Back Exercises
LYING NARROW LAT PULLDOWNS
Muscles worked: This exeivise emphasizes the
latissimus dorsi, teres major and rear deltoid
which make up the large pulling muscles of
your upper back and eliminates the biceps
fl'om tire movement.
Pulley position: Narrow only.
Starting position:
• Lie oi1 yore back oil tire bench, head toward
the Power Rods. Your buttocks will
eventually be off tire end of tire bench.
• Slip your arms through the handles and slide
the cuff just past your elbows and tighten
CLIffs,
• Grasp tire cable with your pahns facing
inward and slide your body down along tire
bench far enough that your arms are frilly
extended, knees bent and feet flat on the
floor.
• Although they will be overhead, position
your upper arms shoulder width or slightly
wider.
• Tighten your abdominals to stabilize your
spine while maintaining a very slight arch in
the lower back.
Shoulder Extension (with elbow flexion)
Motion:
• Initiate the movement by polling your
shoulder blades down toward yore bottom
while sinmltaneously polling your elbows
forward to the front, then down and back
toward the sides of the torso.
• Slowly return to the starting position,
allowing your arms and shoulder blades to
move back up toward the Power Rods
without relaxing.
Key points:
• Do not lose spinal alignment.
• Keep tire lats tightened throughout the entire
motion.
• Release yore shoulder blades at tire end of
each rep and initiate each new rep by
depressing your shoulder blades.
• This exeivise may also be performed by
grasping tire handles, although you will have
to slide farther down the bench to create
starting position tension.
START
FINISH
LOW BACK EXTENSION Seated (with hip extension)
Muscles worked: This exeivise emphasizes the
muscles in your low back (erector spinae and
deep spinal muscles) that are necessai T for
providing stabilization and protection for the
spine. The lower back muscles are challenged
isometrically jr/st like they should be used
when lifting and carrying in daily li%. The
gltlteus maximus and the hamstrings are also
strengthened at the hip.
Pulley position: Narrow only.
Starting position:
• Sit on tire bench facing the Power Rods.
• Spread tire cuffs flora the handles and slide
them over the forearms up to tire elbows.
• Place heels on tire end of tire platform, bend
the knees conffortably, cross your arms in
flont of your chest and pull handles tightly
to your chest.
• Sit up straight, lift your chest, tighten your
trunk nmscles and maintain a slight aivh in
your lower back.
• Pinch your shoulder blades together slightly.
• Lean forward from the hips slightly letting
out some of tire tension in the cables.
Motion:
• Keeping your chest lifted, move yore entire
torso backward as a trait by pivoting at
tire hips.
• Slowly retmn to tire starting position
without slouching or changing spinal
alignment.
Key points:
• Keep your chest liPLedand a very slight arch
in your lower back at all times.
• Move from tire hips only', not your waist. Do
not increase or decrease tire arch in your
lower back during the movement.
Alternate motion:
• From tire same starting position, sit erect
and slowly allow your spine to flex forward
maintaining control of the weight.
• Slowly straighten and extend your
spine/trunk to a conffortable aivh.
• Repeat with control.
• This version will require less weight than tire
exelcise above.
START
FINISH
33
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