5 best exercises for the back

Which area do you think is the most neglected in the gym? I once asked myself this question and realized that in my case it was my back. And I realized that not only for me, but also for a lot of other people around me, the back is often neglected. Part of the blame is probably that most people's backs don't attract as much attention as, say, biceps. Another reason is undoubtedly the fact that most people don't even know many exercises to include in their workouts if they decide to exercise their back. We have therefore today selected the 5 best exercises for back training that must definitely not be missing in your training plan.

If instead of reading the article you prefer to watch the video, in which you can also see a demonstrationof the exercises mentioned above, check out our YouTube channel where we have dedicated an entire video to this topic:

Shyby

Self-weight exercises are not very popular in the gym in most cases. However, the hunch is a great exercise in terms of engaging the vast majority of your back muscles, primarily the broad back muscles.

The technique of the hunch often poses a problem for beginners, as many people are unable to do more than 5 reps. Still, it is worth trying the hunches or incorporating some modifications into your training. One of them, for example, is pulling down the top pulley. The advantage is that you can choose the weight you want to train with, so you can do more reps. On the other hand, the movement for this exercise is greatly limited by the pulley. The other alternative is to use an assisted push-up machine. In this case, you can again choose the weight with which you want to perform the exercise. The disadvantage may be the somewhat unnatural position of the legs, which rest on the mat.

Probably the best simplified version of the push-ups are the expander push-ups. Just tie the expander to the rack you're exercising on and put your feet in. This assistance will greatly simplify your push-ups and the technique of execution still remains the same.

On the other hand, if you're already more experienced and normal push-ups seem too easy, you can try the circle push-ups. Because of their instability, a stronger midsection and other stabilizing muscles are required to perform the exercise. However, the exercise on circles has a huge advantage in that you can rotate your wrist during the hunch and it doesn't have to get into unnatural positions.

Axle extensions in the front bend

This exercise will again load primarily the broad back muscles, traps, rhomboids and forearms. It is ideal to alternate between overhand and underhand during the workout, as each variation targets slightly different muscle groups. The most common mistake I've noticed with other people is not leaning forward enough. In this case, the muscles that should be working aren't working, but the traps are doing most of the work.

Rowing on the bottom pulley

This variation is especially suitable for beginners, as it engages almost the same muscles as in the front axle pull-ups, but not as much technique is required. It is the challenging technique that is the reason why beginners should not start with difficult and complex exercises right away. The ideal is to work up to these exercises using machines that replicate partial fragments of the exercises in question. It is only after mastering the technique on these machines that one can benefit from more complex exercises that will allow for greater muscular development.

Pendlay row

This is a slightly more effective version of the front squat. However, this is compensated by the fact that the technique of execution is considerably more demanding. The body should be fixed from the lumbar spine downwards and should not be moved. Otherwise, the technique is almost identical, except that the chest has to point a little more forward. This activates the thoracic spine more and therefore causes more contraction of the back muscles. When performing this exercise, there is no need to overdo it with a large number of repetitions. 6 - 8 repetitions with the correct technique is sufficient.

Deadlift

The deadlift perhaps needs no introduction. It is one of the most basic and complex exercises. However, to be able to benefit from it, it is essential to place great emphasis on proper technique. If we wanted to cover deadlift technique in detail, it would take us about 95% of the entire article. For this reason, I recommend you read our article purely about the deadlift, where everything is discussed in great detail. There is a risk of serious injury if you don't follow a strict technique, so definitely don't do this exercise until you are really confident in your technique. It doesn't hurt to have a sparring partner who has some experience with the deadlift.

But if you don't have a sparring partner, you can at least watch a video from our YouTube channel, where we cover the basics of proper technique in real detail:

Pulling the top pulley with the arms extended

The movement for this exercise is basically copying the pullover, but the technique is much simpler. Again, this is an exercise especially suitable for beginners, because it's much more complicated than the pullover.you can get a great feel for, for example, the retraction of the shoulder blades. In the lower phase, it is worth keeping your hands close to your body for a while, which will cause a longer contraction and therefore better muscle engagement. Again, here, with the correct technique, you can learn to work with the involvement of them individual muscle parts, which can be used later in exercises like deadlifts and the like.

That's it for this article. If your favorite back exercise was missing here, we'd love it if you'd share it with us in the comments.

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