Back anatomy
A person is largely made up of muscles. Therefore, it is important to know the anatomy of the back before starting training. The basis of all human skeletal muscles is the back. The whole body rests on the back: hip joints, neck, arms.
The muscles of the body can be layered on top of each other in several layers, therefore the following types are distinguished:
- deep - located closer to the skeleton of the body;
- superficial - removed from the skeleton.
Functional purpose of the spinal muscles
It is generally accepted that the main task of a back corset is to support the body in an upright position. At the same time, they often forget. However, the tasks of the muscle corset are not limited to this. Correct position of the back (posture, stance, neck position), protection of the spine, inside of which the spinal cord is located, from external influences or damage, maintaining the position - all this work, every day, is performed by the muscle corset.
Muscle division into layers
Before you start training, you need to understand the structure of muscles in layers. All of them are divided into external and internal. The external ones are divided into the first layer, the second and the third. Intrinsic muscles consist of deep, middle and superficial layers.
The first layer of extrinsic muscles consists of the trapezius and latissimus muscles in the back. At the base of the second is a diamond-shaped (small and large). The third, more complex layer consists of the serratus muscles of the scapula, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres.
In turn, the internal superficial ones consist mainly of the belt muscles of the neck and head. The middle ones are based on the extensor muscles of the back and the transverse spinalis. The deep muscles consist of the interspinous, intertransverse, lumbar multifidus, suboccipital and levator ribs muscles.
Therapeutic exercises for back pain
Often a person cannot tolerate back pain (musculoskeletal function is impaired, pain syndrome, sometimes the pain radiates to the internal organs). You can cope with simple diseases when your back hurts with the help of special exercises.
Consult your doctor before attempting any treatment at home. A professional doctor will help you create a set of gymnastic or rehabilitation exercises together with other treatment methods.
Forward bends
The legs are positioned slightly wider than the shoulders, the neck is elongated and the back is straight. Raise your hands up, bend down to touch the floor with your hands. Hold the position for a few seconds, feel your legs and back. Get up. For those who have back pain, the exercise is suitable due to muscle stretching.
Quantity:
10-15 reps.
Exercise kitty
In the all-fours position, the legs and arms are placed next to each other. Then the back arches up (convex, as in the image), down (a depression is formed in the lumbar region). This exercise stretches and strengthens the back corset. With its help, wrestlers strengthen their backs along with flexibility.
Quantity:
10-15 reps.
Child's pose exercise
The legs are gently bent until the pelvis touches the heels, from a kneeling position. After your pelvis touches your heels, you need to spread your knees wide to the sides and tilt your pelvis towards the floor until you feel a stretch in the muscles of your back and pelvis. It is forbidden to lift the buttocks from the heels, but it is allowed to slightly round the neck and back. One approach is performed per day.
Quantity:
5-10 reps.
Back strength exercises for girls in the gym
Other muscles of the body are often worked along with the back (legs and arms). This is due to the lack of sufficient time to fully work out the spinal muscles. However, there are effective exercises for training a group of spinal muscles that require little time. You can do this with dumbbells and a barbell. The exercises below will help you figure out how to properly pump your back on the exercise machine.
Deadlift
Straighten your back, relax and lower your shoulders, tighten your abs. Dumbbells in hands, lightly touching hips. Bend your knees slightly, squat down lightly, and push your pelvis back until your upper back is parallel to the floor. It is important to lower and raise the dumbbells along your legs so that the tension on the muscles is correct. To prevent back damage, you should not use dumbbells that are too heavy (it is better to start small and gradually increase the weight). This exercise with dumbbells can be performed at home.
Quantity:
10-15 reps, 3-4 sets.
Bent-over row
The exercise can be performed with dumbbells and a barbell. First tilt your torso forward a little and sit down. We place our feet shoulder-width apart so that the stance is stable. The barbell or dumbbells are taken with a straight grip. Then, they rise as high as possible, while the position of the remaining parts of the body should be rigidly fixed (only the hands work). If you perform this exercise correctly, you can pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles along with the abs and arms.
