Smash through your strength plateaus with these great exercises for the upper back!
The upper back is often one of the first casualties of "mirror training". Mirror training is the training system that most lifters seem to be following today,
and it involves training only the muscles you can see in the mirror. This typically means the biceps, pecs, and abs.
The problem with this style of training is not only that it makes you look bad from behind, but also that it can lead to ton of injuries. This style of training results in strong, tight muscles on the front of the body, and weak, loose muscles on the back. This situation can put joints in a bad situation, especially the shoulder joint.
To avoid this it is important keep a balance among all of the types of work you do. One of the simplest ways to do this is to match the amount of presses you do with an equal amount of rowing. So if you do 4 sets of 8 on the bench press and 3 sets of 12 on the incline press, you have a total of 68 reps. This is now your target volume for rows and other upper back exercises. You don't need to match this number exactly, just be somewhere in the same area. This volume goal could be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as 2 different exercises for 3 sets of 12 each (72 total reps), or one exercise for 5 sets of 12 (60 total reps).
This simple strategy will go a long way in preventing shoulder injuries and will improve your upper back size greatly. So let's take a look at some exercises to use with this strategy.
Chest Supported Rows
Free weight, cable, and bodyweight exercises should be staples of your program, but there some machines that are worthwhile as well. The chest supported row is one such machine. The exercise is fairly simple: just put your chest on the pad and grab the handles and start rowing. The key here is to stick your chest out throughout the exercises and avoid rounding your shoulders forward. You should emphasize pulling the shoulder blades together and downwards.
Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
Inverted Rows
Trainees should develop a base level of strength with body weight exercises before moving on to barbell and dumbbell exercises, so the inverted row works well here. The simplest way to perform the exercise is to set-up a bar in the Smith machine just above waist height. You will then lay face up on the floor under the bar and reach up and grab it with both hands using an overhand grip just outside your shoulder-width. From here, raise your hips off the floor so that only your heels are on the floor. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heel. From this position squeeze the shoulder blades together and pull yourself towards the bar. Keep pulling until the bar touches your lower chest or upper abs. Lower back to the starting position and repeat.
To make the exercise more challenging, try putting your feet up on a box or wearing a weight vest. Most lifters will find these modifications unnecessary at first, as the exercise is fairly difficult already.
Start out with 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
Cable Scarecrows
This is a great finishing exercise for the upper back that really focuses-in on some the smaller muscles of the upper back. Set-up facing a double cable stack set at waist height. Grab the left handle with your right hand, and the right handle with your left hand. Take a step back and have your arms out in front of your with your elbows straight. From this position pull your shoulder blades together and open your arms up as wide as possible. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement for the desired number of reps.
Perform 2 to 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
And you're done! This simple workout shouldn't take more than 30-40 minutes. You can combine this with other body parts or perform this on its own day.
