood. As men age, declining testosterone levels can result in challenges like weight gain, reduced energy, and decreased libido.

While TRT is becoming more and more widespread for men to regulate their testosterone levels, there are also plenty of options for testosterone-boosting supplements available at retail stores.

Don’t let the salacious names of some of the supplements drive you away. Products like D-bal Max and Testosil may offer you positive markers in the test department. These are actually full of reasonable ingredients like magnesium and Vitamin D (rather than that new hot peptide being pimped by some influencer.)

We tested some of the biggest names on the market to determine which supplements work best for your goals.

Workout Tips

Erector Set

Everyone who has touched a weight knows a strong lower back is mandatory for heavy lifting, but it can be difficult to suss out which exercises to use when targeting it. Lucky for you, we’ve boiled things down to eight go-to moves that will provide your lower back with strength, stability, and (of course) aesthetics.

The good news is that you’ll find familiar moves here to get you started, like bent-over rows and deadlifts. Then, you can move into more niche territory with the 45-degree back extension and reverse hyperextension.

Whatever your choice of poison may be, this essential part of your “core” doesn’t need to be ignored.

Everything Else

Take a Dip

• One of the most classic upper-body lifts, dips sometimes get forgotten in the shuffle. Take some time to get acquainted with your old friends, the parallel bars.

• Creatine is one of the most popular — and useful — supplements on the market. Get the most out of it by learning how to dose it properly and take it in the right pre- and post-workout phases.

• The results are in from the 2023 Giants Live Finals in Glasgow, Scotland. Was local boy Tom Stoltman able to hold off titans of the sport like Mitchell Hooper?