Monday, May 6, 2013

My Favorite Back Exercises

Today's Best Body Boot Camp workout included several back exercises, like upright rows and one-arm dumbbell rows. Upper back and shoulder exercises tend to make me nervous, because I injured my neck/upper back doing an overhead press in college. While I'm much stronger (in terms of core and overall musculature)  and safer in my weight lifting now, I tend to choose super light weights for overhead press, lateral raises, and rows.

But I've also really grown to love working my back. For a long time after my injury I avoided all back work, and when I finally saw a sports therapist he told me he was shocked at how much my muscles had atrophied. That's never a good sign. So I sloooooowly eased back into bodyweight exercises and yoga/Pilates moves, eventually working up to light dumbbells. Now I feel much better, and my posture is improving, too!

Here are a few of my favorite back exercises--enjoy!





Upper Back

Mid-Back



  • Dumbbell Pullover - Requires far more muscles than it seems but focuses on those lats!


Lower Back (part of your core)




Add your favorite back exercises below!

7 comments:

  1. Oh....I have too many to think! I really do like pullovers on the ball, though. Works so many things. :)

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  2. I like so many of these. I'm sure you know that. I don't think I could pick a favorite. Another I really like is dumbbell pullovers.

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  3. Im a DUMBBELL ROW woman.
    :-)

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  4. I stopped doing bent-over rows on a bench like that. Nowadays I do them simply in a squat-like bend to get better core engagement and functional strength while I work.

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  5. Great! For me to keep my back healthy I have to stretch my hamstrings and hipflexors after exercising!

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