Advanced Back Exercises

In a 2006 address to the American College of Sports Medicine, Michael Bracko, Ed.D., said stress, poor back strength and endurance, long periods of sitting, lack of physical activity and excessive weight are factors that contribute to back pain. As part of your training program, advanced back exercises increase the strength and endurance of the back muscles but must be done with proper form to prevent injury.

Barbell Rows

Barbell rows effectively engage all of your back muscles, including your lats, traps, rhomboids and spinal erector muscles. You have to suck your navel toward your spine, stick your butt out and keep your trunk straight to prevent lower back injuries. When you perform a barbell row, your back muscles work to draw your shoulder blades and your arm bone toward the mid-line of your back. Place a barbell across the short end of a flat bench, then grip it with hands wider than shoulder width and stand with your knees bent, feet 3 inches apart. Lower into a semi-squat position and bend your trunk nearly 90 degrees. Pull the barbell up toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower, then raise it again for a second repetition.

Pull-ups

The most challenging back exercise is a body-weight pull-up, using your back muscles with a little help from your biceps and triceps. Work up to it at your gym with the lateral pull-down machine, or try the assisted pull-up machine, which uses a weight stack to help push your body weight up toward the bar. For a full pull-up, place your hands on the pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulder width, then step off the stool and hang motionless. Contract your back muscles, biceps and the long head of your triceps muscle to pull your chin above the bar. Slowly lower your body to the start position and repeat.

Towel Rows

Like barbell rows, towel rows require you to suck your navel toward your spine and support the weight of the barbell with your legs. It is important to stick your buttocks out behind you to balance your weight and the weight of the barbell using your glutes and legs, not your lower back. You need a 3-foot-long towel and the edge of an immovable machine or the base of the wall. Place the end of a barbell against the wall and slide a 35-pound plate over the other end. Straddle the plate end with your feet 18 inches from the weight plate. Loop the towel under the bar. Bend into a semi-squat position and grab one end of the towel with each hand. Stand up two inches with your back at a 45-degree angle and pull the plate toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Straighten your arms, then pull back again to repeat the movement.