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Back workout
A well defined and developed back is the dream of most men (and woman) .
To achieve a well defined and balanced back you must incorporate several
exercises. Your back exercise workout must have different exercise from
different angles to develop all the parts for your Back. Developing a
strong back is crucial to preventing injuries to other muscles during
exercises. It also will help prevent lower back pain. 80-85% of people
expericece lower back pain at some time in their life. Building a strong
back also helps posture, and makes your waist look smaller.
To get the best results you need to do 6-10 reps of each exercise.
Choose a weight that you can do up to 10 for three sets. Once you can do
10 then move to a higher weight for maximal results. You can build up
your Back muscles by doing a variety of back exercises with and without
weight.
Pick two exercises from each part of the back for the best results.
Every two workouts switch the exercises in each group. This keeps the
muscles growing from the change in exercises.
Entire Back Exercises
Seated Cable Row
Sit down at a low-pulley rowing machine with your feet flat against the
footrests and your knees slightly bent. Bending only at the waist, lean
forward and grasp the pulley handle in front of you. Your palms should
be facing each other. Keep your back FLAT and looking forward, slowly
draw the handles back to your stomach while simutaneously leaning back
at the waist until your torso is prependicular to the floor. The handles
should reach your stomach just as your upper body reaches the upright
position. Slowly return to the starting position by leaning forward from
the waist while extending your arms in front of you. TO ISOLATE YOUR
LATS ONLY do not bend forward at all, just keep your back straight up
and down and move only your arms and squeeze your back.
t-bar row
Adjust the leg height so that your upper chest is at the top of the pad.
Lay face down on the pad and grab the handles. You can use a palms down,
palms up, or palms in position depending on what part of your back you
want to work more. Extend your arms completely to start. Slowly pull the
weight up and squeeze your back at the top of the movement. Do not lift
your body off of the pad! Return to the starting position.
wide grip pulley row
cable row
seated row
Sit down at a low-pulley rowing machine with your feet flat against the
footrests and your knees slightly bent. Bending only at the waist, lean
forward and grasp the pulley handle in front of you. Your palms should
be facing each other. Keep your back FLAT and looking forward, slowly
draw the handles back to your stomach while simutaneously leaning back
at the waist until your torso is prependicular to the floor. The handles
should reach your stomach just as your upper body reaches the upright
position. Slowly return to the starting position by leaning forward from
the waist while extending your arms in front of you. TO ISOLATE YOUR
LATS ONLY do not bend forward at all, just keep your back straight up
and down and move only your arms and squeeze your back.
Pullups
Reach up and grab the bar with a firm overhand grip. Your hands should
be roughly twice your shoulder width apart. This helps work more of your
lats, rather than your biceps. Straighten your arms and let your body
hang from the bar. You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees
and cross your feet. Slowly pull your body up to the bar so that the top
of your chest nearly touches the bar and your chin is over the bar. Try
to keep your body straight without arching or swinging. As you move
upwards, focus on pulling your elbows down at an angle toward your rib
cage. Once your lats have completely contracted at the top, slowly lower
your body to the starting position. A spotter can lift your legs
slightly if you need help on the last few reps. You can also add weight
by using a special
Upper Back
one arm dumbell row
Begin with your right foot flat on the floor and your left knee resting
on a flat bench. Then lean forward so that you're supporting the weight
of your upper body with your left arm on the bench. Your back should be
flat, almost parallel with the floor. Reach down and pick up a dumbbell
with your right hand. Your left arm should be locked at the elbow so it
will support the weight of your upper body. Before starting, look
straight ahead instead of at the floor in order to keep your back
straight. Tighten your abs to keep your body from turning to the side as
you lift the dumbbell. Concentrate on pulling your elbow back as far as
it can go. The dumbbell should end up roughtly parallel with your torso.
After you've rowed the dumbbell up as far as you can, slowly lower it to
the starting position. Switch arms after one set.
lat pulldown
Start with your legs positioned snugly under the kneepads of a pulldown
machine. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Grasp the wide bar
firmly with an overhand grip. Your hands should be almost twice your
shoulder width apart. Pull the bar down on top of your chest, arching
your back slightly. Focus on keeping your elbows directly below the bar.
Pause briefly with the bar in position right on top of your collarbone.
Slowly raise the bar back to the starting position. Do NOT lean back too
far and pull the weight down using your body weight!
Lower back
tow touch
dumbbell swing
deadlift
Bend at your waist with your head up, back straight and knees nearly
locked. Hold bar with hands about 16 inches apart. Straighten up while
holding the bar at arm's length. Lower back down to the floor but do not
let plates touch. This can be a dangerous exercise if not done correctly
or done with weights that are too heavy. Can also be done standing on a
bench or box (so that plates don't touch the floor) or with dumbbells.
Hyperextension Bench
Lie face down on a hyperextension bench, tucking your ankles securely
under the footpads. Adjust the upper pad if possible so your upper
thighs lie flat across the wide pad, leaving enough room for you to bend
at the waist without any restriction. Start with your body in a straight
line. Cross your arms in front of you or behind your head. You can also
hold a weight for extra resistance. Slowly bend forward at the waist as
far as you can while keeping your back FLAT. Do not round your back.
Slowly raise your torso until your legs and upper body are in a straight
line again. Do NOT arch your back past a straight line!
Stiff leg barbell Deadlift
Bend at your waist with your head up, back straight and knees nearly
locked. Hold bar with hands about 16 inches apart. Straighten up while
holding the bar at arm's length. Lower back down to the floor but do not
let plates touch. This can be a dangerous exercise if not done correctly
or done with weights that are too heavy. Can also be done standing on a
bench or box (so that plates don't touch the floor) or with dumbbells.
Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning
Place a barbell on your shoulders. Keep your head up and your back
completely straight. Bend at your waist with your legs locked, until
your upper body is parallel to the floor. Return slowly to the upper
position. Can also be done with your knees slightly bent.