Towel Bodyweight Back Exercises
Exercises for a Strong Back 2. We said all you need is your body for your back workouts at home. And while that’s true, we prefer to use a towel for certain exercises. Furthermore, to ensure they are challenging enough to build muscle and strength. So then, everyone has a towel at home, so we figure this is as good as having “no equipment”. With a towel, you can get a seriously killer back workout in, as you will see if you try the bodyweight back exercises in the video further below.
DO TOWEL WORKOUTS WORK?
Exercises for a Strong Back 2. Essentially, the towel is used to increase the tension on your back muscles, simply by making sure you are squeezing them and focusing on them. By pulling the towel apart during your movement, you are increasing tension. As we all know, the more tension/resistance, the more difficult the exercise becomes, and the more you can grow. So, yes, towel workouts absolutely do work. They can actually be quite brutal as you become completely focused on pulling the towel apart with each rep, which intensifies the movement tenfold.
Focus
It really makes you focus on the muscles you are targeting, breaking them down so they can grow back stronger. Focus is key with bodyweight exercises, as without it, you will eventually just be going through the motion, and that’s not ideal if you want to build muscle and get stronger. Each rep and set should be challenging, to the point where all you can think about is the exercise at hand (or, in this case, the towel in your hands).
Lat Pulldowns (with a towel)
Target: Lats, Biceps, Erector Spinae
How To Do It:
- Keep your grip on the towel wider than shoulder width.
- Ensure you keep the tension by pulling the towel tight
- Pull down towards your upper chest and keep your core tight.
- Squeeze for maximum tension with each rep.
- Hold for a count of 5, then return to the start position
- Do 10 as 1 set, try for 3 sets, or what you can manage
Low Rows (with a towel)
Target: Lats, Biceps, Teres Major/Minor
How To Do It:
- Keep your back straight, elbows tucked, knees bent, and head straight forward.
- The grip should be about shoulder-width apart.
- Pull towards your navel and squeeze.
- Pause and keep the contraction with each rep.
- Hold for a count of 5, then return to the start position.
- Do 10 as 1 set, try for 3 sets, or what you can manage
- Note: If you go overhand grip, you will target your traps and rhomboids more. Underhand, as seen in the video, targets the lats more.
Modified Snow Angel
Target: Erector Spinae, Traps, Rhomboids, Glutes
How To Do It:
- Keep arms tight and from touching the ground.
- Extend your legs back as far as they can but keep them on the floor
- Raise your head and shoulders while squeezing your abs, glutes and leg muscles
- Squeeze and pause each rep. Slow the tempo down.
- Hold for a count of 5, then return to the start position
- Do this 10 times as one set, try to do 3 sets or what you can manage.
Modified Y Superman
How To Do It
- Lie with your chest down on the floor, with your arms palm down on either side of your head, to form a ‘Y’ shape.
- Your forearms and palms remain on the floor throughout the exercise
- Squeeze your glutes and lower back using your arms to raise the top of your chest off the floor.
- Keep your hips and legs on the floor, also your forearms and hands
- Hold for a count of 5, then slowly return to the starting position.
- Do this 10 times as 1 set, do three sets or what you can manage.
Benefits of the Hollow Hold
Exercises for a Strong Back 2. The hollow hold helps strengthen the muscles that stabilize your lower back during everyday movements.
Evenly strengthened glutes, hip flexors, and abdominal muscles help keep your spine in proper alignment and avoid stress to the vertebrae and discs.
Overall, core strengthening is one of the best ways to holistically address lower back pain.
Additionally, the posterior pelvic tilt and drawn-in rib position of the hollow hold are great for relieving pressure across the entire length of your spine. The drawn-in position is among the best ways to activate the transverses abdominus muscle, which is a deep core muscle that provides spinal stability.
In Conclusion
Back exercises are especially relevant as we age because we sit too much, which, ruins our posture and creates painful lower backs. Back exercises can improve posture and help to reduce back pain problems.
Important Note *
Remember that everyone is different, it is ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find what your body responds to. So please do your due diligence before trying anything new, including getting Medical Advice to ensure your safety and peace of mind.
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2 replies on “Exercises for a Strong Back 2”
Thank you thank you thank you
Hello ADebbah, You are very welcome, all the very best, Ian