Bulletproof Your Lower Back

There's not a movement you do that doesn't involve your lower back in some way. So if you've managed to tweak it recently, fear not. Use this five-step process to get your back strong, pain-free, and ready to lift.

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Tip: Write it Down

WRITE IT DOWN When it comes to increasing strength, you might hear the phrase "progressive resistance." This means "do more work as time goes on" -- lift heavier weights or do more reps of the same exercise to see results. Keep yourself on the path to success with a workout journal. Research shows that those who record their progress are more compliant and see better results than those who wing it.

Tip: Run Hills to Burn Fat Faster and Reduce Injury

RUN HILLS TO BURN FAT FASTER AND REDUCE INJURY More muscle means more results, and uphill running activates nine percent more muscle per stride than trotting at the same pace on level ground. It can also save your knees. Increasing the grade to just three percent can reduce the shock on your legs by up to 24 percent.

Tip: Lift Heavier Weights

LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS Packing more weight on the bar won't make you "bulky." It will make you stronger and protect you from osteoporosis by increasing bone density. To get the greatest benefits, lift at least 60 to 70 percent of your one-rep maximum for each exercise. Instead of going for complicated calculations, choose a weight with which you can perform eight to 12 reps, with the last rep being a struggle but not impossible.

Tip - Do Push-Ups

DO PUSH-UPS The pushup is one of the world's greatest exercises, and doing it with proper form is as simple as this cue: Maintain a rigid body line from the top of your head to your heels throughout the push. With this in mind, you won't sag your hips, hump your back, or bubble up your butt. Keep your elbows tucked in towards your sides as you lower your body, and push back up, strong as steel from head to heels.

Tip: Tuck Your Shoulder Blades Back and Down

TUCK YOUR SHOULDER BLADES DOWN AND BACK This tip is great for chin-ups, but it's more than that. By sliding your shoulder blades down and back before an exercise -- like you're tucking them into your back pockets -- can improve your results and protect from injury. It helps activate your lats for pulling exercises, work your pecs more completely in pushing exercises, keeps your chest up during a squat and can reduce painful impingement on your rotator cuff during biceps curls.

Tip: Trade Machine Exercises for Free Weights

TRADE MACHINE EXERCISES FOR FREE WEIGHTS Machines are built with a specific path the weight has to travel -- one that wasn't designed for you. If you're too tall, too short or your arms or legs aren't the same length, that fixed path won't match your physiology, and you'll increase the likelihood of injury and develop weaknesses. Trade your machine exercises for dumbbells, barbells and medicine balls to build strength in ways more specific to your body, while also working all the smaller stabilizing muscles that machines miss.