It is important to exercise the muscles of the upper, middle and lower back, as well as those of the triceps brachii for functional and aesthetic purposes. Shaping these muscles enhances upper body strength, giving your torso and arms definition. You can work these muscles using traditional strength-training equipment, such as dumbbells, or perform effective exercises without weights.
Importance
A strong back is a healthy back. Developing your back muscles with the right exercises helps you to achieve better posture and, because of that, may alleviate chronic back pain. The latissimus dorsi is often referred to as "the" back muscle but there are many other muscles that make up the back, including the rhomboids and trapezius muscles.
Most individuals prioritize the biceps muscles over the triceps, however, the triceps make up about 2/3 of your upper arm mass. Working these muscles helps shape the back of your arm. Functionally, strong triceps muscles are necessary for pushing objects or weight away from the center of the body.
Sequence
Most fitness experts agree that you should perform strength-training exercises for the largest muscles first, followed by the smaller muscles. The latissimus dorsi is a larger muscle, and the triceps brachii is a smaller muscle. However, according to the Body Building for You website, for best results, compound movements, or multi-joint movements that work several muscles at one time, are preferred over isolation exercises, or those that work only one muscle or muscle group at a time for total body shaping.
Compound Exercises
Performing an exercise where one of the back muscles is the target, or major mover muscle; and the triceps is a synergist, or helper muscle, or vise versa, is an efficient way to work both muscles simultaneously. According to the Exercise Rx website, a barbell, dumbbell or lever pullover movement targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and other back muscles. The long head of the triceps is a synergist, or helper, for this exercise. Push-ups also effectively target the back and triceps muscles and use only your own body weight as resistance.
Two-in-One
Another way to work both muscle groups is to begin with one isolation exercise which leads into another exercise. Isolation exercises, while not the most efficient, are definitely effective for defining one or two specific muscle groups. An example of such an exercise would be to begin with a one-arm bent-over dumbbell row and proceed through to a triceps kickback. Similarly, you can perform a dumbbell pullover with a triceps extension to work both the back and triceps muscles.
Considerations
The amount of weight you lift, the number of exercises you perform for each body part as well as factors such as exercise frequency, duration and intensity will vary depending upon your specific fitness goals. In general, using heavier weights and performing fewer repetitions is recommended for "bulking up," while performing more repetitions using lighter weights helps tone the muscles and may be beneficial for fat loss.
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