You don’t need a fully equipped gym to build a strong, muscular back . Although pulley exercises in the machine room are effective, all you really need to work your back effectively is your own body weight. Here are the best bodyweight exercises for back and upper body strengthening .
7 bodyweight back exercises you can outside of the gym
Pull-up
This is one of the best bodyweight exercises for the back, specifically it works the lats, traps, biceps and core . To do so, follow these steps:
- Grab an overhead chin-up bar and hang with your arms fully extended.
- Squeeze your core and lats to bring your shoulder blades together and bring your chest closer to the bar.
- Pause and then lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended.
To further work on your lats, widen your grip so your hands are wider than shoulder width apart.
Chin-up
Like the pull-ups, the chin-up works the lats, shoulders, upper back muscles, and core, but focuses primarily on the biceps . To do so, follow these steps:
- Hang from a chin-up bar with a downward grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Squeeze your core and shoulder blades to push yourself up until your chin clears the bar.
- Pause and then lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended again.
Cobra pose
The cobra pose is another of the best bodyweight back exercises to strengthen your spine. To perform this traditional yoga posture, follow these steps:
- Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended back. Move your hands forward so they are directly below your shoulders, with your elbows tight at your sides.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades to open your chest. Keeping your elbows bent at your sides, press down on the palms of your hands and the tops of your feet to lift your chest off the ground . The goal is to stretch your arms, but make sure you only lift your chest to a height that is comfortable for you and without straining your lower back.
- Keep your neck neutral and open your chest, moving your shoulders away from your ears.
- Hold a few breaths.
Superman
The superman exercise helps you improve your posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine . Follow these steps to perform the correct technique:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended above your head and your legs extended.
- Keeping your neck aligned with your spine, lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor simultaneously, while squeezing your glutes.
- Pause briefly and then lower yourself back down to the ground.
Inverted rowing
The inverted row is one of the best bodyweight exercises for the back, as it is quite comprehensive. It targets the major muscle groups of the back, abs, and biceps. These are the steps to do it:
- Place a bar on two chairs separated in parallel and with enough space between them so that you can lie down between them. Lie on your back on the floor underneath them so that the bar is on your chest. Make sure the bar is secure.
- Hold the bar in an overhead grip, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Your arms should be fully extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Heels should be hip-width apart . (If keeping your legs straight is too difficult, bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.)
- Squeeze your shoulder blades to bring your chest closer to the bar .
- Pause and lower yourself back to the starting position while maintaining control.
Pilates swimming
This yoga exercise will help you strengthen your back muscles and maintain correct posture on a day-to-day basis . These are the steps to carry it out:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms stretched over your head and your legs extended.
- Raise your arms, chest, and legs off the ground. Keep your neck in line with your spine and squeeze your glutes.
- With your arms, chest, and legs raised, begin to lift your opposite arm and leg in small movements. Alternately move the right arm with the left leg, and the left arm with the right leg.
- Continue alternating for all reps.
Plank with one arm raised
Work your upper and middle back muscles with this plank variation. To do this exercise, follow these steps:
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your legs extended . Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your abs and lift one hand off the floor. Move your elbow toward your ribs, keeping it close to your side. Keep your hips parallel to the ground and don’t let your lower back sag.
- Put your hand back on the ground and repeat with the other arm. Keep alternating for the next few reps.
