Calisthenic Back Exercises With No Equipment. Keeping palms planted and arms straight, step feet back as far as you can maintain control and level hips, aiming to bring shoulders behind hands and lower body toward floor. Pull-ups have long been rated as the number one back development exercise. That’s fine. Your scapulas should be the only part of your body that is moving, though it will lower your torso by a few inches each rep. That’s one rep. How to: Start standing with feet under hips and arms bent, fingertips resting behind head, elbows wide. The band will give you the extra push that you need at the start of the movement. This exercise very accurately simulates the lat pull-down movement that is performed on a weight machine. Keeping elbows wide and most weight on right foot, quickly stand, twisting torso to the right, keeping hips facing forward, and squeezing glutes. Allow your other arms to hang at your side. The Best Bodyweight Back Exercises You Can Do At Home. That’s one rep. Jump up to grab the bar with a wide grip. Without bending your arms, squeeze your scapulas (shoulder blades) together then push them apart. Complete four sets of 12 to 15 reps of each move, rest for a minute, then continue to the next move. All Rights Reserved. Complete four sets of 12 to 15 reps, rest for a minute, then continue to your next move. Hold the top position for two seconds. How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms bent with palms flat on floor close to ribs and elbows pointed toward ceiling. Lift palms off the floor, squeezing shoulder blades together, then extend arms straight overhead until biceps are by ears. After a week or two, however, you should be up to between 20-30 seconds. How to: Start on all fours with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips. Standing on the chair, your head should be a few inches below the level of the bar. Your arms should be a few inches off the ground. Bring your straight arms down to your sides to touch them to your torso. As you come down, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Place a bar or similar item such as a sturdy broomstick between two uprights, about three feet from the ground. Pause at the top, then return to start. Targets your abs, back, shoulders, etc. Return to start. Pause at the top, then return to start and repeat on opposite side. Hold the extended position for a second. To address back problems, it’s necessary to attack the entire core region, which is why we turn to moves that open the hips, lengthening and strengthening to put our bodies back in proper alignment. Place your hands in an extended position in front of you with your palms spread out. In terms of the back itself, the pull-up will directly stimulate the latissimus dorsi muscles, or lats. Then push through feet, squeeze glutes, and reverse the movement to return to start. Lift hips one inch off the floor. Back extension with fitball Using a fitball, you can build lower back stability and strength by engaging the spinal erectors — a set of muscles that run along the length of your spine — … Since a major reason for sculpting your core (other than visible muscle definition in your midsection, obvs) is to be able to stand taller and properly transfer weight between your upper and lower body, a key to strength training, it’s important to work both sides of your torso. But when it comes to building a strong core, you don't want to forget about your back (which is part of your core, FYI). Without swinging, hold this top pull-up position for as long as you can. Grab a hold of the top of the bench for support. Move fists one inch forward while keeping back straight and not leaning torso forward or folding and waist. Also included are videos and how to's showing you exactly how to do each exercise with perfect form. Front Lever Training Tutorial Written (Short). Pull through the lats to lift your body directly up until your chin reaches the level of the bar. In the top position, your thumbs should be facing in toward your sides. How to: Start lying on stomach, with legs straight, toes tucked, arms bent, elbows pointed toward ceiling, and palms close to body in line with ribs. 4. Focus on feeling the engagement in the erector spinae muscles of your lower back. Keeping your entire body taut (tight core and neutral spine), propel your body forward without moving your hand position or bending your elbows. This is one of the healthiest bodyweight back exercises, if you want to train your lower back at a relatively low intensity without putting too much strain on your spine! Engage abs, then exhale and push the floor away until arms are straight. Continue through to bring your body up to a fully extended position. The truth is that they are actually the best overall developer of your upper body in general. Slowly lower to the start position. Get into a push-up position, with hands slightly outside of shoulder width. Pull arms back to starting position. Bodyweight training of the back requires that you pay special attention to protracting, retracting, and isolating the various muscles that make up that part of your body. Then, in order, point toes to place tops of feet flat on mat, tuck pelvis under, draw navel toward spine, round upper back toward ceiling, and curl chin toward chest. Bend your elbows to drop your chest down to the ground, squeezing your back at the bottom of the movement. Squeeze right glute, then return to start. Kristie Larson is a NASM-certified personal trainer at FitHouse and Rise by We in New York City. What's more, you don't need intense equipment or a gym to build your back—all you need is your own bodyweight. Second, they put 100% of their time and energy into repeating those exercises in a strategic way, by following the right bodyweight back workouts. You should accomplish this by driving your elbows into the floor. Ready to give your back some much deserved attention? How to: Start seated on a chair with legs bent, feet flat, arms straight and extended down toward floor, elbows by thighs, and torso tilted forward at 45-degree angle.