Back exercises

Your back is made up of three smaller muscles:

• Latisimus dorsi
• Rhomboids - middle / upper back
• Erector spinae - lower back

These three muscles, along with smaller supporting muscles deep beneath the skin's surface, play a huge role in almost everything you do, from swinging a golf club to sitting at the dinner table.

The latisimus dorsi (also known as lats) runs along the sides of your back. Your lats help you extend, rotate, and pull your arms to your body. These actions are important in pulling movements, from rowing to climbing.

The rhomboids are made up of two smaller muscles, major and minor. The rhomboids are located between your shoulder blades and the spine.

The erector spinae runs along the lower part of the spine supporting the lower back. Your erector spinae helps you to twist, bend down, straighten up, sit up straight and almost all human movement.

Below are a number of exercises which will allow you to exercise each area of your back muscles. Simply click on the name of an exercise to watch a free video demonstration of that exercise.

Back exercises: Video demonstrations

 Back extensions
 Back extensions (Weighted)
 Bent over row
 Close grip pull downs
 Close grip pull ups
 Deadlift 
 Front lat pull downs 
 Good mornings
 One arm row
 Partner assisted pull ups
 Pull ups
 Seated row
 Seated row (wide grip)
 T bar rowing

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