As I was writing the title for this article, I immediately thought of the Justin Timberlake song “Bringing Sexy Back“. I suppose you can throw that on your player and listen to it for motivation while you’re in the gym performing this workout.
Back Toning Exercises – Movement #1 – Pull Ups
I start every single one of my back workouts off with the pull up exercise. Now, since you’re working with your own bodyweight, it’s one of the more difficult exercises to perform. If you’re unable to perform the bodyweight version, there are a few ways you can make things easier on yourself.
First, you can use an assisted pull up machine if your gym has one. If not, you can substitute the pull ups for the lat pull down machine – pretty much every gym has one of those.
– Perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (as many as you can if performing the bodyweight version)
– Rest 2 minutes between sets
Back Toning Exercises – Movement #2 – Dumbbell Rows
This is an awesome exercise for toning the upper back region. As the name indicates, you’ll be using an appropriately weighted dumbbell to perform the movement. Be sure to control both your form and tempo since this is one of those exercises that most people end up doing wrong.
– Perform 3 sets (per arm) of 10-12 repetitions
– To be done 1 arm at a time
– Rest for 60 seconds only once both sides are completed
Back Toning Exercises – Movement #3 – Low Back Extensions
This is also an important exercise as the benefits go way beyond simply looking better. It’s estimated that 80% of the worlds population will suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives. Strengthening the lower back – and all surrounding core muscles – is an excellent preventative measure to reduce your chances of being part of that 80 percent statistic.
– Perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
– If you feel as though 10-12 repetitions is easy, then hold a barbell near your chest to add resistance.
– Rest for 60 seconds between sets
Now, if you’re unsure how to perform these movements properly, just click this link for step by step instructions. Or, you can check out the video demonstration below.
