Are you tired of feeling like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? A strong and well-defined back can not only help you look great, but it can also improve your posture, reduce the risk of back pain, and enhance your overall athletic performance. So, if you’re ready to strengthen and sculpt your back muscles, it’s time to get ready to work up a sweat and feel the burn with these killer back workout exercises!
Benefits of training your back muscles
Training your back muscles can provide a number of benefits, including:
Improved posture: Strong back muscles can help keep your spine in proper alignment, reducing the risk of postural issues such as rounded shoulders and a hunched back.
Reduced risk of back pain: A strong back can help support your spine and reduce the risk of injury and pain.
Better athletic performance: Strong back muscles are needed for many athletic moves, such as throwing, swinging, and rowing.
Better balance and stability: A strong back can help improve your overall balance and stability, reducing the risk of falls and other injuries.
Increased muscle mass and definition: Training your back muscles can help build muscle mass and definition, improving your overall physique.
Improved breathing: Strong back muscles can help improve your breathing by increasing the capacity of your lungs.
Better overall health: Regular exercise, like back training, can help improve your overall health by lowering your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Knowing the muscles in your back
To effectively train your back muscles, it’s important to understand the anatomy of the back. The back muscles are divided into several major muscle groups, including:
Trapezius: The trapezius muscle is located on the upper back and neck and is responsible for shoulder movement and upper back stability.
Latissimus dorsi: The latissimus dorsi, or “lats,” are the largest muscles in the back and are responsible for pulling movements such as pull-ups, rows, and pulldowns.
Rhomboids: The rhomboids are located between the shoulder blades and help stabilise the shoulder blades during movement.
Erector spinae: The erector spinae muscles run along the spine and are responsible for spinal extension, or bending backward.
Teres major and minor: The teres muscles are located on the upper back and are responsible for shoulder movement and stability.
Rear deltoids: The rear deltoids are located on the back of the shoulders and are responsible for shoulder extension and abduction.
When planning your back workout, it’s important to incorporate exercises that target each of these muscle groups to ensure a well-rounded and effective workout. Examples of exercises include pull-ups, rows, pulldowns, and back extensions.
Remember to warm up and stretch before working out
Warming up and stretching before a back workout is important to help prevent injury and prepare your muscles for the exercises ahead. Here are some warm-up and stretching exercises you can incorporate into your routine:
Cardio Warm-Up: Begin with 5–10 minutes of low-intensity cardio, such as jogging, cycling, or rowing. This will help increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles, and get your blood flowing.
Arm Circles: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight out to your sides. Make small circles with your arms, gradually increasing the size of the circles. Repeat for 10–15 reps, then reverse the direction of the circles.
Cat-Cow Stretch: Get on all fours, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart. Inhale as you arch your back and look up towards the ceiling (the cow stretch), then exhale as you round your spine and tuck your chin to your chest (the cat stretch). Repeat for 10–15 reps.
Shoulder Rolls: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion. Repeat for 10–15 reps, then reverse the direction of the circles.
Lat Stretch: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms above your head. Reach up towards the ceiling with your right hand and lean to the left side. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch sides.
Arm Across Chest Stretch: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and bring your right arm across your chest, holding it with your left hand. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch sides.
Remember to start with lighter weights and gradually increase the intensity as you warm up. This will help prevent injury and ensure you get the most out of your back workout.
10 simple back exercises to build back muscles
Pull ups
The unassisted pullup is a classic back exercise that requires a lot of strength and can be difficult. If you aren’t quite there yet, you can use a pull-up band to help you get there.
This exercise works many muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, pectoralis major, shoulders, forearms, erector spinae, and obliques.
Directions:
Grab a pull-up bar with your overhand grip and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
Put your feet in the assist band or lift them off the floor and hang from your arms.
Bend your arms and pull your shoulder blades down towards the floor to pull your body up to the bar.
Once your chin has crossed the bar, bring your body back down.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Forearm planks
Planks are often thought of as core exercises, but they really work the whole body. They use the erector spinae, which are the deep back muscles, to help you hold the position well.
This full-body workout works your core (rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae), upper body (trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, chest, and serratus anterior), shoulders, arms, and legs.
Directions:
Put your elbows and forearms on the floor and your legs out in front of you. Your weight should be supported by your toes and forearms.
From head to toe, your body should be in a straight line. Engage your core to keep your hips from going down.
Hold for 30 seconds and work your way up to a minute or even longer.
Rows
Rows are a great exercise for building back muscles, and there are many variations you can do to keep your workouts interesting and challenging. Here are some different variations of the rowing exercise:
Bent-Over Barbell Rows
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Lift the barbell up towards your chest, then lower it back down.
T-Bar Rows
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a T-bar with both hands. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Lift the T-bar up towards your chest, then lower it back down.
Seated Cable Rows
Sit at a cable machine with your feet on the footrests and your knees slightly bent. Grab the cable handles with an overhand grip and pull them towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Inverted Rows
Lie underneath a sturdy horizontal bar, such as a Smith machine or a suspension trainer. Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip. Keep your body in a straight line and pull your chest up towards the bar, then lower yourself back down.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Lift the dumbbell up towards your chest, then lower it back down.
