How To Do Back Exercises At Home
If your goal is to be fit and strong, exercising your back at home can help you. It is a common mistake to ignore the back muscles during workouts, simply because the back is out of sight. Most people focus on developing biceps and triceps, just so they will be able to assess their progress when they look in the mirror
However, not including your back muscles into your workout program can be at your own peril. Heavily working out your front muscles such as biceps and abs, without creating a support by working out your back muscles can lead to possible injuries that could put your entire workout on hold for weeks or months. And, have you considered the fact that even if you can’t see your back, other people out there can? So it is important for looking good too.
A quick warning. If your reason to do back exercises at home is back or neck pain or injury, you should definitely consult your doctor before you go forward with it. The materials discussed in this article are exclusively geared toward people in general good health with no back pain and no history of back or neck injuries.
If you decide to work out the muscles of your back, you should focus on three main muscle groups. These are:
Trapezius muscles, which are the muscles that start in the neck and go over the shoulder blades. The rhomboids are the other very important group of muscles in the upper back.
Latissimus dorsi, which generally means broadest muscles of the back. These muscles are triangular, with points that touch under the arm, above the waist, and over the hip.
The erector spinae muscles run on both sides of the spine. When they are strong they help to prevent lower back pain and injury.
The ‘bent over row’ is a great back exercise for traps, rhomboids and lats that you can do at home, either with or without weights.
If you have some dumbbells, you can hold them, one in each hand, and move forward from the waist down while you slightly bend your knees. Your back can be anywhere between a 45 degree angle and 90 degrees (parallel with the floor); arms straight down but without locking the elbows. Small plastic bottles filled with water are a good substitute if you do not own dumbbells.
Lift and then lower the weights in a steady rowing motion, bending the elbows until the upper arm is in line with the body. You should keep your lower arms still hanging down in a straight fashion. Try to keep shoulders relaxed, not up around the ears.
Aim for up to 3 sets of 5-16 reps.
For the erector spinae you should try the ‘good morning’ exercise.
Keep your feet separated to align with your hips, slightly bend your knees, and your arms stretched above your head. You can increase the workout by using dumbbells or water bottles.
While keeping your abs braced and your back straight, bend forward. Your arms should be lined up with the torso, so that when you bend, your torso and your arms should be parallel to the floor, while your face is looking down to the floor. Go back to your original position and repeat the exercise.
Start with just 1 set of 5 or 10 reps with no weight or a light weight, and gradually increase to up to 3 sets of 10-16 reps with medium weights.
You should make sure that you work all the muscle groups in your back, to ensure that none are left out and are prone to injury. Your program of back exercises at home must be a varied one.