Exercises Back
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
, Posted by Msry 7or at 12:18 PM
Available back workout routines:
Choose a back workout exercise that you wish to perform, and fully labeled directions shall be provided on the following page
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Assisted Pull-up
This is an excellent exercise for the whole back that can be performed by people of any ability. It also works the biceps muscles and forearm muscles very effectively, so it can be used as part of an arm workout.
STEP 1. Choose a suitable weight, then kneel or stand on the platform and grip the handles. Keep you abdominals and lower back muscles strong and slowly extend your arms until they are fully stretched. Make sure that you keep your shoulders down and retracted slightly back - this will help to keep the tension on your back muscles.
STEP 2. Keeping the movement under control and your elbows pulled down and back, pull yourself back up to the start position. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
STEP 2. Keeping the movement under control and your elbows pulled down and back, pull yourself back up to the start position. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps Brachii, Trapezius
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Back Squat
This exercise is an effective one for developing leg strength and also works the upper-body stabilizing muscles. It requires a reasonable amount of strength and stability.
STEP 1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and with them facing forward and rest the bar on the back of your shoulders just above your shoulderblades. Pull your abdominal muscles in before starting the movement, but not so tightly that your breathing patterns are affected.
STEP 2. Inhale slowly and start the movement at your hips by pushing them out behind you in a sitting motion. Then allow your knees to bend, making sure that they do not travel forward over your toes.
STEP 3. Travel down until your knees are flexed at 90 degrees at a comfortable point, exhale slowly and push your body weight up through your heels to straighten your legs.
STEP 2. Inhale slowly and start the movement at your hips by pushing them out behind you in a sitting motion. Then allow your knees to bend, making sure that they do not travel forward over your toes.
STEP 3. Travel down until your knees are flexed at 90 degrees at a comfortable point, exhale slowly and push your body weight up through your heels to straighten your legs.
Target: Legs Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Glutes, Soleus
Difficulty: Advanced
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Barbell Bent Over Row
STEP 1. With your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent roughly 15 to 30 degrees, keep your torso straight with a slight arch in your back as you lean forward at the hips. Your torso should be, at this point, roughly parallel to the floor. Grab the barbell off the floor using a false overhand grip (thumbs should be in line with the rest of your fingers) that's slightly wider than shoulder width. Let this bar hang at arm's length in front of you.
STEP 2. Slowly retract your shoulder blades as to have the bar pull up to the lower part of your sternum. Try not to use your arm muscles, and focus on getting the most activity out of your middle-back muscles.
STEP 3. Pause at the top where your chest should be sticking out toward the bar. Then, slowly return to the starting position while keeping your torso in the same position throughout the movement. Remember that your bent knees should provide all of the suspension your torso requires to be steady.
STEP 2. Slowly retract your shoulder blades as to have the bar pull up to the lower part of your sternum. Try not to use your arm muscles, and focus on getting the most activity out of your middle-back muscles.
STEP 3. Pause at the top where your chest should be sticking out toward the bar. Then, slowly return to the starting position while keeping your torso in the same position throughout the movement. Remember that your bent knees should provide all of the suspension your torso requires to be steady.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Lower Back
Difficulty: Beginner
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Cable Seated High Row
This simple but extremely effective exercise works the back muscles that also help with posture. It is vital both that correct posture is maintained and that the weights used are not too heavy.
STEP 1. Sit facing the cable machine, either on the seat provided or on a stability ball, and adjust the weight stack as necessary. The cable pulley should be at around the height of your head when you are seated. Take an overhand grip on the cables and begin to pull back, keeping your elbows high and in line with your shoulders and hands. Maintain your "tall" posture and keep your abdominal muscles tight.
STEP 2. Pull back until either your shoulderblades are touching or you have gone as far as your range of movement allows.
STEP 3. Retract and hold for a second before easing back to the start position, ensuring that your wrist, elbows, and shoulders are traveling in the same line. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
STEP 2. Pull back until either your shoulderblades are touching or you have gone as far as your range of movement allows.
STEP 3. Retract and hold for a second before easing back to the start position, ensuring that your wrist, elbows, and shoulders are traveling in the same line. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Pectoralis
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Cable Seated Low Row
This is a very good back exercise that also isolates the upper back effectively when you retract the shoulderblades during the movement. The eccentric part of the movement also stretches the back muscles out.
