It’s completely normal for a person to want to prioritize a particular muscle group over others. We each have our favorite muscle groups to train. And while there’s nothing wrong with favoring a particular muscle group as opposed to completely neglecting a muscle group, there are many reasons why you might want to consider putting an added focus on your back muscles.
Why Should You Train Your Back?
Physical Aesthetics
Whether you’re a bodybuilder or you’re an average gym-goer who simply wants to look as good as possible, training your back gives you the coveted V-taper, which starts with broad shoulders and tapers down to a slim waist. It also helps create symmetry between your anterior muscles and your posterior muscles.
Muscular Stability
Another benefit of training your back is that it helps you maintain good posture. It helps keep your shoulders from rounding over and it also helps keep your back straight. Good posture allows you to perform exercises properly, whether you’re doing a bench press, a five-mile run, or even just moving furniture, thereby avoiding injury.
Balanced Development
Working your back helps pave the way for the development of other muscle groups and it also helps prevent injury. For example: If you want to develop your core through crunches, having a weak back could mean that you eventually experience pain in your lower back. This will not happen if you’ve been training your back well.
What Are The Best Back Workouts?
Bent-Over Rows
This exercise helps develop back thickness and it also improves pulling strength, which you’re going to be making a lot of use of when you’re working out your back muscles. This is what’s going to set you up for more advanced back exercises like the deadlift.
Deadlifts
The deadlift is one of the best exercises for total body mass and muscle strength development because this exercise doesn’t just work out the back, it also engages the glutes, the traps, arms, and strengthens grip. The deadlift is also what’s going to train you for carrying heavy objects.
Lat Pull-Downs
The lat pull-down is an accessory exercise that’s great for increasing back muscle hypertrophy while also targeting the latissimus dorsi muscles which, when trained along with rhomboid exercises, create the coveted V-shape. However, the true value of the lat pull-down is in how it prepares you for pull-ups. If you’re currently unable to do pull-ups, lat pull-downs are going to help you strengthen your back muscles to a point where you can finally do pull-ups.
Pull-Ups
The pull-up is almost as iconic as the push-up for good reason. This exercise contributes greatly to the development of upper body strength and mastery of the pull-up can also allow you to perform more advanced bodyweight exercises such as kipping pull-ups and muscle-ups. The pull-up is an important exercise to master whether or not you plan on delving into the world of calisthenics.
Back exercises are far from the least liked workouts, however, the benefits of training your back muscles may not be as apparent as training your chest or arms. Remember to train every muscle group in your body properly so that you’re able to develop your muscles in a more holistic manner.