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A well defined and developed back is the dream of most men (and woman) . To achieve a well defined and balanced back you must incorporate several exercises. Your back exercise workout must have different exercise from different angles to develop all the parts for your Back. Developing a strong back is crucial to preventing injuries to other muscles during exercises. It also will help prevent lower back pain. 80-85% of people expericece lower back pain at some time in their life. Building a strong back also helps posture, and makes your waist look smaller.

To get the best results you need to do 6-10 reps of each exercise. Choose a weight that you can do up to 10 for three sets. Once you can do 10 then move to a higher weight for maximal results. You can build up your Back muscles by doing a variety of back exercises with and without weight.

Pick two exercises from each part of the back for the best results. Every two workouts switch the exercises in each group. This keeps the muscles growing from the change in exercises.

Entire Back Exercises

Seated Cable Row

Sit down at a low-pulley rowing machine with your feet flat against the footrests and your knees slightly bent. Bending only at the waist, lean forward and grasp the pulley handle in front of you. Your palms should be facing each other. Keep your back FLAT and looking forward, slowly draw the handles back to your stomach while simutaneously leaning back at the waist until your torso is prependicular to the floor. The handles should reach your stomach just as your upper body reaches the upright position. Slowly return to the starting position by leaning forward from the waist while extending your arms in front of you. TO ISOLATE YOUR LATS ONLY do not bend forward at all, just keep your back straight up and down and move only your arms and squeeze your back.

t-bar row

Adjust the leg height so that your upper chest is at the top of the pad. Lay face down on the pad and grab the handles. You can use a palms down, palms up, or palms in position depending on what part of your back you want to work more. Extend your arms completely to start. Slowly pull the weight up and squeeze your back at the top of the movement. Do not lift your body off of the pad! Return to the starting position.

wide grip pulley row

cable row

seated row

Sit down at a low-pulley rowing machine with your feet flat against the footrests and your knees slightly bent. Bending only at the waist, lean forward and grasp the pulley handle in front of you. Your palms should be facing each other. Keep your back FLAT and looking forward, slowly draw the handles back to your stomach while simutaneously leaning back at the waist until your torso is prependicular to the floor. The handles should reach your stomach just as your upper body reaches the upright position. Slowly return to the starting position by leaning forward from the waist while extending your arms in front of you. TO ISOLATE YOUR LATS ONLY do not bend forward at all, just keep your back straight up and down and move only your arms and squeeze your back.

Pullups

Reach up and grab the bar with a firm overhand grip. Your hands should be roughly twice your shoulder width apart. This helps work more of your lats, rather than your biceps. Straighten your arms and let your body hang from the bar. You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees and cross your feet. Slowly pull your body up to the bar so that the top of your chest nearly touches the bar and your chin is over the bar. Try to keep your body straight without arching or swinging. As you move upwards, focus on pulling your elbows down at an angle toward your rib cage. Once your lats have completely contracted at the top, slowly lower your body to the starting position. A spotter can lift your legs slightly if you need help on the last few reps. You can also add weight by using a special

Upper Back

one arm dumbell row

Begin with your right foot flat on the floor and your left knee resting on a flat bench. Then lean forward so that you're supporting the weight of your upper body with your left arm on the bench. Your back should be flat, almost parallel with the floor. Reach down and pick up a dumbbell with your right hand. Your left arm should be locked at the elbow so it will support the weight of your upper body. Before starting, look straight ahead instead of at the floor in order to keep your back straight. Tighten your abs to keep your body from turning to the side as you lift the dumbbell. Concentrate on pulling your elbow back as far as it can go. The dumbbell should end up roughtly parallel with your torso. After you've rowed the dumbbell up as far as you can, slowly lower it to the starting position. Switch arms after one set.

lat pulldown

Start with your legs positioned snugly under the kneepads of a pulldown machine. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Grasp the wide bar firmly with an overhand grip. Your hands should be almost twice your shoulder width apart. Pull the bar down on top of your chest, arching your back slightly. Focus on keeping your elbows directly below the bar. Pause briefly with the bar in position right on top of your collarbone. Slowly raise the bar back to the starting position. Do NOT lean back too far and pull the weight down using your body weight!

Lower back

tow touch

dumbbell swing

deadlift

Bend at your waist with your head up, back straight and knees nearly locked. Hold bar with hands about 16 inches apart. Straighten up while holding the bar at arm's length. Lower back down to the floor but do not let plates touch. This can be a dangerous exercise if not done correctly or done with weights that are too heavy. Can also be done standing on a bench or box (so that plates don't touch the floor) or with dumbbells.

Hyperextension Bench

Lie face down on a hyperextension bench, tucking your ankles securely under the footpads. Adjust the upper pad if possible so your upper thighs lie flat across the wide pad, leaving enough room for you to bend at the waist without any restriction. Start with your body in a straight line. Cross your arms in front of you or behind your head. You can also hold a weight for extra resistance. Slowly bend forward at the waist as far as you can while keeping your back FLAT. Do not round your back. Slowly raise your torso until your legs and upper body are in a straight line again. Do NOT arch your back past a straight line!

Stiff leg barbell Deadlift

Bend at your waist with your head up, back straight and knees nearly locked. Hold bar with hands about 16 inches apart. Straighten up while holding the bar at arm's length. Lower back down to the floor but do not let plates touch. This can be a dangerous exercise if not done correctly or done with weights that are too heavy. Can also be done standing on a bench or box (so that plates don't touch the floor) or with dumbbells.

Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning

Place a barbell on your shoulders. Keep your head up and your back completely straight. Bend at your waist with your legs locked, until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Return slowly to the upper position. Can also be done with your knees slightly bent.