Lower Abs Exercises = Upper Abs and Lower Back Pain

[eyunka]

Below are some of the lower abs exercises I do.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/eyunka/lowerabs2.jpghttp://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/eyunka/lowerabs.jpghttp://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/eyunka/abs3.jpghttp://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/eyunka/abs4.jpg
There are a couple more but couldn't find pictures of them. Anyway when i do these I get pain here (where the picture indicates)
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o236/eyunka/10216.jpg

I have a weak lower back and I know i tend to cater to ensuring it does not hurt. My question is shouldn't have have some pain in my lower ads area along with my upper abs. I wonder if the catering to the back is causing me to not properly do the exercise?

Should I build my lower back muscles first before attempting to build strenght and muscle in my lower abs?
TIA

[winterinatl]

ImO, you should do them both together, they are opposing muscle groups. I work my upper back along with my chest, and my tri's and bi's on the same day.

That first exercise, might be your main problem. The decline....are you lowering yourself all the way down and then bringing yourself back up? A trainer once stopped two girls from doing this, saying something about slipping a disc, or hurting your back other wise. I really like this exercise for the erector spinae, they are those long cords running up along your spine:
http://www.fitnessfactory.com/images/Item/528l.jpg

[Nonie]

ImO, you should do them both together, they are opposing muscle groups. I work my upper back along with my chest, and my tri's and bi's on the same day.

That first exercise, might be your main problem. The decline....are you lowering yourself all the way down and then bringing yourself back up? A trainer once stopped two girls from doing this, saying something about slipping a disc, or hurting your back other wise. I really like this exercise for the erector spinae, they are those long cords running up along your spine:
http://www.fitnessfactory.com/images/Item/528l.jpg

Ditto to all of the above. I love that back extension machine (Roman Chair?) and it used to be one of the things that I'd look for before I decided to join a gym. I love it so much I finally bought one and I always look forward to using it.

You always have to work muscles in pairs. If you do ab exercises, then you must do lower back ones. If you do chest exercises, then you must do upper back ones. If you do biceps, then you must do triceps. And so on.

That first exercise looks very scary to me. I think I'd hurt both my back and abs trying it.

[eyunka]

Thanks for the response ladies. I used to use the machine pictured below but since i no longer am a member at that gym I can't use it. At Lunch I go to a local church in the area that was limited equipment. Well I will research some other lower back exercise I can do with equipment. Yesterday I used a 20 lb free weight by bending over/down and raising with a straight back and i could really feel it in my lower back. Again thanks for you responses.

ImO, you should do them both together, they are opposing muscle groups. I work my upper back along with my chest, and my tri's and bi's on the same day.

That first exercise, might be your main problem. The decline....are you lowering yourself all the way down and then bringing yourself back up? A trainer once stopped two girls from doing this, saying something about slipping a disc, or hurting your back other wise. I really like this exercise for the erector spinae, they are those long cords running up along your spine:
http://www.fitnessfactory.com/images/Item/528l.jpg