Q11: Gee, but shouldn't I balance my abs with my spinal erectors?

Thanks for asking. If you develop your ab strength without similarly developing your spinal erectors (the muscles that straighten your lower back), you will end up with strange and possibly damaging posture.

Hyperextensions are a good lower back exercise. Deadlifts, both straight and bent-legged give the lower back a lot of exercise, so if you do them you don't need to add anything else. Make sure you get someone to show you how to do them properly and keep your lower back arched through the whole movement. For more details consult the misc.fitness FAQ which contains extensive descriptions of both sorts of deadlifts and lots more besides.

One other exercise is a gymnast's basic strength move called a ``back lever'' which among many other things strengthens your spinal erectors.