bestBack Exercises

There are many strength training exercises you can do to strengthen your back and alleviate pain. Some of my favorite back exercises are below.

Seated Calbe Rows: (Targets back muscles as well as other muscles: trapezius muscles, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, biceps, rear deltoids.)

• Sit on cable row machine platform with knees slightly bent, feet against foot plates.
• You can several handle bar attachements. My favorite is the bent handle. The rope is another good one, which will allow you to concentrate on the upper back. Whichever handle you choose, attach it to cable and pull attachement to waist while you straighten your back.
• Pull shoulders back, chest out, with a slight arch in the back. Think about the area in the center of your back between both shoulder blades, tighten this area by pulling shoulder blades together.
• Pull attachment toward your chest/stomach, elbows bent.
• Slowly staighten arms as weights pull attachement back toward machine, once arms are fully extended, repeat.
• Be sure to keep your back straight throughout exercise! Try not to lean back while pulling.

If you don't have a gym with a cable row machine you can also do this exercise at home with some resistance bands.

Pull Ups: (Targets the Latissimus Dorsi and many other muscles are used.)

• You can start out using a pull up assist machine, which uses weights to counter your own body weight. As you practice, lower the weight until you have none, then move on to the pull up bar with no assistance.
• Grab bar with palms facing forward, hands about shoulder width apart.
• Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar.
• Slowly lower you body down until arms are straight.

You can also practice this exercise by first using the pull down machine until you are able to lift close to your own body weight.

Back Extensions: (Targets your lower back- Erector Spinae.)

• Hook feet into hyperextension bench with body face down.
• Start with your body parallel to the floor in a straight line from feet to head.
• Place your hands across your chest.
• Slowly lower your torso until upper body is perpendicular to the floor. Try to get a 90 degree angle at your hips.
• Slowly raise your upper body until it is parallel to the floor again, repeat.

You can make this exercise more challenging by holding on to a weighted plate with your hands against your chest.

Lying Leg Raises: (Targets the lower back, lower abs, and hip flexors.)

• Lay flat on the floor, faceup.
• Bring legs up to the ceiling so that your legs are perpendicular to the floor and there is a 90 degree angle at your hips.
• Concentrate on your stomach/back and press your lower back against the floor. If someone was looking from the side, your back should be completely flat against the floor at all points.
• Focus on holding your back flat against the floor. This is the most important part of the exercise.
• Slowly lower your legs toward the ground, slowly...but do not let your back come up off the floor at all. If you feel your lower back start to come up, stop, and return to the starting position.
• Continue this repetition while never letting your lower back come up. As you practice, you will get better and you will notice that you can lower your legs closer and closer to the floor. Do not worry if you cannot go down very far the first time- just remember to not sacrifice your form to go lower, this will be counterproductive.

Once you can go all the way down to the floor without your lower back coming up, your can add more of a challenge by putting a small weighted ball in between your knees and then ankles.

Exercise name	Muscles Targeted
Seated Cable Rows	Upper and Mid Back
Pull Ups	Upper Back, Mid Back, Shoulders
Back Extensions	Lower Back
Lying Leg Raises	Lower Back, Lower Abs, Core