Got Back?

I was really tempted to begin this post with a clip of Sir Mix A Lot singing his trademark song, but restraint got the best of me so you'll have to go to YouTube if you need to scratch that itch.  

Tonight, my wife and I were watching Idol while munching on shrimp and spinach salads when JLo stood up to clap and cry for Josh Ledet.  JLo happened to be wearing a really fantastic backless dress. I don't pretend to know much about women's fashion but I do know that JLo looked hot in that dress and her back and famous glutes were the reason why.  Becca looked over at me and said, "I wanna wear a dress like that.  What do I have to do?" 


The funny thing is, the physique critic in me thinks JLo could actually use some help in the rhomboid, latissimus dorsi, and posterior deltoid areas.  Seriously, if you want to look at female celebrities with great backs, check out Jessica Biel and Hilary Swank.

So what does my wife have to do to get a Jessica Biel-esque back?  Lift weights.  Lift fairly heavy weights with very little rest in between sets.  In my opinion, everyone's back training should have at least 3 components:  A vertical pull like a pullup, chinup or pulldown, a horizontal row like a bent over row, dumbbell row, or cable row, and a deadlift type movement that involves the glutes, hamstrings, and posterior chain.  If you really want to look fantastic from the rear, of course you'll need to hit your glutes, hamstrings, triceps, and posterior deltoids, so let's do all of that in these 3 workout routines: ** Some of these exercises are self explanatory while some are a bit esoteric.  YouTube and Google are your friend here, but I'll include links for a few.


Workout 1-
After a 5-10 minute warmup perform the following 4 exercises in order with no rest in between: 
1)Bent Over Dumbbell Row- 12 reps
2)Bent Over Rear Deltoid Extensions- 12 reps
3)Triceps Kickbacks-12 reps
4)Stiff legged deadlifts with dumbbells-20 reps 

You can do all 4 movements with the same dumbbells and by limiting your rest you will really burn fat while building muscle which is what most of us are looking for.  Try performing 3 rounds of the exercises the first time you do it.  Add a 4th round the next week, and a 5th round the week after, before switching back to 3 rounds with heavier weights.


Workout 2-
After a 5-10 minute warmup perform the following 4 exercises in order with very little rest in between:
1) Kettlebell swings with dumbbell (or kettlebell if you have one) 15 reps
2) Pullover and Press with curl bar 12 reps
Pullover & Press Demo
3) Cable rows 12 reps
4) Rope pulls to face on cable machine 12 reps


Utilize the same protocol as Workout 1.  Perform 3 rounds of the exercises initially and then add a round each week before dropping back down to 3 rounds with additional resistance.


Workout 3-
1)Barbell Squat and Press-Hold a barbell at shoulder height with a weight you can press overhead at least 6 times. Squat until your thighs are parallel with the ground then explosively push the weight overhead.  Crossfitters call these thrusters and they are one of the best overall body workouts you can do.  Perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps.  Instead of resting between sets, hold yourself in a plank position for as long as possible flexing your core hard.
2) Pullups, assisted pullups or pulldowns (Whatever is handy and you can do) 30 reps total.  If this takes you 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 6 reps it doesn't matter just get it done.
3) Back Extension 3 sets of 20 reps per set
4) Jumping lunges 3 sets of 8 jumps per leg


These workouts can be an addition to what you are already doing and will complement any routine in which you are performing ample conditioning work along with resistance movements for your chest, arms, shoulder, and legs.  With time, sweat and effort you may just be rocking one of these at your next red carpet event.