VIDEO
Barbell Back Squat
- Back
- Gluteus
- Quads
- Hamstrings
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Brad Cooper
Equipment:Barbell
Barbell Back Squat
- Back
- Gluteus
- Quads
- Hamstrings
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Brad Cooper
Equipment:Barbell
Stand with the barbell on your back and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping the core locked and chest proud, push the gluteus back first and then bend your knees to sink the hips to knee-level. Keeping the knees out, drive through the heels to return to a standing position.
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- Arms
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- Core
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- Gluteus
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- Hamstrings
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- Core
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- Legs
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- Core
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- Lower Back
- Shoulders
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Blog
Lower back muscles easily get sore and injured as well as are rather challenging to train. At the same time, these muscles are essential for one’s back health. So what is the anatomy of lower back muscles, and how to develop them? This is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article.
Lower Back Muscles: Anatomy & Functions
The lower back muscle group consists of several muscles, which are multifidus muscles, erector spinae, spinalis, and latissimus dorsi. These muscles are essential for posture, moving, and even involved in the walking process. In fact, lower back muscles are super important for normal functioning, and those people who have suffered any lower back injuries know it. In addition to that, these muscles are actively involved in the special moves in certain sports like gymnastics as well as in various dance styles. So even though these muscles seem to be small and unimportant, yet they actually have lots of functions.
Why Is It Important to Develop Your Lower Back Muscles?
Many people believe that, in terms of the spine, you only need to work on the trapezius and upper back since these muscles are essential for the right posture. Certainly, it’s not exactly true. In fact, you have to work on your entire spine to harmoniously develop all the muscles of your back. Plus, the lower back easily gets injured, especially if you lift something heavy, but if you have strong and developed lower back muscles, you can reduce the risks of having such an injury. So no matter if you are an office worker or a professional athlete or dancer, you need to work on your lower back muscles.
Workouts for the Lower Back Muscles
So how can you make your lower back muscles stronger and therefore lower your chances of getting a nasty injury? Well, here are some exercises you might want to try:
Rack pull
Harvesting apples
Bent over row
Side stretching
Barbell good morning
Belly roll
Back extension
Side plank
Superman
Glute hamstring raise
These simple exercises will no doubt help you make your lower back stronger and healthier, so do not hesitate and give them a try.
Final Thoughts
Developed lower back muscles are not only needed for professional athletes or dancers but also for those people who want to maintain their back health. So make sure to include at least a few lower back workouts into your exercise routine. Trust us, you won’t regret it.
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Upper back muscles are extremely important for the right posture, yet many people completely forget about these muscles while working out, which is a big mistake. So why are these muscles so important, and how to train them? These are the questions we will attempt to answer in this article.
What Is Upper Back?
The muscles of the upper back consist of two main parts, which are the trapezius and latissimus muscles. Apart from that, many experts also involve the back bundles of deltas in the upper back muscle group since they are involved in most workouts for the upper back muscles. At the same time, referring to these muscles as a part of the upper back is incorrect from the anatomical point of view.
The main function of the trapezius muscles is to provide the movement of the shoulder blades as well as make it possible to raise arms and lift objects. These muscles are also rather important for our posture as well as the ability to keep our back straight. At the same time, the latissimus muscles are located on both sides of the back. They resemble wings in shape and occupy almost the entire back area. These muscles are needed to pull the arms back as well as bring the shoulders to the body.
Why Do I Need to Develop My Upper Back?
So we have already figured out that the upper back muscles are responsible for the right posture as well as the ability to raise arms and lift objects, but who needs to work on their upper back? Well, a strong upper back is perhaps one of the main goals for everyone. In particular, among the people who need to work on their upper back are:
Office workers who work all day at the desk
Professional dancers and dance enthusiasts who need a strong back and perfect posture
Athletes who actively involve the neck, shoulder, and back muscles while doing their sports activities
Fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders who strive to grow muscles and harmoniously develop all muscle groups
People who want to have a nice posture
So do you belong to any of these groups? We bet you do. So make sure to add at least a few upper back exercises into your workout routine.
Best Exercises for Upper Back
To wrap up, we would like to provide you with some useful workouts for your upper back, so without any further ado, here they come:
Reverse fly
Bent over barbell row
Barbell high rows
Single-arm dead stop row
T-pulls
TRX row
Upright row
Single-arm landmine row
Y-pulls
Face pull
Seated row
Hang clean
Renegade row
These simple exercises will help you develop your upper back muscles quickly and stress-free, so make sure to give them a try.
Wrapping Up
Developed upper back muscles are essential for the right posture as well as for avoiding injuries while doing other sports activities. So no matter if you are a professional athlete or not, you still need to work on these muscles.
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People often underestimate hamstrings. Often, focusing on training the quadriceps and calves, hamstrings seem less important. However, you should remember that neglecting any muscle has aesthetic and medical consequences that can be avoided if you work it properly. The reason you shouldn't ignore these muscles is not just about the symmetry and appearance of your body. Hamstring weakness is one of the most common causes of injury in most professional athletes.
The best way to strengthen your leg muscles is to work them out properly. So let's have a look at the exercises.
Barbell 90
The main advantage of this exercise is that you don't need much equipment, just a simple barbell. Starting in a standing position and holding the barbell on your shoulders, keep your back straight. While bending your knees slightly, tense your hips, and bend forward 90 degrees. Then return to the starting position inhaling. Except for hamstrings, this exercise will also strengthen your hips and back.
Hyperextensions
Hyperextensions are a great workout for your hamstrings as well as the lower back and glute muscles. Sit on the hyperextension training machine comfortably with your heels pressed against the platform at the bottom of the trainer. Place your arms crossed in front of your chest or behind your head. Slowly lower yourself down until you inhale and feel the stretch in your lower back and leg muscles. Without stopping at the bottom point, straighten up to the starting position and exhale. Return to the beginning position then. Maintain your head in line with your torso, keeping your back straight throughout the exercise.