STEP 1. Place your feet on the platform, keeping a slight bend in your knees and making your posture "tall". Grasp the handles and extend your back forward while keeping your shoulders slightly retracted, and then pull your elbows in and back toward the sides of your torso - the handles should come all the way in until it reaches your navel.
STEP 2. Hold the position for a second before returning back out, keeping the movement under control: your arms returning to the extended position; your back going slightly forward; and with your knees slightly bent.
STEP 3. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
STEP 2. Hold the position for a second before returning back out, keeping the movement under control: your arms returning to the extended position; your back going slightly forward; and with your knees slightly bent.
STEP 3. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis
Difficulty: Beginner
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Cable Straight Arm Pull-Down
This exercise works the back well and the triceps muscles assist with the movement. The exercise should not be performed using heavy weights as doing so will compromise its effectiveness.
STEP 1. Stand facing the cable machine, either with your feet slightly wider than a shoulder-width or with one leg forward. Adjust the weight stack to a suitable working weight, then take an overhand grip on the straight bar with your hands about a shoulder-width apart. The starting position of the bar should be slightly higher than shoulder level.
STEP 2. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, brace your upper body and pull the bar down until it reaches your upper thighs - keep your arms rigid throughout.
STEP 3. Slowly raise the bar back to shoulder height, keeping the tension on your back muscles constant and maintaining your posture.
STEP 2. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, brace your upper body and pull the bar down until it reaches your upper thighs - keep your arms rigid throughout.
STEP 3. Slowly raise the bar back to shoulder height, keeping the tension on your back muscles constant and maintaining your posture.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis, Triceps Brachii
Difficulty: Beginner
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Dead Lift
is a full-body exercise that works all the major muscles in the body, and especially the ones in the legs and back. It is a very difficult exercise to do, but is an excellent strength-developer when it is performed well.
STEP 1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and bend down in sitting motion until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your back straight and make sure that your spine is as close to the neutral position as possible. Take an overhand grip on the bar with your hands slightly wider than a shoulder-width apart.
STEP 2. Exhale, draw your abdominal muscles in, and lift the bar by pushing up through your legs.
STEP 3. As the bar reaches your knees during the lift phase, push your hips forward to raise your torso so that you are standing tall with your arms by your sides and the bar resting on your thighs.
STEP 4. Hold the position for two seconds, inhale and return the weight to the floor.
STEP 2. Exhale, draw your abdominal muscles in, and lift the bar by pushing up through your legs.
STEP 3. As the bar reaches your knees during the lift phase, push your hips forward to raise your torso so that you are standing tall with your arms by your sides and the bar resting on your thighs.
STEP 4. Hold the position for two seconds, inhale and return the weight to the floor.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Glutes, Quadriceps, Soleus
Difficulty: Beginner
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Machine Lateral Pull-Down
Like the Assisted Pull-Up, this exercise not only works the back muscles but also the biceps muscles and the muscles of the forearms, improving the strength of your grip. It is a good exercise for beginners because it allows them to build up strength before progressing to body-weight pull-ups and chin-ups.
STEP 1. Adjust the kneepads to comfortably support your legs and to help stabilize weight then stand up and grip the bar with your hands a shoulder-width apart before pulling the bar back down and taking your place under the knee support.
STEP 2. Stay seated and extend your arms up and above your position, then pull the bar down until it reaches your upper chest.
STEP 3. Make sure that your shoulders are down and your elbows pulled back and hold for a second before returning to the start position.
STEP 4. Slowly extend your arms back up, stretching fully and keeping your "tall" posture. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
STEP 2. Stay seated and extend your arms up and above your position, then pull the bar down until it reaches your upper chest.
STEP 3. Make sure that your shoulders are down and your elbows pulled back and hold for a second before returning to the start position.
STEP 4. Slowly extend your arms back up, stretching fully and keeping your "tall" posture. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps Brachii, Trapezius
Difficulty: Beginner
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Cable Close Grip Pulldown
STEP 1. Grab a handle using a close grip with your arms extended straight overhead.
STEP 2. Pull the handle down to the top of your chest.
STEP 3. Return the handle back to the starting position by straightening your arms completely Keep your back upright and straight throughout the movement.
STEP 2. Pull the handle down to the top of your chest.
