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Which Are The Best Back Work Outs?

Back Workouts

By Richard Daniels


Between weights and the equipment, there is really quite a lot that you can do to get thickness and width to your back. Basically, your pull-downs and pull-ups are for width and your rowing exercises are for thickness. Be really cautious with your back and consistently wear a belt when you are pushing heavy weights, are bending over or a turning your waist. A back injury can keep you from the gym for months, so it's not worth the danger to go without a belt.

Asking around amongst professionals we kept finding these 5 major workouts, so we will explain them here and also discuss how to have perfect form for optimal muscle gain.

Reverse Grip Pull-down.

This is a terrific one for warming up. See to it your seat is adjusted so that your upper legs are completely parallel to the ground and you have a 90 degree angle behind your knees. Hold the bar and sit down. When you pull the bar down, focus all your attention on your shoulder blades and how they are coming together. Bring the bar to upper chest height and hold for a second or two.

Barbell Row

Barbell rows are not to be confused with Yates rows, where your upper body is inclined at a fifty degree angle and you are using an underhand grip. This workout has become unpopular since it wasfound out that with heavy weights it can cause injuries to the biceps tendon. Rather choose appropriate rows, wearing a belt, to get maximum muscle development. To do correct rows, your upper body should be bent forward so that it is parallel to the ground.

Have the barbell on the floor on front of you. Your feet are just over shoulder-width apart. Hold the barbell from above as if you were doing barbell bench presses. Pull up focusing your attention on your elbows and shoulder blades. Keep your head down otherwise your upper body will start rising under the pressure. The barbell should touch your chest and then return to the floor. 4 sets of ten reps provide an excellent exercise.

One Arm Dumbbell Row

The one arm dumbbell row is a little harder to do than the barbell row due to the fact that you need to find out the specific arm movement because you will tend to rotate your torso and lean the weight on the supporting leg and arm.

When doing this particular exercise, you must be careful to straighten your back and not have it arched or rounded. You have to be totally focused on your shoulder blade retracting and depressing whilst your elbow stays close to your body. Don't let your elbow "out and up" as if you needed to shoot off an arrow.

Hammer Strength Seated Row

Adjust your seat so that your hands are shoulder height in the starting position. Pull the weights towards your chest, squeezing you lats. Do not make use of the strength of your legs by pushing on the foot platforms or your arms. Squeeze your shoulders together at the top of each movement.

Seated Cable Row

Even though we have actually put this workout at the end of the article, it can be excellent to for warming up also. This is a complete back exercise that works deltoids, lats, traps, forearm flexors and arms. Have fun with the complete back stretch that you get at the end of each motion. Just like all the other rows, try to concentrate on your back muscles and press your shoulder blades together at the top of the motion. When you release, do it in a really slow and controlled manner, contrasting the weight as much as possible.

No matter what your routine is, if you include things like these five back muscle "musts" you will see the difference!




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