Quantity:
10 reps, 3-4 sets.
Raising and abducting arms in an inclined position
This exercise applies to training with dumbbells at home or in the gym. Get into the starting position (feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, lean your body forward). The dumbbells are held in your hands, slightly bent, with a neutral grip. The arms are raised up to a position parallel to the floor, then slowly brought down. The elbow bend is maintained constantly.
Quantity
: 10-15 reps, 3-4 sets.
The exercise is useful because it can be performed at home without dumbbells. You can use plastic water bottles instead. This will allow you to train every day when it is not possible to go to the gym.
When training in the gym, you can ask the trainer for advice by asking the question: How to pump your back with dumbbells at home. Home workouts will help you build better muscles when used in conjunction with exercises at the gym.
It should be remembered that training with a herniated disc or other back diseases is strictly contraindicated. In this case, it is better to consult a specialist doctor. He will conduct the necessary examinations and find the reason why your back hurts.
Exercises for the lower back muscles[edit | edit code]
The lower back is mainly represented by the erector spinae. When planning your training program, it is better to leave lower back exercises for the end of the workout. In addition to appearance, strengthening the lower back muscles has health benefits, as it is one of the weakest areas of a bodybuilder. By strengthening the lumbar muscles, the risk of spinal diseases is reduced: osteochondrosis, vertebral displacement and pinched nerves, since the muscular frame provides reliable support for the vertebrae.
To strengthen the lower back, beginners, in order to avoid injuries, are recommended to perform hyperextension, and in the future, switch to deadlift, as the main exercise that affects almost all back muscles.
Exercises at home[edit | edit code]
Basic exercises:
Isolation exercises:
Weight-bearing exercises[edit | edit code]
Basic exercises:
- Deadlift
- Deadlift
- Forward bends with a barbell
- Deadlift
- Deadlift
- Deadlift
- Forward bends with a barbell
- Bent-overs with a kettlebell
- Single Leg Bent Squats
Isolation exercises:
Exercises on simulators[edit | edit code]
Basic exercises:
Isolation exercises:
- Hyperextension
- Hyperextension
We pump our back at home
We figured out the question: why pump your back. However, the question: how to properly pump your back at home yourself remains open (what exercises will be effective?). There is a lot of material on this topic on the Internet. However, the back (in particular the spine) is a very important and fragile part of the body, so we have collected only the most proven exercises. So, how to properly train your back muscles at home?
Arm rotation from plank position
Stand in a plank position, but instead of elbows, rest on your palms. Spread your legs slightly to the sides, tighten your lower back and abs to a slight tension. The palm is lifted off the floor, then a circular motion is performed.
Using the plank, we work the lower back, mid-back, abs, and latissimus dorsi muscles in the area of the shoulder blades.
Quantity:
10-15 reps, 2-3 sets per arm.
Swimmer exercise
The swimmer exercise helps to strengthen your back muscles at home without additional equipment. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms out in front of you, palms down. Then lift your face and upper back off the floor. We pump up the upper back by simultaneously lifting the back and legs as high as possible. Quantity:
10-15 reps, 4-5 sets.
Strengthen your back with push-ups
Lying push-ups are the most popular exercise without sports equipment, allowing you to pump up your back muscles at home. Good for strengthening the spine. Works your back and chest at the same time. Often, the trainer advises girls to train their backs with push-ups.
During the exercise, the abdominal muscles tense, which leads to tension in the back. Thus, it works well on the lower back. Also, the latissimus dorsi muscles are worked at home without additional equipment. Back push-ups, like other muscles, can be trained quickly.
Place your palms on the floor, bring your legs together and stretch them back. Bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Then, straighten your arms. By performing this exercise regularly, you will quickly pump up your back with push-ups.
Quantity:
10-15 reps, 3-4 sets.
Exit with a jerk
The jerk-out, a quality broad-back exercise, is used in CrossFit and strength training. At first it will be difficult to perform, but after a while, pumping your back with this element will only bring pleasure. To begin with, hang on the bar, then swing your legs forward, but not too much, by pulling yourself up a little, by swinging you can lift yourself over the bar. At first, you should not perform the exercise slowly, learn to fly onto the bar with lightning speed by swinging your legs.