STEP 3. Return the handle back to the starting position by straightening your arms completely Keep your back upright and straight throughout the movement.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Brachialis, Trapezius
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Seated Reverse Flye
STEP 1. Sit on the front edge of a bench while holding a pair of fairly light dumbbells. Lean forward at the hips to get your chest as close to your thighs as you can without rounding your back.
STEP 2. As you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip., let your arms hang down from your sides in line with your cables.
STEP 3. Raise the dumbbells up to either side of your body by making a wide, arcing motion with your arms until they are parallel to the floor and your elbows are just below shoulder level. Your wrists should be in the same plane as your ears before you return to your original position.
Variations: Changing your grip from neutral to under-hand-grip directs the workout toward your external rotators while switching to an overhand grip shifts more work to your rear delts.
STEP 2. As you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip., let your arms hang down from your sides in line with your cables.
STEP 3. Raise the dumbbells up to either side of your body by making a wide, arcing motion with your arms until they are parallel to the floor and your elbows are just below shoulder level. Your wrists should be in the same plane as your ears before you return to your original position.
Variations: Changing your grip from neutral to under-hand-grip directs the workout toward your external rotators while switching to an overhand grip shifts more work to your rear delts.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Deltoids, Infraspinatus, Trapezius
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Back Raise
STEP 1. Position yourself into a back-extension station by placing your feet under the leg brace/anchor so that it is hooked there.
STEP 2. With your upper thighs resting on the bad, lock your hands behind your head and bend forward at the hips until your upper body is just short of being 90 degrees to the floor.
STEP 3. Slowly raise your torso until it's in line with your lower body, then lower it. Alternatively, you can hold onto a weight by bracing it with your arms across your chest and do the same motions.
STEP 2. With your upper thighs resting on the bad, lock your hands behind your head and bend forward at the hips until your upper body is just short of being 90 degrees to the floor.
STEP 3. Slowly raise your torso until it's in line with your lower body, then lower it. Alternatively, you can hold onto a weight by bracing it with your arms across your chest and do the same motions.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back
Difficulty: Beginner
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Neutral-Grip Pullup
STEP 1. Hang from the parallel chinup bars using an overhand grip, with your palms facing each other. Cross your ankles behind you. Then, pull yourself up until your chest is as close to your hands as possible.
STEP 2. Pause, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.
STEP 2. Pause, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps Brachii
Difficulty: Advanced
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Seated Reverse Fly
STEP 1. Sit on the front edge of a bench while holding a pair of fairly light dumbbells. Lean forward at the hips to get your chest as close to your thighs as you can without rounding your back.
STEP 2. As you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip., let your arms hang down from your sides in line with your cables.
STEP 3. Raise the dumbbells up to either side of your body by making a wide, arcing motion with your arms until they are parallel to the floor and your elbows are just below shoulder level. Your wrists should be in the same plane as your ears before you return to your original position.
Variations: Changing your grip from neutral to under-hand-grip directs the workout toward your external rotators while switching to an overhand grip shifts more work to your rear delts.
STEP 2. As you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip., let your arms hang down from your sides in line with your cables.
STEP 3. Raise the dumbbells up to either side of your body by making a wide, arcing motion with your arms until they are parallel to the floor and your elbows are just below shoulder level. Your wrists should be in the same plane as your ears before you return to your original position.
Variations: Changing your grip from neutral to under-hand-grip directs the workout toward your external rotators while switching to an overhand grip shifts more work to your rear delts.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Deltoids, Trapezius, Infraspinatus
Difficulty: Intermediate
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T-Bar Bent-Over Row
STEP 1. Straddle a T-bar - row machine and grab the handles with an overhand grip. Make sure you are standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, as shown.
STEP 2. Keep your back flat and bend your waist until your upper body is about 45 degrees from the vertical, the bar hanging at arm's length directly below your shoulders.
STEP 3. Then, squeezing your shoulder blades together , lift the bar as close as you can to your lower chest. Pause, then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
STEP 2. Keep your back flat and bend your waist until your upper body is about 45 degrees from the vertical, the bar hanging at arm's length directly below your shoulders.
STEP 3. Then, squeezing your shoulder blades together , lift the bar as close as you can to your lower chest. Pause, then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
Target: Back Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius
Difficulty: Advanced
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Source:fullfitness.net/exercises/back
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