Do you want a strong, healthy back? The following back workout at home trains your back muscles effectively and ensures healthy, strong shoulders.
The workout was designed in such a way that it is easily scalable and therefore suitable for every training level ! Whether you are a beginner or an expert – sore muscles and effective growth stimuli are guaranteed.
The best thing about it: You don’t need dumbbells or machines. One set of rings is enough. If necessary, a sturdy table or simply two chairs + a broomstick can do.
Bodyweight Rows: The forgotten basic exercise
You probably know that pull-ups promise effective back training. However, it is very useful to work in the often neglected horizontal plane of movement – and there is no exercise better than bodyweight rows!
In addition to the broad back muscles (aka latissimus), you also train the rhombus muscles and the lower trapezium (i.e. the middle area of the back) and thus deliver a balanced development of the complex back muscles. They are also secondary Support muscles of the core area involved.
Tip: The incline of your body determines how large the effective part of your body weight is. The more upright your upper body, the easier the exercise. If you need it more difficult, you can position your feet higher, e.g. on a chair.
Effective back workout at home
The following workout takes an average of 15-25 minutes and can be completed 3 times a week (at least 48 h break between the units). The ladder method is used, i.e. the pause times increase with the repetitions and thus continuously enable the sweet spot (i.e. to train in the area that brings progress).
This is how it’s done:
- Increase the number of repetitions by 1 with each set, starting with 1.
- Pause for each repetition of the previous set for 10 seconds (e.g. if you did 3 reps – > 30 sec break)
- Increase the repetitions until you can no longer manage the required repetitions in a set, then pause according to the targeted number of repetitions and then do a last set with InfinityReps (InfinityReps means: begin in the last sentence only start counting repetitions when you don’t think you can do any more (to really push yourself to your limits).
Example:
1 repetition of bodyweight rows, 10 sec. break, 2 reps., 20 sec. break, 3 reps., 30 seconds break,…. , 6 repetitions, 60 sec rest. The next set now requires 7 repetitions. Let’s say you can only do 5 reps. Then pause for 70 seconds anyway and do one last set with InfinityReps (as many reps as possible).
This scheme corresponds to one round. After a full lap, pause for 5 minutes and then start another lap. Two total rounds are the perfect dose for many people to effectively train their back and shoulders. Very advanced can also do a third round.
You can expect this progress
As you can see, this training scheme pushes you to your limits regardless of your current fitness level and thus enables incredibly effective back training.
If you do this workout 3 times a week, you will be able to SEE clear successes already after 4-6 weeks.
I therefore recommend that you take a photo beforehand and measure the chest circumference with the tape measure (the chest size is largely determined by the width of the back muscles). This allows you to log your successes.
After 6 weeks you should vary your training.
Possible combinations
For a balanced development of the upper body muscles, it is of course advisable to train the pressing muscles at the same time. Not those of the intestines, but pectorals, triceps and front shoulders.
This back workout for at home can be perfectly combined with this effective 10 minute chest workout, because both workouts work in the same plane of movement, but challenge opposing muscles.
This article will tell you how you can ideally combine chest and back training, i.e. achieve a healthy mix of agonist and antagonist.