Back strain or back WORK?

Ok I don't understand backs. People say don't put strain on them, you'll wear them out. But isn't putting strain on something kind of how you work it? I'm young and I definitly have a weaker back then I should at my age. So far I've been doing a lower back thing where you lay on your forearms and toes for awhile. I also lay on my stomach and lift my right arm and left leg, then alternate. I do pullups, not sure how wide I should have them be though.

I USED to lay on a flat bench with the barbell below the bench on the floor, then raise it until it touched the bottom of the bench. But this would make my back hurt like hell the rest of the day, so I stopped, was that a good idea?

I need to do some deadlifts, but I read if they aren't done exactly right they will screw you over.

So what's the difference between strain and a workout? And what else can I do for my back?

back strain is all depends on form. if you have a ****ty form, doing deads or barbell rows or whatever your working with your back, ya you do have somewhat a chance of straining it.

dont be afraid to do deads, ive been doing them for almost 7 years now and its almost essential to me to do deadlifts before i move on to other back excercises. my form incorporates a little more back than it should, but ive been repping with the high 400's, low 500's in poundages on deadlifts and i still havnt seen a single problem.

dont believe what you read in the magazines, or what you heard from your friend. i never did and i have not 1 regret.

if your back starts to feel too pumped(maybe your on cycle), then just stick out the pain, i did and it didnt lead to injury.

heres what my workout looks like on back day;

Deadlifts-10,8,6,4
Barbell rows-10,8,6,4
cable rows-4 sets of 6
dumbell rows- 4 sets of 6
pull ups(not chin ups)-4 sets till failure.

if your back starts to hurt a little, throw in a weight belt and stick it out. dont be a panzee bro(no offense). unless it hurts badly enough for you to walk or perfrom certain movements, then theyres no reason to call quits on a workout.

if i had a choice between any core excercise(benchpress,deadlift, or squat) i would definitly pick deads.

what about the other stuff that im doing, do you think its helping anything?

and how wide is your grip on pullups?

and with the flat bench thing I used to do, my back would pretty much hurt all day, unless it was resting against something constantly then I would feel it.

On the flat bench thing were you laying on your stomach or your back?

Keeping good form is the key to avoiding injury or strain. I'm recovering from a reccurring strain at the moment in my lower back/hips which I started off through in-experience in the gym as a novice. When thinking about doing deads, think about what you want to look like when you start getting big. Deads will thicken your waist, if you want your V-taper pronounced just do enough deads to give you strength in your back.

Good back exercises are rows, bent over rows or one arm rows, and also cable rows but these are no substitute for using free weights.

Varying the width of your grip on pull ups will determine the area of your back taking the most strain. Try close grip and wide grip to see which one is your weakest and work on your weakest, after all that is why you are in the gym, to get stronger.

Happy days!

yeah I laid on my stomach. im not sure what the exercise is called. mabye i should keep doing it. and say i lift something far away from my legs, is that straining my back or working it?