Kroc Rows
Kroc rows are a variation of single-arm dumbbell rows. Hold a heavy dumbbell in one hand and perform as many reps as you can, using a slightly looser form than you would for other rows.
Lat pulldown
The lat pulldown is a great exercise to do over and over again to build a strong back. A lat pulldown can be done at the gym on a machine or at home with a resistance band.
As you might guess, lat pulldowns mostly work the latissimus dorsi, which is a big muscle in the middle and lower back. The trapezius, rotator cuff, posterior deltoids, rhomboids, biceps, and forearms are also worked by this exercise.
Directions:
If you’re using a machine, place the pad so it touches your thighs. Stand up, grab the bar with your hands farther apart than your shoulders, and then sit back down.
Start to pull the bar down towards your chest by bending your elbows and pointing them towards the floor. Throughout the move, use your upper back and middle back. Don’t let yourself lean back; keep your back straight.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Barbell deadlifts
The barbell deadlift is a great compound exercise, which means it works a lot of different muscle groups at once. It works your whole back, from your upper back to your calves, making it a great full-body exercise.
A barbell deadlift requires strong back muscles because it works the erector spinae, hamstrings, glutes, and shoulder stabilisers.
Directions:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart behind a barbell.
Keeping your chest up, start to turn at the hips and slowly bend your knees as you reach down for the barbell. Hold the bar with both palms facing you and a straight back.
Push back up to standing, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Your shoulders should be down and back, and your back should be straight the whole time.
Bring the barbell back towards the floor and back to the starting position by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Reverse fly
The reverse fly strengthens the muscles that help you stand up straight, which are so important to your health. Start with dumbbells that are light to medium weight, like 5 pounds, and work your way up from there. If you have pain or weakness in your lower back, you should be careful with this exercise.
This move works the rhomboids, trapezius, and back of the shoulders.
Directions:
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward at the hips until your torso makes a 45-degree angle with the floor. Let the dumbbells hang in front of you, palms facing each other. Have your elbows slightly bent.
Engage your core and lift your arms up and out, squeezing your shoulder blades at the top.
Slowly move back to where you started. Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Superman
The “Superman” exercise looks easy because you’re lying on the floor, but it’s actually very hard. This move is a great way to strengthen your lower back, and you don’t need any equipment to do it.
The erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, upper back, shoulders, and arms all work when you do this exercise.
Directions:
Face down on the floor with your arms stretched up.
Engage your core and glutes and lift your upper and lower bodies as high as you can without straining. Take a one-second break at the top. Move back to where you started in a controlled way.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Good morning
Good morning is another exercise that works on your lower back. It gets its name from the fact that the movement is like bowing to say hello. This is a more difficult exercise, so do it first without weight to make sure you have the right form before adding weight to the barbell.
Good mornings work many back muscles, such as your glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae, and upper back muscles.
Directions:
If you want to use weight, put a barbell behind your head on your shoulders in a safe way. Place your feet so that they are shoulder-width apart.
Hinge at your hips, soften your knees, and lower your torso towards the floor until it’s parallel to the floor. Throughout this move, your back should stay straight.
Once you reach parallel, push through your feet and go back to the starting position. Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Back extensions
When you do back extensions, you work out your whole posterior chain, or the back part of your body. They’re a great way to get started.
Back extensions are a great way to work on your erctor spinae muscles, which are the muscles that pull your back outward. Depending on the variation you do, they also work your hamstrings and glutes in some way.
Directions:
Place your stomach in the middle of an exercise ball and lie face down on it. To stay steady, press the balls of your feet into the floor behind you. You can put your feet against a wall to help you stay steady.
Put your arms up over your head so they are even with your ears. First, bend at the waist and lower your body toward the floor. This is where you’ll start.
Slowly lift your upper body and arms until your shoulders are higher than your hips. Keep your feet on the floor and work your core and glutes.
At the top, stop for a moment, and then slowly go down.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Dumbbell pullover
This more difficult move is great for people who want to strengthen their back and chest even more. It’s also a great way to improve the flexibility of your shoulders.
Because the move is hard, it’s best to start with lighter dumbbells and work on getting your form right. Using too heavy weights can make you more likely to get hurt and keep you from doing the exercise right.
The dumbbell pullover works both the chest and the back muscles.
Directions:
Choose two light dumbbells. It’s best to start with lighter weights to make sure you have the right form and get the most out of your workout.
Lie face up on an exercise bench with your feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand resting on your chest.
Engage your core and reach up towards the ceiling with your arms in front of your chest. Keep the dumbbells close to each other, with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing each other. This is where things begin.
Slowly bring the dumbbells back and over your head by extending your arms back. Keep your arms in sight out of the corner of your eye, and don’t go further than your ears. Make sure your ribs stay against the bench.
Wait a moment, and then slowly move the dumbbells back to where they started.
Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 reps for each set.
Conclusion
In summary, back workouts are important for improving posture, reducing the risk of back pain, increasing strength and athletic performance, balancing your physique, and improving overall health. You must also keep in mind that, when planning your back workout, it’s important to incorporate exercises that target specific muscle groups to ensure a well-rounded and effective workout.