The back contains large and moderate-size muscles. The latissimus dorsi is one of the large muscles and it runs from the lower back to the top, where it branches off to the sides. Mid-back exercises focus on the middle of this muscle as well as the rhomboids. The rhomboids major and minor are between the shoulder blades. With most exercises, both of these muscles get worked simultaneously.
Barbell Rows
Barbell rows work the middle lats, rhomboids and biceps. The important factor with this exercise is the squeeze at the midpoint. To begin, stand behind a weighted barbell that is on the floor. Slowly bend down and grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and lift it from the floor. Bend your knees and hips slightly and let the bar hang straight down in front of you. Your back should be angled to the floor at this point, but still straight. Keeping your abs tight, lift the bar up to your lower stomach and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a full second, slowly lower the bar and repeat. When lifting the bar, make sure to keep your arms tight to your sides.
Inverted Row
An inverted row is a body-weight exercise similar to pushups, except your body is in the complete opposite direction. To do this exercise, you need to fix a barbell at about waist height on a squat rack or Smith machine. A Smith machine has a sliding barbell that can be locked into several positions. To begin, sit on the floor with your back angled backward toward the bar. Place your hands on the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fully extend your legs and lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Your heels should be the only thing touching the floor at this point. Keeping your body straight, pull yourself up by bending your elbows and stop when your chest lightly touches the bar. Slowly lower yourself and repeat.
T-Bar Row
A T-bar row is performed with only one end of a barbell. Place a weight plate on the end of the bar and straddle it so the other end is behind your body. Stand with your feet in a wide stance, and reach down and grasp the bar just below the weight plate with your hands overlapping. Keeping your back about parallel to the floor, lift the bar up and toward your chest. Keep your elbows close to your sides as you do this and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower the bar and repeat.
Rear Pull-Downs
Rear pull-downs work the mid-back area with the help of a lat pull-down machine. Sit on the seat and anchor the padded support down on your thighs. Reach up and grab the bar with a wide grip and pull it straight down behind your head. Hold for a second, slowly raise it back up and repeat. When pulling the bar down, do not sway back and forth for momentum.
Member Comments