The Best Steps Towards a Buff Back: Simple Back Exercises

There are numerous muscles throughout your back – both large and small that help you to stay upright, lift large objects, and more. However, despite the importance of our back muscles in just about everything we do, a lot of people take them for granted.

Some of the most used muscles in your back include the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and rhomboids. By working to keep these muscles as flexible and fit as possible, you can reduce your chances of back pain over time, and may even make it easier for you to stay in shape.

Usually, it’s a stellar rule of thumb to attempt working out your back through pulling exercises one day, and trying pushing exercises the next. By sticking to this routine, you make sure that the muscles throughout your body have plenty of time to repair and recover, and reduce your chances of injury.

Remember, working out your back is important, but it should be done with caution. If you have any chronic or acute back issues, try discussing your potential workout routine with your doctor before you officially get started. This may be a little over kill and you may not even have the same doctor after what the Affordable Care Act did too many people. You can read outstanding articles like this, ask a physical trainer, or perhaps ask a friend who you know works out as well.

Once you’re clear to get started, here are a few different exercises you could try.

1. Lat Row Pulls

The muscle groups located just below your arms are known as the “latissimus dorsi”. Some bodybuilders think of them as a muscular set of wings, and often refer to them as “lats”. To work out these muscles, start by bending forwards at the waist by about ninety degrees.

Grab your own choice of weight, and pull that aid up towards your chest, bringing your elbows backwards as far as they will reasonably go while keeping your torso and neck straight. If you’re using a bar weight, touching your chest is okay, but if you’re using dumbbells, you might consider enhancing your workout by twisting the weight inwards as you lift.

2. Bent-over Row

Grab yourself a pair of reasonably sized dumbbells and stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet about a hip-width away from one another. From your hips, lean forward, situating the dumbbells in front of your knees, and keep your back flat. From there, pull the weights upwards towards the bottom of your chest, keeping your elbows and upper arms as tucked into your body as possible. You should be concentrating squeezing the area between your shoulder blades.

3. Tri-Trap Push

Select a dumbbell that’s going to challenge you, without going too far and potentially leading to injury. From there, bend your elbows and attempt to hold the dumbbell using both of your hands towards the back of your head from one end. The other end of the weight should be hanging down as you push the dumbbell upwards in a full extension, then drop back to the original position as carefully as possible.

4. Swan Dive

Situate yourself so that you’re lying with your stomach to the ground, and stretch your arms over your head, pointing your toes if possible. The aim should be to lift both your legs, and your arms around six inches away from the ground, and hold them elevated for as long as possible, before circling each arm out to the side of your body and to your back. Reach down to touch your toes, and hold the position again before relaxing.

5. Pull Ups

This is the exercise on the list that shouldn’t need a great deal of introduction. While pull ups are notoriously well-known, they are also one of the most effective, and most challenging exercises available for strengthening the upper back. Hold onto a chin up bar with your palms facing either way, and cross your feet over each other as you pull yourself upwards to prevent unnecessary swinging. The results should be enhanced lats and rhomboids.

6. Push Ups

Another example for the book of exercise classics, push-ups are frequently thought of as an exercise for the chest, but it’s important to remember that they help to work the back muscles as well. Start by placing your hands on the floor about a shoulder width apart and keep your knees locks and legs extended. Try not to arch your back while bringing your chest about an inch away from the floor.

You can do these exercises in the gym. Or you can engage in these exercises in your own home while watching the Yankees, Lakers, or Patriots lose or watching Transformers, The Wire, or 24, for instance. Whatever suits your proclivities!