Back Training Head to Toe - Exercises To Build A Muscular Back

Calve to traps - for intermediate to advanced weight training. Shake up your usual routine by trying out this 'whole back' workout. We are going to hit your body from the calves to the traps!

Start the session with 10 minutes on the rower. Make sure you are using an overhand grip, pulling with the legs first then the back then the arms and return with control. Aim for 25 to 27 strokes per minutes (spm). Most rowers will have a little screen in front of you which will give you the spm, time, cals and so on. If you cannot get the required spm with good form then go slower and work on form first, then speed.

Once you are done the warm up you will continue the training session with dumbbell shrugs completing 3 sets of 10. Take a minute rest in between sets. And take 2-3 minutes between exercises. One set will be just up and down, pushing down on the down phase. Set 2 you will rotate the shoulder in the forward roll. Set 2 will be for rotating the shoulder in a roll back.
Next exercise is reverse pec dec, working the rhomboid muscles between the shoulder blades. It's just like pec DEC, with arms softly bent except you face the pad and bring the arms back.

Internal and external rotator cuff exercises with a band or cable would be your next exercise making sure the elbow sticks to the hip and that you use slow and controlled movement only. Arm should keep a steady 90 degree bend and try not to hike up the hip in compensation.

Tricep dips would be the next exercise on the list using a bench or 2. Keep the feet on the floor if you are not yet able to perform these with the feet up on the second bench. Hands should be placed close to the body, elbows also stay close to the body while dipping and back should stay straight so that you are basically dropping your butt, bending elbows to 90 degrees.

Deadlift is the next exercise done with a bar and soft knees. This will target the lower back area. Do not bounce and make sure to keep that same slow control as you did in the last exercise. At the top stage, pay attention to proper posture with shoulders back and chest out. This exercise will also hit the glutes and hamstrings and will get your heart rate up increasing your ability to burn fat.

Go to the lying hamstring curl and keep the hips down during this exercise. This one will also hit the lower back and glutes in keeping with the 'back' theme. Make sure each leg is working for itself so that the weaker leg will get stronger.

The last exercise is the standing calve press with toes straight ahead. Full range of motion is best and again keeping your slow control throughout the movement. You can use the machine or go with free weights with toes on a step so that you have room to dip your heels down.

Make sure to stretch your calves, triceps, hamstrings and lower back once you are done the workout, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds each.

By Linda Cusmano