Tights Up
This exercise can be done on the playground with two pull-ups or simply by placing your feet on a chair or bench. We will present a variation of the home exercise.Choose a sitting position on the floor with your feet on a chair. Lift your torso with your hands so that the tights are in the air. Bending your knees, raise the tights so that your body is paralleled to the floor. Perform 7-8 repetitions.
Single-Leg and Dumbbell
The exercise requires a good sense of balance and gives you good results. With a dumbbell in your hand, bring one leg back and keep it on the floor until the end of the exercise. Then return to the previous position. Repeat this exercise several times before you have tired.
Final Words
Hamstrings may look insignificant, but that has nothing to do with the fact that you can skip working these muscles. As a matter of fact, stronger hamstrings prevent you from many injuries. Therefore, don't delay and start exercising these muscles now.
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The quadriceps is a large and strong muscle that acts as the primary extensor of the knee joint. Because the knee joint carries most of the body's weight, the quadriceps is the main muscle of the lower thigh. Weakness of this muscle, in fact, would simply make it impossible for people to maintain an upright posture. Quads are made up of the four coronary muscles: the straight, inner, outer, and middle muscles. In spite of this, during various exercises, the load falls completely on this muscle. Sure, strengthening your quads is important, so let's give a quick look at a few of the best exercises for them.
Barbell and Dumbbell Lunging
You can do lunges in many different ways. You can do this either with a barbell, or dumbbells, while walking around the gym, or from a stand-up position. Let's consider a variation where the athlete stands in a position using a barbell or dumbbell. This position is similar to the squat position with a barbell on your back. Take a step forward with your right foot. The lunge should make the thigh of the working leg to be parallel to the ground at the low point. Simultaneously, the knee of the left leg almost touches the floor, also forming a 90-degree angle. Back to the previous position. Change legs - take a step forward with your left leg.
Leg Press
The leg press takes as much of the work out of your back and hips as possible. At the same time, it allows you to train with a much heavier weight than a deep squat. In order to place the load on your quads, your feet should be shoulder-width apart while doing the leg press.
Just follow the right workout technique. Press your back and head firmly against the bench, with your legs almost completely straight and resting on the frame and your hands firmly gripping the handles. Bending the knees, form a straight angle between the thighs and calves. Lower the legs back to the previous position.
Single-Leg Squat
Make single-leg squats if you can't go to the gym to train with training machines. It is a perfect way to get your quads workout done. Because it allows you to load your legs without using extra weight. Start in a standing position, extending one leg slightly forward. While squatting down, extend the leg forward and straighten it. Get back to the previous position. Repeat at least 10 times for each leg.
Kick Squat
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly to the side, place your hands at your waist or cradle them in front of your chest. Focus on the center of your feet. Squat down horizontally at the hips, remembering to keep your back straight. Stand up shifting your weight to one side. Lift your knee to a horizontal position and make a kick with your foot. The kick should be done in one movement.
Squats With Fitness Ball
Position your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes out to the sides at a 45-degree angle. Grasp the fitness ball, keeping a tense and natural bend at the waist, straight shoulders, and neck. Holding the exercise ball, raise your arms up to shoulder height. As you inhale, begin to bend your knees to your sides, making sure they don't stick out past your toes. Your hips should go down first. Your weight is on your heels. Bring your back slightly forward as you squat down and extend your arms to lift the exercise ball over your head. Perform 30-50 repetitions.
Final Thoughts
Every person dreams of having beautiful legs, and luckily, getting great quads isn't that hard if you know what to do. So why don't you try these exercises?
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The Kardashians have created many beauty trends, one of which is having beautiful buttocks. So, in this article, we'll talk about building great gluteus muscles so you can look as attractive as Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe. Let's begin by looking at the anatomy. The glutes are made up of three main parts.
The gluteal maximum muscles, which are the largest muscles in the body, help to maintain balance when walking and running. They allow your legs to move sideways and are also responsible for contouring the shape of the buttocks.
The gluteus medius is overlaid in part by the gluteus maximus and is located at the top of the pelvis. It is involved in leg extension, lateral flexion, and body stabilization during the movement.
Finally, below is the gluteus minimus. Both are in charge of leg induction and body stabilization, as well as shaping the thigh line.
Training for the glutes
Building your glute muscles isn't easy, particularly when you're on a tight schedule. However, by working out at least three times a week and never giving up, you will quickly reach your goal. To help you achieve your goals, we've compiled the best exercises for your gluteus muscle development.
Deep squat with a barbell
This is one of the basic exercises that help to develop this muscle effectively. From the starting position - with your feet apart - lower your pelvis below the knees. Keep your lower back straight and make sure the knees do not go over your feet. Spreading your legs wider apart puts more pressure on your hips.
Romanian deadlifts
Stand up straight with a slight bend at the waist. Holding the dumbbells in both hands, bend over and pull your pelvis backward. Reaching a point just below your knees, return to start.
Dumbbell split squat
Exercise with a straight back and one leg stepping forward while the other leg is thrown into a brace behind you. Squat down and perform the exercise with both legs.
Back lunges
From the standing position, take a large step backward and drop down to form a bent-over position. Return to start and repeat this exercise for the other leg. Make sure your knee is bent at a right angle and not sticking out past your toes, do 20-30 reps. It is important to step backward precisely, maintaining rhythm and balance.
Having great gluteus is everyone's dream, and luckily, developing these muscles isn't difficult if you know the right exercises. So why not take advantage of our tips and start working towards your goal right now?
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