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

 

6 Great Total Body Exercises

6 Great Total Body Exercises

• Total body exercises are great for people who have limited time to work out. These types of exercises hit different parts of the body at the same time, burning fat more efficiently than regular splits. Especially, when they are done is a circuit formation. 
• However if you work out in a commercial gym, doing circuits can be very hard. Best thing to do if you only have access to gym equipment is a commercial gym is to do your workouts in supersets. 
• Here are some example total body exercises:

Barbell Clean & Press

Squat Curl

Barbell High Pull

Dumbbell Squat Press

Alternating Kettle Bell Swing

Tire Flips

 

Reverse Grip Pull Ups

Reverse Grip Pull Ups

One of the 4 exercises that tests human strength and military fitness is the Pull Up and in this post, I will be discussing why the Reverse Grip Pull Up is important to master. Great way to determine muscular endurance PRs is to achieve enough strength to lift your own weight!

Reverse Grip Pull Ups is a compound exercise for the back. Also known as the Chin Up, this exercise, mostly targets the latissimus dorsi, teres major and biceps. It also secondarily trains the shoulders and chest because of the narrower supinated grip.  If you are a beginner start on the floor, with a bench, stool or stability ball to assist you until you have the strength to lift your own weight. Most commericial gyms have an ASSITED PULL UP/CHEST DIP machines which work great for 

beginners.

Front & Back Double Bicep 

Grab the pull up bar or assisted pull up machine bar. In a reverse supinated grip, palms facing you with arms about shoulder-width apart. If you can hang, raise your feet off the floor by bending your knees. Pull yourself up by squeezing your back muscles and pulling your elbows down to the floor. 

Repeat for desired sets and reps. I usually do 5 sets of 10 - 15 repetitions.

Developing back muscles not only helps with strength and posture, it also develops what is known as a V - Taper. Broad upper body with small tiny waist and large quadraceps gives the body an asthetically pleasing look in the fitness/bodybuilding industry. Tip: So if you have a wide or no waist, developing your upper body will give the illusion of a smaller waist. 

Back and Bicep (Pull) Workout

What is a Pull Workout?

Pull exercises are those where the muscles contract and the weight is being pulled towards you. The primary muscles used in pull workouts includes the back, biceps, hamstrings, obliques and trapezius. Examples of pull exercises are lat pull down, back rows, deadlifts, leg curls, rear delt flys and bicep curls.

Benefits of Adding Push/Pull Workouts to Your Program

• Less time at the gym
• Ensures muscle balance
• Promotes injury prevention
• Increases muscle mass

Back and Bicep Workout

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Wide Row

4 - 5 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

EZ Bar Curls

4 - 5 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

Cable Straight Arm Pull Down

3 - 4 Set

10 - 15 Reps

Standing Bicep Curls

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 15 Reps

One Arm Bent Leg Cable Row

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps 

Swiss Ball One Arm Preacher Curl

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 15 Reps

Swiss Ball Back Extensions

3 - 4 Sets

15 - 20 Reps with 10 Sec. Hold on Last Rep

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

EZ Bar Curls

The angle of the EZ curl bar allows your wrists, forearms and elbows in a more comfortable, natural and safe position, as a result reducing the risk of common injuries that many people develop over time from curling with a straight bar This will be your starting position: Stand up straight while holding an EZ curl bar at the wide outer handle. Keep your elbows close to your torso. Keep your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights upward while contracting the biceps. Raise the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the top contracted position for a moment and squeeze the biceps. Then inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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

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)

Chest and Back Workout: Body Weight and Cable Pulley Exercises

Chest and Back Workout: Body Weight and Cable Pulley Exercises

Body Weight and Cable Pulley Exercises

3 to 4 Sets
All Push ups: Max Reps

Back exercises
To build: 8 - 10 Reps
Lean out: 12 - 15 reps
Back Extension: 30 sec. - 1 min.

1. Close grip Push-ups (Tricep Push-ups)

Targets: Chest, Triceps, and Core

Inclined Push-ups

Targets: Lower Chest, Arms, and Core

Declined Push-ups

Targets: Upper Chest, Shoulders, Arms, and Core

Cable Flys (Lower)

Targets: Lower and Middle Chest and Arms

Lat Pulldown: Wide Grip

Targets: Upper Lats, Teres Major, Traps and Biceps

Reverse Grip Pull Ups

Targets: Lats, Teres Major, Traps and Biceps

Seated Cable Row

Targets: Mid Lats and Biceps

Back Extensions

Targets: Mid and Lower Back with Glutes