After a short period of time, the body will teach itself how to properly do the back using this jerk. You should also not hope that a couple of attempts will give you the opportunity to quickly master the task; only perseverance and work will bring results. Still, the snatch is one of the most powerful exercises for training the latissimus dorsi muscles.
Using exercise machines to train your back
Some people have various back exercise machines at their disposal. With their help, it is possible to organize proper training. In this section of the article you will get the answer to the question: How to properly pump your back on a simulator
so as not to rip it off.
Also, what exercises to do
to get maximum results.
The main rule of any training
Training will be beneficial only if the athlete adheres to the following rules:
- Training should be regular. so that the body gets used to the stress;
- The increase in loads should be gradual (a sharp increase in load will lead to injury);
- Before training, be sure to do a warm-up to warm up your muscles.
It doesn’t matter whether you train your back muscles at home or in the gym under the supervision of a trainer - always remember these rules and follow them.
What equipment to use for training
There is a myth: If you use expensive modern equipment, your training will be effective. For some, a crossbar is enough for training, while others need professional training equipment.
Pull-up exercise on the bar
A universal exercise that is widely popular among men. The exercise is popular due to its versatility. You can use it to pump up your biceps. When you pump your abs, your oblique abdominal muscles become stronger.
To perform this exercise, you need to hang on the bar by your hands. Then bend your elbows until your chin rises above the bar. Thus, on the horizontal bar, the athlete lifts himself using the muscles of the back, arms, shoulders and forearms.
Quantity:
5-10 reps, 3-4 sets.
Is it possible for a man to pump up his shoulders on his own?
You can train your shoulders in the gym using barbells and exercise machines. However, not everyone can regularly visit the gym, asking questions:
- How often should you train at home?
- What and how best to pump up your back muscles?
- Is it possible to combine training of other muscle groups with the back in one day?
How many times a week do you train?
How many times a week you need to pump your back is up to everyone to determine for themselves. If you train your back in the gym, the optimal frequency is 2-3 times a week. This frequency of training is due to the fact that back training in the gym takes place under additional loads (back training with kettlebells and other exercise equipment). The men's gym has a lot of additional equipment.
Back training at home is usually done in a more gentle manner. The most common stretching exercises performed are back exercises and push-ups. Sometimes, at home they train their back with a barbell. Therefore, you can do workouts at home a little more often than in the gym (3-4 times a week).
What to pump your back with?
For greater benefits from training, back exercises are often alternated with other muscle groups. For example, you can train a wide back with your legs or arms. Sometimes they combine the back and shoulders in one workout. If you have a barbell or crossbar, such training is easy to organize. However, the question: what to pump your back with remains open.
When choosing a barbell for home, pay attention to the thickness of the bar. It should be such that you can completely wrap your arms around it. Then back training with a barbell will be enjoyable. It will be pleasant to play sports.
When combining your back and shoulders in one workout, you need to remember that most back exercises simultaneously work your shoulders. Especially exercises on the simulator. You can find a lot of equipment in the gym for girls and men. Therefore, everyone can choose what to pump their muscles with.
Basic principles of home training
- Classes should be held regularly 2 times a week. More often it is pointless: the muscle group will not have time to recover. It’s also not worth it less often - you won’t be able to feel the results.
- Exercises to train the back muscles should be performed in 3 sets - 12-15 repetitions each. Over time, when the ability to feel every involved and tense part of the body comes, you need to move on to the principle of working to “failure” - that is, perform the approach until the last 1-2 repetitions are completed through “I can’t”.
- Warming up and joint warm-up are integral elements of training. Starting strength exercises without going through this stage is traumatic and impractical.
- Sets of exercises for the back must be alternated from training to training to avoid the muscles getting used to the nature and plane of the load.
- Each workout should begin with 1-2 basic exercises (when performing them, 2 or more joints are involved) and end with 1-2 isolating exercises (the muscle that is emphasized works “solo”, 1 joint is involved).
