16 Best Exercises for Back Day You Should Absolutely Be Doing to See Results!

In this article, I will be discussing the importance of working out your back and the best exercises to include in your back workout in the gym.

Keeping your back healthy is crucial for living a pain-free life.

If you have issues with chronic pain or muscle tightness in your neck, lower back, or upper back then it’s time to learn about the best exercises for back strength.

There are many benefits of learning how to strengthen the back muscles!

Before we get into the benefits of back training, we should discuss the targeted back muscles in a workout.

Back Muscles of the Body

The back is divided into three major muscle groups: the trapezius (upper, middle, and lower), latissimus dorsi (inner and outer), and the erector spinae muscles.

All these muscle groups extend from either the base of your skull to your pelvis on either side of your spinal column, providing support for the head, neck, and trunk.

The trapezius consists of three parts: the upper trapezius, which is a diamond-shaped muscle located on top of your neck; the middle trapezius, which is smaller in size and lies in between your shoulder blades; and lastly the lower trapezius muscles that you can feel under your shoulder blades.

Of all the back muscle names, the lats are the most recognized. The latissimus dorsi muscles are the most externally visible, due to their location on either side of your mid and lower back (below your teres major).

These are commonly known as “V-shaped muscles” that create the hourglass figure in women as well as men.

The erector spinae muscles are a group of three large muscles that extend down the length of your spine, two on either side.

The main muscle called the iliocostalis lumborum is what gives shape to your lower back and carries through to your pelvis. Next, there are the longissimus thoracic muscles, which run up and down the center of your spine.

The final muscle is called the spinalis thoracis, which runs up and down your upper back.

The Benefits of Good Back Exercises

Back exercises like rows fix your posture

Having a strong back will help you to stand and sit up straight. You can easily identify someone who spends little time hunched over their smartphone or computer, but it’s all in the back.

When your back muscles become relaxed and weak, your spine naturally rounds forward which leads to bad habits like slouching/sitting with your butt out and rounding your shoulders.

Good dumbbell exercises for back fix imbalances

Having a well-balanced proportion of back muscles can help counter the forward flexion placed on your spine from daily activities like sitting, driving, texting, and more.

This will help you to improve your posture by doing exercises that pull your shoulders back. This will create a natural alignment with proper balance throughout your core muscles which will, in turn, take the pressure off your spine.

Back workouts increase full-body strength

Training your back is not only great for improving posture, but it can also help to strengthen the rest of your body! The best back lifts will increase the overall strength in muscles like your biceps, triceps, chest, and even quads.

Think about it this way… if you have stronger back muscles then you can easily transfer that strength to your chest and arms when doing push-ups.

Strengthen lower back muscles to keep healthy discs

Avoid low back pain, which can be a result of having a weak core.

Our back is designed to carry heavy weight, but not forever. If you do heavy lifting regularly like deadlifts or squats then it’s important to take 1–2 days off to allow your spine and discs to heal.

We can prevent this by having a strong back which will help to evenly distribute the weight throughout your body and keep those discs healthy!

Reduce your risk of injury: When you train your back regularly, this will help to strengthen the obliques which act to stabilize your spine.

Having a strong stabilizer for your spine is crucial for preventing injury in other parts of the body (i.e. knees from having weak hamstrings)

Do back workouts for width to develop the desirable V-shaped physique

Do back workouts for width. A big misconception is that to get a good physique, you have to be doing hours of back workouts at the gym.

The truth is, it can be done by performing just 3–4 sets of exercises and focus on getting stronger over time.

Build more confidence: Nobody wants to see a rounded upper back or hunched shoulders which lead to poor posture.

If you create a habit of working your back, then you will gradually notice that you’re standing taller with better posture which will give you an extra boost of confidence.

Reduce lower back pain with the best exercises for lower back strength

A lot of lower back pain is the result of weak deep core. The more you train your back, the stronger these core muscles will become which in turn leads to better stabilization and reduction of lower back pain.

To develop muscle on your back, you should be focusing on doing the best back exercises. When targeting the back, gym workouts should be performed for multiple angles. Back workouts with weights are optimal for muscle development.

It’s also important when developing a routine for a back workout to include the top back exercises you enjoy or you’ll never stick with it!

For the whole article and detailed guide, check it out here!