Baby’s Got Back
Written by Shoshana Pritzker Monday, 17 May 2010 17:25
By Ritch and Mia Finnegan
Why is it that a fit, toned back is so appealing? For the average person on the street, it may be that a low-back dress or top reveals muscle people just don’t get to see on themselves without a dressing room three-way mirror. For someone who exercises, it’s eye-catching because we know how hard it is to develop a toned, shapely back.
In reality, considering that nearly 80 percent of the population will have back problems in their lifetimes, looks certainly aren’t everything. It’s equally important to train the back with functional strength and prevention in mind, as well as looks.
How Things Stack UpObserving a person’s standing or walking posture can say a lot about how an individual needs to train. For example, according to the NSCA, posture in which the hips are tucked under the torso and the normal inward curve of the lumbar spine is flattened, may indicate tight hamstrings, glutes and weak spinal erectors. Also, an exaggerated inward curve (lordosis) may be a direct result of tight hip flexor muscles, shortened spinal erectors and weak lengthened abdominal muscles. Similarly, poor shoulder posture (slouching forward) may be the outcome of weakness in the upper back and a lack of flexibility in the chest and shoulder area. The result of these imbalances is poor spinal mechanics, which can jeopardize the spinal column, which is the electrical pathway for all the body’s functions and movements. If not corrected, this can lead to a variety of problems including disk herniation or degeneration, nerve impingement, headaches and general nagging aches and pains.
Muscle Defends Bone: The Silent Sabotage
One out of four women will get osteoporosis— the thinning or decalcification of bone that leaves us susceptible to breaks. Weight training is absolutely the prevention essential, because a slightly stressed bone, through resistance exercise, will adapt, calcify and become stronger. The most critical time for preventive measures is within the first five years after menopause, but don’t wait until then. Building strong muscles and bones in the earlier years puts you ahead in the post-menopausal osteo game.
As you know now, both health and appearance are equally important, so when exercising, start with what you can see. This is done so you’re not fatiguing your stabilizers first, which would make you more susceptible to injury. Lets begin with a few form keys that run consistently through all pulling-type back exercises. You see, it’s very natural to grip too tightly and use too much forearm and biceps.
Remember to relax your hands and imagine them as hooks. In other words, always initiate the movement with your back muscles, then pull with your elbows, not your hands and arms. The same goes for the negative phase of the motion; lower the weight with the muscle you’re working, not your hands and arms. It seems like an obscure concept, but it is the true key to isolating a muscle and efficiently building shape and tone. These pulling exercises are the true shapers and toners of your back. However, because of the fan shape and number of different muscles that make up the upper back, it’s essential to work it from a variety of angles. We’ve provided a well-rounded routine that, if followed, will give your back the variety it needs and the shape you desire.
But don’t stop there; once you’ve shaped and toned aesthetically, it’s time to add a little functional tone for the health of it. A good back routine wouldn’t be complete without exercises to strengthen and tone the torso and trunk area. These include the abdominal muscles and the supportive muscles of the lower back and spine. We’ll save abdominal core training for another article and concentrate on muscles of the lower back.
The easiest way to understand the back support system is to think of the torso as a tree trunk. When the wind blows, the trunk needs support on all sides to keep from falling over. The same is true for the human trunk or torso. We move in 360 degrees of motion, which means we need 360 degrees of support. If your abdomen isn’t working with the spinal erectors and obliques— like a tree with a weak trunk— fibers get stretched, then compressed, then twisted, then all stability is gone and injury results. It’s easy to understand that we need strength to have a healthy back, but what are the trainers’ secrets? Stability and muscular coordination.
This means the ability to use our muscles in a way that causes the spine and torso to function in the safest and most bio-mechanically correct fashion. This is only done with functional exercises. By functional, we mean exercises that simulate everyday muscular requirements and motor patterns. They teach the body’s muscles to fire with the proper intensity and in the right order to create spine-safe movements. So, when it comes to back training, it’s not all about what you can see; it’s about having strength and tone that ultimately protects the spine and its precious neural pathways.
Workout Schedule
Warm-Up/Cool-Down
Begin with five to 10 minutes of low-impact cardio such as a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bicycle. Stretch major muscle groups being worked in the upper body: During the warm-up, hold each stretch for 15 seconds without bouncing.
Complement this workout with at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to four days a week.
Beginners
Begin with one to two sets of 15 to 20 reps, two days a week, resting 30 seconds between sets. Once you can complete two sets of 20 reps, increase the weight by three to five pounds. Each time you are able to do the maximum reps, increase the weight, decrease the number of reps to the minimum, and work back up to the maximum. Stay at this level for four weeks, but keep increasing the weight. After four weeks, switch to the intermediate level.
Intermediate/advancedDo three sets of 8-15 reps, two days per week for the next two months. Increase the weight by three to five pounds each time you can do the maximum number of reps.
Note: If you practice a split body part routine, just incorporate these exercises into your schedule. If you practice a full body routine three days per week, substitute one upper and one lower back exercise into your routine each week.
Back Exercises and Techniques Warm up
Scapula Rolls
In a normal seated lat pulldown position, take a shoulder-width grip on a straight bar with palms facing away. Lean back slightly and let your shoulders and back relax so your lats can stretch up as much as possible. Next, with your elbows bent slightly, pull down on the bar with the movement initiating with the shoulder blades. The movement is small and the bar will move less than a foot. Pause slowly at the bottom range of motion (ROM) and allow the lats and scapula to raise back up to starting position.
Upper Back
Lat Pulldown to Chest
Sit on a lat pulldown machine so your torso is positioned directly underneath the cable. Sitting too far away from the machine will cause a posture that can strain your neck and upper back muscles. Begin by pulling the bar to your chest, leaning slightly back until the bar touches the middle of your chest. Return to start position and repeat.
Close-Grip Pulldown (Beginner)
Sit on a lat pulldown machine so your torso is positioned directly underneath the cable. With the close-grip handle, begin by shrugging your shoulders down first, then pull the handle to your chest, leaning slightly back until the bar touches the middle of your chest. Return to start position and repeat.
Pull-Up (Free, or with Chin/Dip assist machine) (Intermediate/Advanced)
Use the close-grip (whichever you prefer). Same isolations apply with the full stretch at the bottom of the ROM. As you pull yourself up to the bar, you are to pull down with your elbows to your sides, concentrating on the back muscles, not biceps.
Single Arm Seated Row
Using a low pulley, attach a single-grip handle to the cable. Seated on the pad, begin the exercise with your back in neutral position and one arm stretched out and holding the handle. Start by pulling the handle into your torso while squeezing the shoulder blades together; pause, and return to starting position.
Upper & Lower Combined
Alternating Super Women
Lie face down on the floor (chin tucked at all times), with arms stretched overhead at a 45-degree angle (to ensure use of the lower trapezius). Begin by lifting opposite arm and leg at the same time and continue to alternate this motion (i.e., right arm and left leg). Avoid pressing the floor with the downside leg, as this is a sign of weakness in the hip extensors.
Lower Back
Prone Extension (Beginner)
Lying face down on the floor with arms down by your side, begin by lifting your torso off the ground without your feet leaving the ground. Head should remain in neutral position throughout the exercise. Only go as far as you can and do not strain. In time, you’ll be able to extend to a higher position.
Lower Back Extension (on hyperextension machine)(Intermediate/Advanced
Position the pad under your waist. Place your hands across your chest. Begin by performing an upside-down abdominal crunch so that the lower back is in full extension. Now, reverse the motion and slowly raise back up until your upper body is parallel to the floor, concentrating on contraction of the lower back (spinal erectors).