Upper Back Strength Exercises
- The lat muscles are responsible for adduction, pulling toward the body, and for internal rotation and extension of each shoulder joint. The lat muscles are designated for pulling. They are the largest of all the back muscles, originating at the hip, where they tie into the oblique muscles on either side of the abdomen for stabilizing purposes. The lats span up to the middle section of the back, where they tie into the upper front part of the arm.
The lat pull down exercise focuses on the movement of the elbows. Assume a wide grip with the elbows laterally extended out from each shoulder. As the elbows travel down and move in toward the sides, the lat muscles contract. As the elbows move up and return to the starting position, the lats lengthen. Always involve the lats in the full range of motion for maximum benefits. - Rhomboids function in the scapula area and are stabilizer muscles for the shoulders. As the rhomboids contract, they pull the shoulder blades together. The muscles originate at the base of the neck and drape down to the bottom of each scapula, or shoulder blade.
A seated cable row machine effectively works the rhomboids. Grip the bar with either a horizontal grip or a vertical grip. The body remains stabilized as the hands extend forward and away from the chest. To complete the move, pull the shoulders back and squeeze the scapulas together to contract the rhomboid muscles fully. Effective workouts for the rhomboids include cable machines using either an overhead position, pulling the hands down, or a rowing position, pulling the hands toward the chest. In both cases, the hands move slightly forward or up for extension and slightly back or down for contraction. - The trapezius muscle originates at the base of the skull, runs down the neck and flairs out to the shoulders. From the shoulders, the trapezius travels down and inward and comes to a point halfway down the back. This muscle is involved in a variety of functions, such as extending the head back when the shoulders are in a fixed position. The traps are responsible for raising and lowering the scapulas.
Shoulder shrugs are a common exercise for the trapezius muscles. During shoulder shrugs, the upper fibers of the trapezius contract to elevate the shoulders. As the fibers extend, the shoulders drop completing the movement of the exercise. - Muscles are synergistic, working together as they perform movements. Vertical and horizontal hand grips actuate different muscle groups that control muscle contractions in the back. Different hand positions can change the value of the back exercise, and they should be changed often to receive the full benefit of upper back exercises and to produce a variety of synergistic blends for muscle conditioning.
- Create a back strengthening program that incorporates compound joint movements of the shoulders and the elbows. Place a slight arch in the lower back to load the upper back muscles. Always maintain alignment of the spine when working out the upper back. A slight shift in position does change the load on the left and right sides of the back. Pete Egoscue emphasizes proper alignment in his book, The Egoscue Method of Healing Through Motion.
