30-04-2025
Best back exercises for a toned back
Every year, it seems that no sooner have we started thinking about our summer holidays, than we are assailed with advice for achieving the perfect beach body. Invariably, this ripped physique is all about achieving washboard abs, chiselled biceps and athletic legs.
And all too often, something really important gets overlooked: our backs. Not only is a strong and poised back is essential to reduce the risk of injury and joint pain in our everyday life, it can be an aesthetic asset in our midlife arsenal against ageing.
Just ask Jennifer Lopez, 55, who, attending a pre-Grammy gala earlier this year, showcased an expanse of sculpted flesh in her backless dress. Dedicated exercisers such as myself will appreciate the graft that went into its execution, the fact that, as personal trainer Cornel Chin puts it, 'a well-defined back is a rare commodity''.
Backs can fall off our fitness radar because they are hard to see in the mirror. Picture: iStock
Why? Well, to state the obvious, we seldom see our backs, so they can easily fall off our fitness radar, and by our forties poor posture and weak muscles can turn an already neglected area into a veritable problem. Sedentary lifestyles sabotage our posture and midlife weight gain fuelled by hormonal changes often obscures any muscle we do have. According to the British Menopause Society women put on an average of 10kg during menopause and 'most of this weight accumulates around the abdomen and upper body''.
Plus, the back is composed of several complex muscle groups, 'so getting a defined back isn't as easy as, say, getting strong legs where there are more exercises that work all the major muscle groups simultaneously,' Chin says. But, he stresses, 'with persistence and carefully targeted exercises, it's absolutely doable''.
The largest muscle groups in the back include the latissimus dorsi — 'the lats' — triangular-shaped muscles that span from the upper arm to the pelvis and across the ribs; the rhomboids in the upper back that stretch from the spine to the edge of the shoulder blade, and pull the shoulder blades together; the trapezius, which runs across the shoulder blades under the neck and is used to turn the head and arms, and the erector spinae, which runs the length of the spine and helps us stand up straight.
Back muscles are complicated, the biggest being the latissimus dorsi. Image: iStock
Good posture, meanwhile, is dependent on smaller muscles called multifidus between the vertebrae in our spine. 'When these get short and tight they limit how the bigger muscles function,' says the American chiropractor Dr Steven Weiniger, author of Stand Taller Live Longer: Posture & Anti-Aging Strategy.
This is what happens, he says, when we constantly look down at devices, causing our head and shoulders to round forward and our torso to lean back to compensate, compressing the vertebrae and 'creating a round back''.
Pilates and strength instructor Jo Tuffrey adds that 'people want to work aesthetically with what I call the front line — the muscles you see in the mirror — but a strong back and flexible spine is paramount. When people have a beautiful posture they're almost ethereal. They float.' While I can't lay claim JLo's elegantly protruding erector spinae, after I started exercising my back with weights at home in my forties my niggling upper back pain disappeared. My core is stronger, I'm pretty good at hauling heavy suitcases into overhead compartments on planes and feel a body confidence that eluded me in my thirties.
After interviewing Weiniger, who says ten minutes a day of posture exercises are all we need for a more youthful back, for this paper last year I incorporated his advice into my life, helping me stand taller.
Exercise to strengthen the back can range from deadlifts in the gym to more walking. Picture: iStock
I stretch my back in front of the TV in the evenings whenever I remember and stick to a diet high in protein, vegetables and wholegrain carbohydrates where possible. I think a better back is achievable for anyone who, like me, has no gym membership, a busy job, a penchant for chocolate and family demands to juggle. Warm up before exercising — the lower back in particular is prone to injury because it bears most of our body weight. Chin suggests arm circles, hip rotations, side bends, and a few minutes of light jogging on the spot. Here are my back exercises, and my experts' other recommended moves.
Back exercises
Bent-over row
Keeping your left arm straight, place your left palm and left knee on a chair or coffee table. Holding a weight in your right hand, keep your right arm straight, perpendicular to the floor, right leg straight, right foot on the floor. Bend forward. Keeping your back straight and your elbow close to your body, pull the weight towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blade. Lower. Repeat on the opposite side. I do 25 repetitions on each side with 10kg weights. 'This is fantastic for lats and rhomboids,' says Chin, who recommends beginners use 5kg dumbbells and do three sets of ten repetitions for each weight movement.
Bent-over lateral raise
With feet hip-width apart, arms by your side, a weight in each hand, lean forward, keeping your core tight, back straight, knees slightly bent. 'Raise your arms to the side until level with your body,' says Chin, who suggests 3kg weights for beginners because 'you're working the backs of your shoulders, a smaller muscle group, as well as rhomboids. You can tell when a celebrity wearing a strappy dress does these — they have great upper back definition.'
Deadlift
Standing feet hip-width apart, push your hips back and bend your knees slightly to grasp a barbell or dumbbells at your feet, palms over the bar. Don't let your knees extend over your toes. Return to standing, weight in front of you, keeping your back straight, core engaged, head in line with your body. As well as your lats, erector spinae and trapezius, the deadlift works your entire posterior chain — the muscles in the back of the body, including the legs and glutes. 'These are essential for a strong back because if one muscle group is deficient it throws the equilibrium out,' says Chin, who adds: 'Technique is important. Don't go too heavy.' I do three sets of 12, with two 15kg dumbbells.
