By the healthiergang writer , personal trainer.
Exercises To Strengthen Your Back
The back of our body is made up of countless muscles; we list the main ones and their primary functions:
Great Dorsal: very large, flat, triangular muscle, its main function is that of adduction, retroposition and internal rotation of the humerus, collaborates synergistically, thanks to their proximity, with the great teres.
Big round: tape-like muscle, its main function is that of adduction, slight internal rotation and extension of the humerus in the transversal plane.
Trapezium: the main function of this muscle is the elevation of the shoulder, scapular adduction, scapular depression, abduction of the humerus (this muscle performs many other functions).
Other muscles that make up our back are:
Small round: the functions of this muscle are lateral rotation, it collaborates with other muscles in the adduction of the arm.
Rhomboids (large and small rhomboid): scapular adduction, scapular retraction towards the spine.
Supra and infraspinatus: arm abduction, function of fixation of the humerus in the glenoid cavity.
Lumbar framework: lateral flexion of the trunk, with other muscles collaborates in the flexion and extension of the trunk.
Back, posture and precautions
It is essential to remember that the back muscles are very important as they are posture muscles, the human body being unbalanced forward. The biggest mistake made in gyms and by those who work in the weight room is that of train the front part of the body more at the expense of the back; this is due to the fact that training the back muscles is very tiring and very uncomfortable. Furthermore, on an aesthetic level, they are muscles more difficult to observe and for this reason they are often more neglected.
When training the posterior muscles it is essential to pay close attention to the various executions, as the vertebral musculoskeletal ensemble is very delicate due to the presence of the numerous joints that compose it. Wrong training, wrong exercises, incorrect execution can lead to the onset of various pathologies, the most common of which are herniated discs which, in the worst cases, can also lead to the appearance of lumbosciatica and other similar pathologies.
So do not forget to train the posterior muscles paying maximum attention to the correct execution of the exercises, to the correct positions and do not exaggerate with the weight as this could lead to the execution of the exercises in the wrong way. Having a strong back means having a healthy back, a healthy back means having a healthy life.
The Best 5
After this brief introduction we list the 5 most useful exercises for strengthening the back and which engage all the muscles that make it up (obviously we will list the main muscles, this in order not to make the article too heavy):
# 1 Rematore with bilanciere
Basic exercise, the muscles primarily involved are the great dorsal, the teres, the posterior head of the deltoid. The rhomboid, the brachial biceps, the triceps, the trapezius, the infraspinatus and the lumbar are also involved in a secondary way.
As you can see from the muscles involved, it is possible to deduce that this is one of the 5 best exercises for the back.
For a correct execution keep the knees slightly flexed, trunk erect, maintain normal physiological curves, flex the torso to 45 ° (inclination that depends on various factors such as mobility of the individual), grasp the barbell with arms as wide as the shoulders (advice of keep them slightly wider to emphasize the back work more), then pull the barbell towards the abdominal area.
The most common mistakes they are those of flexing the back without maintaining physiological curves, swinging with the torso to help the execution, flexing the wrists downwards, performing the exercise in an incomplete way or without reaching the abdominal area.
This exercise, due to its difficulty, it is recommended for athletes who are already a little more advanced; for beginners you can perform the variant with the use of the I Bar with the low cable, if you have any problems or pathologies in the abdominal area you can perform the exercise lying on an inclined bench so as not to force this area.
# 2 Pull ups
Basic exercise, the muscles involved are the great dorsal, the great teres, the biceps, the teres minor, the rhomboid muscles, the trapezius and part of the deltoid also work. For a correct execution, position yourself in suspension on a horizontal bar arms wider than the shoulders, pull with the back muscles by bringing the upper part of the chest to the bar, legs relaxed with the knees slightly bent.
The most common mistakes they are swaying with the body to aid execution, flexing the trunk, overly wide grip, pushing with the legs to lift the body, over-extending the arms.
# 3 Years Machine
Basic exercise, the muscles primarily involved are the great dorsal, the great teres, part of the biceps, in a secondary way the teres minor, the rhomboid muscles, the trapezius and part of the deltoid are also involved.
For a correct execution sit on the appropriate bench, legs fixed under the rollers, back straight, arms wider than the shoulders (usually there is a knurled area for the correct grip), back slightly arched backwards, I repeat slightly, head up, carry out a traction of the bar until reaching the upper pectoral beams with the elbows descending perpendicular to the ground.
The most common mistakes they are lowering the bar until reaching the abdomen, swinging with the back to help the execution simulating a rowing, making an incomplete course. Great exercise for both professionals and beginners (let's say it's a great precursor to pull-ups).
#4 Pulley
Basic exercise, the primary muscles involved are the dorsal major, the teres major, the biceps; the rhomboid muscles, part of the triceps, the trapezius and the posterior deltoid are also involved.
For a correct execution sit on the appropriate bench, place your feet on the supports, legs slightly bent, torso erect while maintaining the natural physiological curves. Grasp the bar and pull in carefully keep your arms close to your body and bringing the elbows backwards it is important to avoid flexing the torso forward because it would shift the work too much on the spinal erectors "stealing" the work from the great dorsal and, moreover, it is a risky movement for the vertebrae.
The most common mistakes they are flexing the torso forward, moving the elbows away from the chest, swinging to help the execution, making incomplete courses.
#5 Hyperextension
Complementary exercise, the muscles mainly involved are the spinal erectors; in addition there is the activation of the dorsal great and the ischiotibial gluteus maximus. As it can be deduced, there are not many back muscles involved in this exercise, but its importance lies in the fact that it allows to strengthen the spinal erector muscles and those surrounding the spine. This avoids suffering any trauma due to its weakness not only inside a room but also in normal daily life.
For a correct execution position yourself on the appropriate bench with feet firmly under the rollers. Make an extension of the spine arriving just before 90 °, hold the contraction for a second and return to the initial position.
The most common mistakes are: hyperextending the back, swinging to aid execution, excessive weights.
Conclusions
Obviously there are countless variations of these exercises, all of which are effective enough to strengthen the back; the ones listed above are certainly the ones that most solicit all of them in the most correct way muscles of the back of the body.
Do not forget the importance of the cycling principle, that is to periodically alternate all the various exercises and their variants to allow a continuous and effective improvement of the various muscles.
