Weight Training & Weight Lifting Exercise Program

Weight Training & Weight Lifting Exercises

Back Muscles Weight Lifting Exercises

A lot of guys don't like to train their backs since they can't really see them being worked. But the one body part that shows through our clothes, the body part that's a testament to all our hard work, regardless of what we're wearing, is a strong, V-shaped back.

The Back Weight Lifting Exercise

One-arm dumbbell rows
Bent-over barbell rows
Pullups (cable pull downs)

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

#1 One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

Find a weight training bench. With your feet fairly close together, lean forward so you're supporting the weight of your upper body with the arm closest to the bench. Your spine is almost parallel with the ground. Put the knee closest to the bench on the weight training bench.

Reach down and pick up a dumbbell with one arm. The other arm should be locked at the elbow while lifting weights so it will support the weight of your upper body.

The Weight Lifting Exercise: Without using any momentum, begin the weight lifting exercise by slowly lifting the weight as far as you can toward your chest. Simultaneously tighten the abdominals to keep the body from rotating as you "row" the dumbbell. Concentrate on pulling the elbow back as far as it can go—the dumbbell should end up roughly parallel to your torso.

Caution: Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position—don't bounce it back up!

Bent-Over Barbell Rows

#2 Bent-Over Barbell Rows

Start this exercise with your knees slightly bent and your abs leaning against the upper thighs, tightly contracted. With your back parallel to the floor, grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip.

The Weight Lifting Exercise: With the barbell griped tightly, begin the weight lifting exercise by pulling the bar up toward and into your lower chest/upper abs. Use your arms to initiate the weight lifting movement, but do not swing the upper body upward. Once the bar touches your lower chest, lower the weight down toward your feet until your arms are fully extended.

Tip: This weight lifting exercise should be done in a smooth movement: no jerking! Try varying your weight lifting grip; see what works for you—wide or narrow, or even underhand grip.

#3 Pullups (Cable Pull Downs)

Cable pulley weight training machines are commonly used in place of pullups because of the ability to change the resistance on the weight lifting machines. However, in my opinion, nothing beats the muscular contractions (and burn) your back achieves from doing a good old-fashioned pullup/chin up.

The Weight Lifting Exercise: A variety of grips can be used on these weight lifting exercises, including wide, parallel, narrow, and reverse grips. When doing any back pulley or pullup exercises, always keep the head vertical and your shoulders tight. Once you've gripped the bar, pull yourself upward, until your head approaches the bar and you feel a full contraction in your arms and back. Try to squeeze your back—envision you're pulling your elbows toward each other behind your back. If you're using a cable pull down, control the weight during the negative motion, as the weight/bar returns back to the starting position. Use good form, controlling the weight on both the eccentric and concentric motions of the movement, and this will be a productive weight training exercise for your back.

Caution: Relaxing at the bottom, especially during wide pulls, can cause serious damage to the shoulders.

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