Top 6 Back Muscle Building Exercises
Build your back muscles and burn back fat with consistent, hard work. Your body needs muscular balance. Don't place too much emphasis on your chest, arm and shoulder muscles. Your back muscles are also an important part of your core muscles so don't ignore them.
Seventy to 80% of Americans have back pain (many times low back pain) at some point. Your spine also needs to be protected.
Here are my Top 6 Back Muscle Building Exercises:
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
1. Dumbbell Bentover Row - Rows allow you to work your lats using heavier weights. Your lower back will be worked more if you row with both arms at the same time. You will also work your obliques in the process.
If you experience back pain doing two-armed rows, then try doing one-armed bentover rows.
2. Pullups - The pullup is not just a back muscle exercise. Pullups work your lats (and other back muscles), core, shoulders, arms, chest, biceps and improve grip strength.
If you can't do one pullup, start by placing a platform under your feet to give yourself a little nudge. Before you know it, you will be doing a set of 6-8 pullups with little or no help. The assisted pullup machine is also an option.
3. Romanian Deadlift - The deadlift is a must for your exercise program. It is also one of the best ways to build muscle thickness in your lower back. Lower back fat is a problem for many people.
How to do the exercise:
a. Start with your feet about shoulder width apart, a slight bend in your knees and hold the barbell with an over-grip (in front of your thighs).
b. Bend forward at the hips and push your glutes back (as if sitting in a chair) while keeping the arch in your lower back.
c. Keep the barbell close to your thighs and shins until it comes to about mid-shin (you will feel the stretch in your hamstrings).
d. Keeping the barbell close to your shins and thighs, extend your hips and contract your glutes as you return to the start position. That's one repetition.
4. Inverted Row - The inverted row builds strength in your upper back, shoulders and arms. Your core muscles are also engaged during the movement.
Inverted rows also improve your stabilizing strength in the low back, glutes and hamstrings. And, when you superset the inverted row with the pushup, you will get better muscular balance between the frontside and backside of your upper body.
5. Back extension or superman back extension
Back extensions target the erector spinae muscle group surrounding the spine. Your hamstrings also contract strongly during the back extension exercise and assist the erector spinae.
It is important to perform this exercise correctly or you will end up with the very thing you are trying to avoid----back pain or injury. The technique error I see most in those doing back extensions is hyperextension of the back. Hyperextension happens when you continue lifting your upper body past the point of a straight line (your back, hips and lower legs should line up).
6. T-Bar Row - This exercise is good for building middle back muscle thickness.
Courtesy ShapeFit.com
When you don't adequately strengthen your back muscles, you are affecting your pulling potential.
Remember, your back muscles can look good or terrible in the mirror too!
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
My Fitness Hut
Seventy to 80% of Americans have back pain (many times low back pain) at some point. Your spine also needs to be protected.
Here are my Top 6 Back Muscle Building Exercises:
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
1. Dumbbell Bentover Row - Rows allow you to work your lats using heavier weights. Your lower back will be worked more if you row with both arms at the same time. You will also work your obliques in the process.
If you experience back pain doing two-armed rows, then try doing one-armed bentover rows.
2. Pullups - The pullup is not just a back muscle exercise. Pullups work your lats (and other back muscles), core, shoulders, arms, chest, biceps and improve grip strength.
If you can't do one pullup, start by placing a platform under your feet to give yourself a little nudge. Before you know it, you will be doing a set of 6-8 pullups with little or no help. The assisted pullup machine is also an option.
3. Romanian Deadlift - The deadlift is a must for your exercise program. It is also one of the best ways to build muscle thickness in your lower back. Lower back fat is a problem for many people.
a. Start with your feet about shoulder width apart, a slight bend in your knees and hold the barbell with an over-grip (in front of your thighs).
b. Bend forward at the hips and push your glutes back (as if sitting in a chair) while keeping the arch in your lower back.
c. Keep the barbell close to your thighs and shins until it comes to about mid-shin (you will feel the stretch in your hamstrings).
d. Keeping the barbell close to your shins and thighs, extend your hips and contract your glutes as you return to the start position. That's one repetition.
4. Inverted Row - The inverted row builds strength in your upper back, shoulders and arms. Your core muscles are also engaged during the movement.
Inverted rows also improve your stabilizing strength in the low back, glutes and hamstrings. And, when you superset the inverted row with the pushup, you will get better muscular balance between the frontside and backside of your upper body.
5. Back extension or superman back extension
Back extensions target the erector spinae muscle group surrounding the spine. Your hamstrings also contract strongly during the back extension exercise and assist the erector spinae.
It is important to perform this exercise correctly or you will end up with the very thing you are trying to avoid----back pain or injury. The technique error I see most in those doing back extensions is hyperextension of the back. Hyperextension happens when you continue lifting your upper body past the point of a straight line (your back, hips and lower legs should line up).
6. T-Bar Row - This exercise is good for building middle back muscle thickness.
When you don't adequately strengthen your back muscles, you are affecting your pulling potential.
Remember, your back muscles can look good or terrible in the mirror too!
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
My Fitness Hut
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