fitness
Stop Neglecting Back Day!
Leg day, arm day, abs day… that sounds like the trainings that you should be focusing on. After all, they will give you the most desired results but here's why you should stop neglecting back day.
Leg day, arm day, abs day… that sounds like the trainings that you should be focusing on. After all, they will give you the most desired results - a round butt, beautifully toned arms and perfect abs. As much as that is true and none of the mentioned should be neglected, no one talks about the hidden gem of all the workouts - the back day. Who knew but by skipping it, you are depriving yourself of the very best results that you can achieve when working on the other parts of the body. Here is why you should never skip the back day anymore!
DURING A BACK DAY YOU ARE ALSO WORKING YOUR ARM MUSCLES
The muscles of your back are not a separate group that works apart only on the back day. They are vastly involved in all of the movements of your shoulders hence while you engage them during a workout, you are also activating the muscles of your arms and shoulders. That is particularly visible when doing exercises like pull-ups and rows when aside from the back muscles, your biceps are notably active. If you want an evenly toned, strong upper body, doing a back day during a week is a must.
A BACK DAY ALLOWS YOU TO LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS
At this very moment, notice your body’s mechanics during performing exercises like barbell squats or deadlifts. No matter if you are lifting the weight from the ground or are keeping it at the back of your shoulders, your back must be kept stable throughout the whole exercise so that the glutes and the other muscles are activated properly. Besides, it is responsible for your balance and appropriate posture.
That is why, if you have stronger, well-trained back muscles, you will quickly notice the difference in the effortlessness during your weight training. You will perform exercises with more ease and will be able to lift heavier weights - it only means faster progress during every other training at the gym.
THE BACK DAY WILL FIX YOUR POSTURE
During the very peak of a sedentary lifestyle, back pain is something we all experience at least from time to time. We are also more prone to it if trying new exercises and do not do them 100% correctly leading to a higher chance of injury.
Another one of its contributors is a bad posture that not only lowers the effectiveness of exercise but also lowers one’s day-to-day comfort and self-confidence. The back day is a solution to all of these, including the back pain and an unhealthy posture. Regularly training your back muscles strengthens them and allows them to support your spine better and keep it in its natural shape. You will feel and look better at the gym as well as outside of it.
WHAT EXERCISES TO INCLUDE DURING THE BACK DAY
Now that you know the benefits of including the back day in your training program, here are some of the best exercises that you can do to train your back.
BARBELL ROW
Stand with your legs slightly more than hip-distance apart. Grab your barbell using the inverse grip. Bend your knees and straighten them up while lifting the bar. Bend over slightly while keeping your spine erect and your neck aligned with your spine (that means no looking around!). Straighten your arms and on an inhale, pull your shoulders up while bending the elbows. On an exhale, return to the starting position.
LAT PULL DOWN
Sit stably on a bench under the bar. Make sure that your knees are fixed - if you cannot adjust the stabilizers properly, place two weights on the floor to raise the level of your knees. While keeping your arms wide, grip the bar on its both sides, sit on the bench and pull the bar down. Remember not to go too fast and to really engage and retract the shoulders and the back.
DUMBELL BENT OVER ROW
Stand with your legs slightly more than hip-distance apart. Bend over while keeping your spine erect and fixed. Your neck should be aligned. Straighten your arms in front of you. On an inhale, pull the shoulders up at once and retract them as well as the back. On an exhale, return to the starting position.
