4 Standard Back Exercises Needed to Build Size & Strength

South Padre Island with my dog Taco

Why should women or anyone work hard in the gym to build their back? A lot of people, especially women disregard the importance of training their back or entire upper body. Training the back with weights not only increases your strength, but it also improves back posture and lower back pain. If you ever get into lifting heavy, it is essential to have a strong back to develop a strong squat. 

Besides strengthening your back, training also gives an aesthetically pleasing V-tapered look which gives an illusion of a smaller waist with a developed wider upper body. Who would not want to look smaller in the waist area!? So, if you have been lacking in your back training, now is the time to pay attention to your backside! 

The Back is Made Up of 4 Major Parts:

• The Latissimus Dorsi
• The Trapezius
• The Rhomboid 
• The Erecter Spinae

Here are 4 basic gym exercises to build a beautifully strong back! 

• To build size and strength keep the reps low and the weight heavy.
• Maximum strength training: 3 - 5 reps, heavy weight and 2 - 5 min. rest
• To get lean and cut keep the reps high and the weight moderate to light.
• 12 - 15 reps, moderate to light weight and 45 sec - 1 min. rest

Cable Lat Pulldown

T Bar Row Machine

Kneeling Close Grip Cable Lat Pulldown

Back (Hyper) Extensions

 

Take It Easy While Coming Back to the Gym After the Quarantine

The year 2020 has not been kind to all of us and if you did not have the luxury of having your own home gym, you probably lost your gains of muscle and gained fat instead. I have seen posts of people talking about that they have gained 25 lbs in 2 months of being quarantined. I have to break the BAD NEWS for all of you, it might take LONGER than 2 months to lose that weight all over again. Unfortunately, it is very easy for our bodies to gain fat, but it takes 10 times as much effort to lose the weight. One of the things you have to remember is you have to make a deficit in your caloric intake plus burn calories in order to burn fat. You also have to burn at least 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat. Your intake is 80% of the equation and you have to get back on track while you have access to a gym now. No telling if it will be shut down again in the near future. 

Take it easy when getting back to the weight and cardiovascular training. If you have not lifted since they shut the gyms down, do not expect to lift the same amount of weight you were used to before. You will not be able to push the weight and can easily injure yourself. Why do that and then end up not working out for a longer period of time. Start out with light weight and do enough repetitions were you feel a burn sensation in your muscles. Your gonna get sore all over again like it was the first time training. It will not be a pleasant feeling, but you did it one time before you can do it again. As you get used to the light weight training and you do not feeling a burning sensation while training, then it is time to move up in weight. Moving up slowly will ensure that you do not get injured. Train smart and with your brain, not your EGO!

The same for the weights is the same for the cardiovascular training. Long time ago, I had to take some time off of running because I was not gaining the weight I need for off season. I was used to running 7 miles or more. I took off 9 weeks from running and other types of cardio. When it was time to start with my competition prep, I decided to go for a run and told myself that I would only do 3 miles. Well once I got to 3 miles, I felt like I could go to 5 miles. I ended up running 7 miles, went home took a hot shower and made sure I stretched real good. Well, once I settled in that is when the soreness started to kick in. It went from SORENESS and STIFFNESS to PAIN. I could not stand it after 3 days and had to go get Cryo Therapy. After being flash freezed alive, I came out 70% better than I did walking in. I looked like the Tim Man from Alice in Wonderland! I also had to have several sessions with my massage therapist to help with the stiffness. I learned my lesson and will never do that again!

So if you are getting ready to get back into your old gym routine, just remember to take it easy! You will get back to your old PRs and distance in no time as long as you do it the smart way! 

Total Body Calesthenic Workout II

Keep your fitness during quarantine by doing simple bodyweight exercises!

Decline Push Ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps 

Can be done on the knees for beginners

Boat

3 - 4 Sets

45 sec - 1 min.

