Summer is here! 
While working your back is important for posture, it’s also important to focus on working your back at the gym to look your best during the summer, when swimsuits and sundresses are IN! This routine will sculpt your back and give you the confidence to bare your back all summer long.
To maximize the effectiveness of your back workout, choose a variety of exercises and machines. For best results, work to sculpt your back at least twice per week, and to really go after it aggressively, 3-4 times per week! Here’s a killer back workout, guaranteed to get you the toned back muscles you want!
*Important* For ALL of the following back exercises, proper form is to lead with the shoulders, not the elbows, in order to engage the back muscles first, rather than the arms!! If you aren’t sure how to do this, ask a trainer. Listed are reps, but not weight amounts, since strength levels vary from person to person. You want to select a weight that is heavy enough to barely be able to complete the set of reps. (almost to failure.) Rest periods between exercises are 45-60 sec. Try incorporating holds, this means PAUSE for 1-2 seconds, on each rep. This gives the muscles more time under tension, an important weight lifting principle for building.
Back Workout
- 3 minute warm-up on rope climb cardio machine, emphasizing the lats. Select a moderate resistance level, and make sure you are reaching up high to get full range of motion. If your gym does not have such a machine, warm-up using light weight pull downs.
- Bent-over barbell rows: Use an underhand grip, wider than shoulder width. Pause on each repetition, squeezing shoulder blades together. 20 reps.
- Next, the seated cable row, narrow grip. 15 Reps.
- Narrow grip lat pull-down drop set. Start heavy on this, and don’t forget to engage the lats first. 8 reps each set, 3 sets total in the drop set. (Drop sets have only very short rest periods.)
- One arm dumbbell row, (one hand and knee on a bench.) 15 reps, each side twice.
- T-bar rows. 2 sets of 12.
- Assisted pull-ups (or full body weight pull-ups if you can). 8 reps.
- Rear-delt/back fly. In order to engage the rear delts, you probably need to go pretty light on this machine… 20 reps.
- Low back extensions. 2 sets of 10.
- Finally, finish on the rope climb cardio machine. Select the most difficult resistance and go for 1.5-2 min. Lean back a bit, and dramatically twist the body as you pull. Squeeze your lats, shoulders, and obliques for full torso engagement!
This routine will build your back muscles without a doubt, but don’t forget proper nutrition is a MUST for a lean body and definition! Fuel your body with plenty of quality protein, veggies, and the right carbs and fats to get the fastest results possible! Facebook