The Best Moves to Build a Strong Back - Men's Health

The band pull-apart will build shoulder health and strengthen your back too. It also hits all the muscles that help your shoulder blades move in ... SearchAboutMen'sHealthSubscribeMVPExclusivesHealthFitnessWorkoutsWeightLossEntertainmentSex&RelationshipsLifeTechnology&GearStyleNutritionKetoWhole30PaleoDashDietMediterraneanDietGroomingVideoNewsletterFollowfacebooktwitterpinterestinstagramyoutubeWHMHFitnessEquipmentShop90DayAbsChallengeGuideEditors’PicksWeightLossWorkoutsApparelFitnessFlybirdFitnessGeologieSkincareSalePromotionsMen’sHealthSupplyKitUnitedStatesUSUKEspañaNederlandDoNotSellMyPersonalInformationSkiptoContent>HealthEntertainmentFitnessStyleGroomingSubscribesigninHowoftenandeffectivelyareyoutrainingyourbackmuscles?Fartoooften,weneglecthowmuchloveourbackmusclesneedanddeserveinthegyminfavorofthemuscleswecanseeinthemirror.Wedefaulttotrainingmuscleslikethechest,arms,andabs,andforgettospendanequalamountofourtimestrengtheningthebackmuscles.Whenitcomestotrainingthebackmuscles,it'simportanttoremaincognizantofyourbackmuscleanatomy.Byacknowledginghowthebackmusclesfunction,wecantrainthemmorestrategically.Clickheretojoinformoreexclusivefitnesscontent.Men'sHealthThebackiscomposedofmultiplemusclesthatworktosupporttheposteriorportionofthetorsothroughavarietyofmovementpatterns.Someofthelargestbackmusclesthatmostpeoplearefamiliarwithincludethetrapezius,latissimusdorsi,rhomboids,anderectorspinae.Butthat'sjustthestart.Ontopofthese,therearemanysmallerbackmusclesthatindirectlyreceiveattentionwhenweworktotrainthelargerbackmuscles.Strongbackmuscleswillhaveapositivecarryovertoyourotherlifts,day-to-daylife,andsportsperformance.Ifwecancreateastrongerbasetopullthingstous(oneofthemostessentialfunctionsofyourbackmuscles)andimprovetorsostabilitywhiledoingso,we'llbebacktostrengthenbackmusclesholistically,notjustaesthetically.Theexercisesbelowwillhelpyoutrainyourbackmusclesmorestrategically.Onceyouconquerthebasics,youcanthentacklevariationsforthebackexercisesbelowtoincreaseyouroveralleffortwhenyou'reworkingtostrengthenthebackmuscles.WhyHavingStrongBackMusclesIsImportantTrainingyourbackdoesalotmorethanbuildmuscle.Allthemusclesonthebacksideofyourbody,fromyourglutestoyourlatstoyourhamstringsandrhomboids,helpbalanceoutthemusclesonthefrontsideofyourbody.Foravarietyofreasons,youtendtousethemusclesonthefrontsideofyourbodymore.Youcanseeyourchestandabmuscles,soyoucan’tbeblamedforwantingtotrainthemmore.Lifealsooftenleadsyoutousethemusclesonthefrontofyourbodymore:Youuseyouranteriordeltoidsjustabiteverytimeyouextendyourarmstotypeorgrabyoursteeringwheel,forexample.Thiscontentisimportedfrompoll.Youmaybeabletofindthesamecontentinanotherformat,oryoumaybeabletofindmoreinformation,attheirwebsite.Tobalanceoutallthatwork,youneedtotrainyourbackespeciallyhard—andyourbodywillreapthebenefitstoo.Allthatbackstrengthwillhelpyoubraceyourentiretorsobetter,anditwillevenmakeyoubetteratexercisessuchasbenchpressesandshoulderpresses.WhatYourBackMusclesDoTheprimaryfunctionofthemajorityofyourbackmusclesissimple:Theypullobjectstowardyourtorso.Whenyoudorowexercises,youpulladumbbelltowardyourchest.Whenyoudopullupsandpulldowns,youpullyourbodyuptoabar,orpullabardowntoyourchest.Obradovic//GettyImagesThat’snotallyourbackmusclesdothough.Theyalsohelpbraceyourentiretorso,protectingandstabilizingyourspine.Thisisanoft-overlookedbenefitofstrongbackmuscles.Yourspineisthecentralpaththatcontrolsneuralconnectiontothebody,andprotectingitisessential.Yourbackmusclesarehighlyresponsibleforprotectingitduringheavy,full-bodyliftslikesquatsanddeadlifts.Yourbackmusclesalsohelpprotectyourshoulder,inlargepartbecauseoftheirrelationshipwithyourshoulderblades.Yourshoulderbladesplayahugeroleinshoulderfunction,andyourupperbackmusclesplayakeyroleindictatinghowyourshoulderblademoves.Everybackexerciseyoudocallsyourshoulderblades(andbyextension,yourshoulders)intoplay.MajorBackMusclesYouNeedToKnowPeterMuller//GettyImagesBeforewestartexploringcriticalbackexercises,let’sstudyuponthekeybackmusclesyou’llwanttoknow.TheLatsissimusDorsiThescientificnameforthebroad,fan-shapedmusclesinyourbackislatissimusdorsi,andthey’rethelargestbackmusclesyouhave.Thelatsattachtotheupperarmbone(yourhumerus)andstretchfromyourmid-backallthewaydowntoyourwaist.They’reyourmainpullingmusclesforbothhorizontalpulls(rows)andverticalpulls(pullups).Keepthisinmind:Thatmeansthatevenifyoucan’tdopullupsorpulldowns,youcanstilltrainyourlats.TeresMajorandTeresMinorThesetwomusclesaresmallermuscles,buttheyassistinalotofkeyfunctions.Theteresmajorisknowninfitnesscirclesasthe“lats’littlehelper,”areferencetohowmuchitduplicatesthemovesyou’dmakewithyourlatsandhelpsyoupull.Theteresminor,meanwhile,isakeypartofyourrotatorcuff,helpingtoexternallyrotateyourshoulder.Theteresminorplaysahugeroleinshoulderstability.TheRhomboidsTherhomboidsessentiallysitinthemiddleofyourupperback,thickbroadbandsofmuscleborderingyourshoulderblades.Theyhelpretractyourshoulderblades,akeyfunctionofallbacktrainingandanimportantwaytosafeguardyourshoulders.Byimprovingrhomboidactivity,you’llsuperchargeyourabilitytodoanybackexercise.TheTrapeziusYourtrapsstretchfromthebaseofyournecktojustaboveyourtailbone,andthey’redividedintothreemainsections:Upper,middle,andlower.Theyplayaroleinshruggingyourshoulders,pullingyourshouldersbackwards(awayfromyourchest)andpushingyourshouldersdownward(towardyourknees)YourGo-ToBackMuscleBuildingMovesThebestbackexercisesyoucandowillchallengeyoutopullandbrace,andthey’llgetyourbackmusclesworkingintheproperorder.Buildtheseexercises(andvariationsofthem)intoyourworkoutsandexpectmajorbackgrowth.DumbbellandBarbellRowsHorizontalpullingisanecessityifyou’reaimingtobuildastrong,trulybulletproofback,andanyrow,fromacablerowtoadumbbellorbarbellrow,isgoingtohaveyouinhorizontalpullingmotion.Thekeytoallrowsistiming:Makesureyourshoulderbladespullbackandsqueezetogetherasyou’repullingtheweighttowardyourtorso.Letthemglideapartasyoureleasetheweight.Do4setsof8to10repswhenyou’restarting,andstartwiththebasicdumbbellrow.Needmorerows?Checkoutthesefoolproofvariations.PullupsVerticalpullingmotionsareyourotherkeybackmovement,andthey’llrecruitevenmorebackmuscleinavarietyofways.Apullup(orpulldown)actuallyrequiresyoutoengageyourhorizontalpullingmusclestoo,whichisoneofthereasonsit’sabrilliantmove.Alsooverlooked:youneedtobraceyourcorewhenyoudopull-upsandpulldowns,buildingmorebackmuscleandyourabstoo.Needapullupvariation?Here’sasuper-hardonetoworkupto.BandPull-ApartThebandpull-apartwillbuildshoulderhealthandstrengthenyourbacktoo.Italsohitsallthemusclesthathelpyourshoulderbladesmoveinproperrhythm.Getitintoyourworkouts,thinkingofdoing3setsof15reps.DeadliftYoumaythinkofthedeadliftasalegexercise,becauseitdoeshammeryourhamstringsandglutes.Butthat’snottheonlythingittrains.Youhavetoflexyourbackandshoulderbladestolifttheweightoffthegroundandthenessentiallyuseallyourbackmuscle(andyourcore)tobraceyourentiretorsoinastraightlinewhileliftingtheweight.There’salsounderratedlatinvolvementasyoufullystandupand“pull”thebartowardyourtorso.Startwith4setsof8reps.TRXRowStabilizationisakeybackfunction,andnorowchallengesthatmorethantheTRXrow(ortheringrow).Stabilizingside-to-sidewillrecruitnotjustmajorbackmuscleslikelatsandrhomboidsbutalsoyourteresmajorandteresminor.You’llalsoworkyourabswiththeTRXrowtoo.Keepthisonehigh-rep,doing4setsof12to15reps,thengraduallylearnotherversionsoftheTRXrowlikethisoneabove.DavidOtey,C.S.C.S.DavidOtey,CSCSisafitnesswriter,NYC-basedstrengthcoach,andMen'sHealthAdvisoryBoardmemberwhospecializesinstrengthandhypertrophyprotocolsaswellasathleticperformance.FormoreonOteycheckoutwww.oteyfitness.com.JakeBoly,C.S.C.S.JakeBoly,MSCSCS,istheCo-FounderofPheasyqueLab,ThatFitFriend,andworksasaconsultantforotherfitnessprofessionalstryingtobuildwebsitesandbrands. UpperBodyfor2022TheseExercisesBuildBodaciouslyBigBicepsMenOver40CanBuildBigBacksWithMoreSupportTakeOntheUltimateBodyweightRowThisKettlebellMoveBuildsExplosiveForearmsAdvertisement-ContinueReadingBelowHowtoSculptYourShoulders,SafelyThese10MovesWillBuildBigArmsGetaHigh-PoweredUpperBodyHIITWorkoutThe20BestUpper-BodyExercisesofAll-TimeFitnessWatchMartinsLicisTrainWithLifterRaunoGeinlaATopTrainer's5TipsforGrowingBiggerBicepsITriedaHigh-LevelPerformanceBreathTestTheBestWeightBenchesforYourHomeGymin2022Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow