back workout routine

Tornado Tuesday – Attack Back Workout Routine

As I enter the gym on Tuesday for my back workout routine, I can feel the excitement in my  trapezius, rhombus and latissimus dorsi (major muscles of the back) in anticipation of what is to follow.

I took a preworkout an hour ago followed by some roasted oats in curd.  The timing seems to be perfectly right for both to blend in and give me the perfect state of body and mind to exercise. My body feels well fueled and my mind focused.

As suggested in my article, finding your fitness plan,  I altered my workouts slightly to include Muscle straightening for the back and Muscle endurance for the bicep. I would also be doing some cardiovascular endurance and stretching at the end of my workout to ensure all angles are covered.

Back Workout Routine

As I am training for strength I perform 4 sets of each of the following exercises with a rep range varying from 8 to 6 to 4 to 2 repetitions. The weights I use is above 85% of my One Rep Max for the specific exercise.

dintip- One Rep Max is the maximum weight you can life for the specific exercise for one complete repetition without breaking form. 

I usually do three sets of weighted close grip pull ups to trigger the back muscles into action. After that these are the exercise that make up my back workout routine.

Wide Grip Lat Pull Down

dintip- Ensure that your back is arched and that upper body movement is minimal while pulling down. 

One Arm Dumbbell Row

dintip- Make sure that the back is arched and you lift your elbows above your waste while lifting, and go back slow while going down. 

Cable Pull Over

Bent Over Barbell Row 

dintip- You can use some sort of a hook or grip to take the stress off your hand.

Seated Cable Rows

dintip- extend your arms fully without bending your back too much. 

 

Bicep Endurance to supplement Back Workout Routine

Here I usually go for 2-3 sets of each exercise for 12-15 repetitions with weight in between 60-80 % of my one rep max for the specific exercise.

Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Hammer Curls 

Close Grip Standing Barbell Curls 

Standing Biceps Cable Curls 

 

Cardio Vascular Endurance

I follow this up with an incline walk or fartlek on the treadmill.  I am not that big a fan of the tread mill but it can work wonders if you use it for alternative intensity movements.

Fartlek

This means speed play in Swedish. It is nothing other than what it means. You have to get on the treadmill and alternate between incline walk and a normal run continuously for 15-20 mins. You can set the speeds and incline as per your specific body type but try to challenge yourself.

Stretching

My back stretches include the bridge pose, cobra pose and child pose. I also spend some time working on some calisthenics like handstands and somersaults after this.

I customize my workout as per my specific body type and requirements. I recommend not to merely copy these workouts but to use them in order to make your own back workout routine.

 

 

 

 

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