Beginners start with the knees bent and the heels on the floor

Box Frog Jumps

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Can be done without the box and jumping in place instead

TRX Back Row

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Alternative exercise: Inverted Row

Side Ups

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

One Leg Squat to Box

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Incline Push Ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Bird Dog 

3 - 4 Sets

45 sec - 1 min each side

Execute without the Bosu Ball

Workout at Home During the Quarantine!

Total Body Calesthenic Workout

Targets: chest, arms, core, back and legs

Execute: Supersets or Circuit

Push-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Crossbody Crunch & Leg Lift

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

Jump Squats

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Pull-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Side Plank Lifts

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

Diamond Push-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Superman with Leg Curls

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Single Calf Raises

3 - 4 Sets

15 - 20 Reps

Legs and Abdominal Workout

Legs and Ab Workout

Hack Squat

3 - 5 Sets

Hypertophy:

 Heavy Weight & 8 - 10 Reps

Lean & Toned:

Light Weight & 12 - 15 Reps

Bench V-ups

3 - 4 Sets

High Reps: 12 to 15 

DB  Split Lunges 

3 - 4 sets

High Reps: 12 - 15 Reps

Side Ups

3 - 4 Sets

High Reps: 15 - 20

One Leg Ball Leg Curls

3 - 4 Sets

High Reps: 12 - 20

Decline Crunch

3 - 4 Sets

Low Reps: 8 - 10 

Calf Presses

4 - 6 Sets

Heavy Weight and High Reps

12 - 15

Muscle building Chest and Back Workout

Chest

3 - 4 Sets

Chest press machine

8 - 10 reps (heavy weight)

Incline dumbbell chest press

10 - 12 reps (medium weight)

Fly machine

12 - 15 reps (light - medium weight)

Dips

8 - 12 reps (body weight)

Back

3 - 4 sets

Lat Pulldown
10 - 12 reps

Reverse-grip lat pull up

10 - 12 reps

Bent-over dumbbell row

8 - 10 reps (heavy weight)

Back Extension (Floor)
3 - 4 sets
30 seconds - 1 min.

Bicep, Tricep and Shoulder Workout

Biceps: 3 - 4 sets

Ball preacher curl: 10 reps

Dumbbell bicep curls: 12 reps

21's 
7 lower, 7 complete, 7 upper

Triceps: 3 - 4 sets

Tricep dips with body weight: 10 reps

Tricep kickbacks: 12 reps

Lying lateral tricep extenstions
12 reps

Shoulders: 3 - 4 sets

Standing dumbbell press
10 reps

Dumbbell front raises
10 reps

Dumbbell seated lateral raises
12 reps

Bent-over dumbbell lateral raises
15 reps

Exercises for Abs and Glutes

Legs, Ab and Glute Workout

Abs: 3 - 4 Sets

Boat
 30 sec - 1 min

Windshield Wipers 
3 - 4 sets
15 reps

Bridge

3 - 4 Sets

 30 sec. - 1 min.

Legs and Glutes:

Seated leg press 

4 sets 
8 - 10 reps

Reverse Slider Lunges

3 - 4 sets/12 - 15 reps

Glute Kickbacks with Bench

3 - 4 sets
12 - 15 reps

Unstable/Stable Chest and Back Superset Workout

Chest and Back Supersets:

3 - 4 Sets

Body Weight Exercises: 15 - 20 reps

Weighted Exercises: 10 - 12 reps

Push-ups

Lat Pulldown

Incline push-ups

Bent-over barbell row (over-hand grip)

Decline push-ups

Straight-arm pulldown

Diamond push-up

Back extension (floor)

Upper Body Stable and Unstable Workout

Upper Body Workout

Barbell Chest Press: 4 Sets

Hypertrophy: 8 - 10 reps

Strength Endurance: 12 - 15 reps

Behind the Head Pulldown: 4 Sets

Hypertrophy: 8 - 10 reps

Strength Endurance: 12 - 15 reps

Swiss Ball One Arm DB Curl

Hypertrophy: 8 - 10 reps

Strength Endurance: 12 - 15 reps

Tricep Push-ups

Maximum Reps

Military Press

Hypertrophy: 8 - 10 reps

Strength Endurance: 12 - 15 reps