Back exercises with free weights strengthen your entire back and shoulders by pulling your shoulder blades behind you. Lifting exercises involve moving a weight against gravity to any height, such as to your shoulders or over your head. You can use any free weight to perform these exercises, such as a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell. Unlike using exercise machines, free-weight training requires you to use your stabilizers within your joints to control your posture, alignment, and the direction and speed of the movement, according to Juan Carlos Santana, director of the Institute of Human Performance.
Fundamentals
When you perform any back or lifting exercises, you must keep your spine in a neutral position, where your spine retains its natural curvature. There should be a slight flexion at your upper spine, or thoracic spine, and some extension in your cervical and lumbar spine, or neck and lower spine, respectively, according to fitness professional Anthony Carey, author of "Pain-Free Program." Any deviation of the spine during exercise can cause spinal injury and promote joint diseases and disorders, such as herniated discs and arthritis.
Lifting exercises train the leg and hip drive, which is using your lower body to generate and transfer force into your upper body to lift a heavy weight. This allows you to lift a weight that you would not be able to lift with your upper body alone. You perform a leg and hip drive by pushing your legs against the ground quickly and moving your buttocks forward.
Bent-Over Row
This exercise trains core stability while you pull a weight up toward your body. Hold a 50 lb. barbell with both hands about shoulder-width apart and stand about hip-width apart. Bend your legs slightly and bend your torso forward about 30 to 45 degrees from your standing position. Extend your arms below your chest with your knuckles facing forward. Exhale and pull the barbell to your stomach, pulling your shoulder blades together. Do not move your spine as you lift. Lower the weight down to the ground. Perform three sets of 10 reps.
Kettlebell Push Press
This exercise teaches you to use the hip and leg drive to lift a heavy weight over your head while maintaining a tall posture and neutral spine. Hold a 40 lb. kettlebell with your right hand and stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart. Keep your right elbow close to your body. Exhale and perform a hip and leg drive, pressing the kettlebell over your head at the same time. Hold this position for two seconds, and lower it down to your shoulder. Perform three sets of five to eight presses per arm.
Expert Insight
Use a heavier weight if you can perform any lifting or back exercises easily. Otherwise, use a lighter weight if you cannot maintain your form, suggests physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance." You can also interchange different kinds of free weights for the exercises, such as using a pair of dumbbells for the bent-over row or one dumbbell for the push press.
References
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
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