The plank
Place your palms shoulder-width apart on the floor, in line with your shoulders, arms and back straight, feet hip-width apart and toes curled under. Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms and toes, keeping your body in a straight line. I hold for one minute then do a one-minute side plank on each side: Rest on your right forearm and the outside of your right foot on the floor and lift your hips so your body is diagonal to the ground. 'The plank strengthens the transverse abdominis [TVA], the deep muscles which wrap around the spine like a corset, reducing the risk of back injury and improving posture,' Tuffrey says.
Upright row
Standing with feet hip-width apart, hands by your sides, weight in each hand, palms facing inwards, lead with your elbows to raise your arms until your hands are under your chin, your forearms forming a V-shape. Lower slowly. 'This works upper back muscles including the trapezius and shoulders,' says Chin, who points out that 'defined shoulders give the illusion of a smaller waist''.
Seated row
Sit on the floor, legs slightly bent, back straight, a resistance band around the balls of your feet, holding it in both hands, shoulder-width apart. 'Pull the band towards you so your upper arms brush your rib cage and your elbows are slightly behind it,' Tuffrey says. 'You're engaging the muscles in between the shoulder blades and the lats. I'd repeat ten times, three times a week maximum.'
Lower back raise
Lie on your stomach, hands by your sides, chin resting gently on the floor. Slowly raise your chest and shoulders three to four inches and gently lower. 'Squeeze your glutes as you raise to accentuate engagement of the erector spinae,' says Chin, who suggests two sets of 10-15 repetitions. The erector spinae can strain easily, 'so don't overtax them''.
Superman
On all fours, back straight, extend your right arm until it is straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, at the same time raising your left leg straight behind you, parallel to the floor. Hold for five seconds, lower your right arm and left leg and repeat on the opposite side. This works the erector spinae, trapezius and shoulders, 'and because it's a unilateral exercise — using one arm at a time — it's also good for balance,' Chin says. 'Start with a set of 10 to 20.'
Row, swim or use a cross trainer for cardio
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the rowing machine is your back's best cardio friend, the pulling motion strengthening your lats, trapezius and rhomboids (as well as shoulders, legs, arms and abdominals.) 'If you have access to a machine, do at least 15 minutes three times a week,' says Chin, who adds that elliptical cross trainers in the gym are also effective at working back muscles and swimming is 'another good cardiovascular option. Front crawl and backstroke are best for the upper back.'
Or go for a walk
If (like me) you're not a rower, don't despair. Regular walking has been linked to better posture because it activates muscles such as the erector spinae, multifidus and TVA. Keep your head up and shoulders down to avoid putting stress on your upper back.
Move every hour
Sitting, 'our bodies slowly collapse', says Weiniger, who compares a sedentary spine to 'a rusty hinge. The muscles get weaker, there's less circulation, more mechanical stress. Motion is lotion. If you've been sitting for more than 60 minutes, get up and move around a bit, intentionally.'
In other words, not with your nose in your phone. He divides the body into four 'posture zones' — the head, torso, pelvis and lower extremity (legs and feet) — all of which, when standing upright, should be symmetrical and roughly stacked on top of each other, and says: 'I like to take the stairs two at a time with an awareness that I'm standing tall to retrain the muscle memory how to stack my body.' I follow his advice — any excuse to make a cup of tea.
Shoulder shrug
Hunching our shoulders — which most of us do unthinking when typing or looking at our phones — puts constant strain on our trapezius, leading to a stiff upper back and an unsightly hunch. To get out of the habit, Weiniger suggests this exercise while sitting at your desk: 'Breathe in. Shrug your shoulders as high as you can, arms by your side, palms facing forwards. Keeping your shoulders up, pull your shoulder blades back, slowly push your shoulders down and breathe out. Do this once an hour.' My posture has improved in the nine months I've been doing this.
Door-frame hang
To stretch the chest muscles, which get weaker and tighter as the shoulders slump, stand in an open doorway, feet hip-width apart, hands on either side of the frame, and lean forward until you feel a stretch. 'Your elbows should be in line with your shoulders, shoulders down, and keep your head back. Hold for five slow breaths,' Weiniger says.
The Swiss ball stretch
To mobilise the spine, sit on a Swiss ball and roll forward slowly until your shoulders touch the ball, then your head, 'and then relax and lean back', Weiniger says. You should roll back over the ball until you feel a comfortable stretch, spine supported by the ball. 'Hold for five slow breaths. To get up, focus on aligning your pelvis under your torso. Bend your knees to drop your pelvis down, tuck your chin to your chest and walk your feet back to push your pelvis into the ball and roll up, sitting tall.'
Thread the needle
'On all fours, bring your right arm under your left, palm facing up, passing through the space between your left knee and body, gently resting your right cheek on the floor or a pillow while keeping your right arm extended,' Tuffrey says. 'Hold for a few seconds and repeat on the other side.' This improves the rotation of the thoracic spine in the upper and middle back, which we can lose as we get lazy in our daily movements and turn our whole body to, say, reach for an object or look at something behind us instead. I do this while watching TV in the evening.
Cat-cow
This yoga pose, which stretches the back and front of the body, 'is great for spinal mobility,' Tuffrey says. 'On all fours, round your spine, gently tucking your chin towards your chest while drawing your navel to your spine. Simultaneously lengthen the crown of your head and tailbone away from each other, drawing the chest slightly forward and extending the spine.'
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