Don't Forget Your Back! Use These Moves To Strengthen This Area

The back is one of the most important areas in the body to strengthen and tone up because it plays an essential part in posture. If you have poor muscle tone in the back but large muscles in the front of your body, the shoulders become rounded and you put the back and neck muscles under constant strain. We can break the back into three main sections the upper, middle and lower back areas and you can target them individually during a workout. Whenever you work a front muscle make sure to even it out with a back exercise to keep good muscle balance.

Back Anatomy

The upper back is made up the muscles that are responsible for keeping the shoulders in a neutral position and are head stable without protruding forward causing strain. These muscles are the Trapezius, Rhomboids, Supscapularis, Supraspinatus and the Teres minor and major.

The middle back area has the largest back muscle, known as the latissimus dorsi. This muscle is also one of the largest in the body, and it stretches from your shoulders in a large triangle down the sides of the back to the spine. It is the muscle that often gives people a "winged" look when it is larger than normal. Also in this area is part of the erector spinae group which keep the spine in an erect position.

The lower area of the back has the top of the gluteal muscles (bottom) and many other attachments that cover the hip area such as the hamstrings. Also in this area are more erector spinae muscle's and the external oblique's can be found in part on the lower back. There are many body weight exercises such as sit ups which help this area of the back too.

How To Plan In Back Workouts

It is a really good idea to try and plan in a back day during your workouts. You can combine it with another muscle group or even do it on cardio day but it shouldn't be avoided because this can lead to injuries. A common combination is to include the back and biceps in one workout because of lot of the back exercises actually use the biceps as their supporting muscle so you can hit two birds with one stone!

It is quite often that people who lack tone in their back actually have back pain and this is because the muscles in this area are at a constant strain. If your shoulders are rounded the trapezius and rhomboids are always stretched further than their natural position and therefore after a long day will become painful. Improving the tone in these muscles will hold the neck and shoulders in the correct position and therefore avoid further pain or tension.

See Also: Could Squats Really Be A Low Back Exercise?

The Exercises: Strengthen Your Back Now

Barbell Shrug: This exercise targets the upper back and in particular the trapezius muscle. For this you need a space and a barbell with a relatively heavy weight which is comfortable to lift 8-10 reps. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold the barbell at arms length resting it against your body with palms facing towards you. Ideally the grip should be just a little wider than shoulder width apart. When ready, slowly raise your shoulders up as far as they will go (shrugging) and hold the contraction for a second. Then slowly lower back to the start position. Make sure to breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. You can rotate the shoulders as you raise to make it a bit harder or even with the bar behind your back.

Upright Row: Another exercise that focuses on the upper back and the trapezius and rhomboids. Again you need a space and a barbell - but this can be done with dumbells. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and the barbell resting at arms length and palms towards you and a narrow grip, about a hand width apart. As you breathe out slowly pull the bar up until your hands are almost touching your chin and your elbows are pointing outwards. Hold, and then lower to start position.

Bent Over Row: Hold a barbell with palms facing towards you, bend your knees and lower the torso forward from the waist and keep the back straight. It needs to be almost parallel with the floor, allow the barbell to hang directly in front of you with arms outstretched. When you are ready pull the bar up into your body keeping the back straight and aiming to bring the bar into your belly button. Hold and then gradually lower to start position.

Bent Over Long Bar Row: This is a variation which is similar to the barbell bent over row but alters the recruitment of the lats. Stand in the same position as the bent over row but instead of holding a barbell lay a long bar with a weight on one end between your legs. Grip the bar with two hands in front of you and pull the bar towards your body allowing it to pivot from the other end on the floor. Hold when you have the bar fully lifted and then lower to start.

Deadlift: A great lower body exercise which actually helps work the hamstrings as well but should be primarily hitting the lower back if completed correctly. Stand  with feet shoulder width apart and have a barbell on the floor in front of you. Place your feet under the bar so it runs across in line with your laces or the middle of your foot. Place your hands on the bar gripping at about shoulder width. Keeping the legs straight and your back as straight as possible use the back to pull the bar from the floor until standing up right. Hold and then lower but don't put the bar down. This is a tricky manoeuvre and make sure to use your legs and lower back in a controlled fashion rather than forcing and pulling a muscle.

See Also: Mechanical Drop Sets - How To Train On The Go

Hyper Extensions: Complete these exercises using no weight to start with and then when you get the technique perfected you can start to use a bench and weight. Lay on the floor with your face down and place your fingertips touching your ears and your elbows pointing out to the side. Keeping your toes touching the floor slowly raise your head and chest off the floor as far as you can, hold and then slowly lower. Remember flexibility is an issue here so don't push yourself further than is comfortable. Look to complete a higher number of reps on this exercise as this will be tone and endurance in the lower back muscles.