Back Exercises

Upper Back:
Basic Exercise:
1. The Pull Up:
This is for your upper back or the so called "wings" or "lats" which give your torso the v-shape. For this you will need a ledge or a bar to hang from. Hang from the bar with your hand about shoulder widthe apart and hands holding the bar or beam such that the palms are facing front and away from you. Pull your body up and try to touch your chest to the bar. Hold it there for about a second. Come down in a controlled manner. The complete motion is taken as one pull up. Breathe out while going up and in while coming down. Do six to twenty pull ups. In most sports shops you can get a simple to carry apparatus called the 'zim-bar'. It is a telescopic rod about two and a half feet wide. It can be placed in a doorway and rotated outward to fit into the door frame with suction pads to act as a pull up bar.

a. Chin Ups: It is the same as for pull ups, except that the hands face inwards to catch the bar a manner that the palms are facing towards the body. Chins up reduce the upper back component of the pull up while making the biceps work more.

b. Incline Pull Up: Rest the bar on two surfaces level with each other and hang from the bar with your feet extended and resting on the floor. Do the pull up from this position. This exercise can be done if you find the pull up difficult to perform.

c. One Arm Rowing: This essentially is an exercise done in the gym using dumbbells. But when travelling, the dumbbells can be replaced by a bucket of water or some other alternate resistanmce. Take the support of a wall with one hand, while catching the bucket with the other. Extend the leg opposite to the hand holding the bucket with the knee bent. Keep your lower torso tight and pull the bucket upto your side till as high as possible. Breathe out when doing this and breathe in while going back to the initial position.