Building Back Muscle

A useful guide on "Building Back Muscle".

The human back muscle forms a large part of the human body and has importance due to a number of reasons. The most important purpose of the back muscle is to support the spine which plays host to a number of vital roles related to the functioning of the human body. A damaged spine can result in paralysis and even death which is why it is necessary to protect it as best we can. Additionally our back muscles are used in almost every movement and this is why it is both helpful and practical to for them to be strong.

Back Muscles

• Multifidus spinae – These muscles facilitate spine movement from top to bottom.
• Intervertebral – These muscles facilitate movement between the vertebrae themselves.
• Trapezius – This is the muscle that runs across the back connecting the shoulders. It is large, flat and quadrilateral-shaped.
• Latissimus dorsi – These are muscles that resemble the ribcage at the back. They protect the ribs and body organs.

A Strong Back

The back’s main function is to support the head and the whole body trunk. It is also supposed to make movement easy. Due to this, the back needs to stay strong to provide the support that the whole body requires. In order to have a strong back, it is necessary to build the muscle which can be done through exercises targeting specific muscles. Although some people may wish to build up specific parts of their back since emphasis may be put on more common actions; it is more important to build the muscles evenly.

In order to build the back muscles uniformly, one needs to undertake exercises that focus on the following:

• Upper back building exercises. Exercises such as close-grip chin ups or shoulder shrugs are meant for building the upper back muscles. This exercise doesn’t apply to the entire back.

• Middle back building exercises. These are meant to produce strongly built middle back muscles. Exercises such as T-bar rows and Barbell rows are suitable.

• Lower back building muscles. Exercises such as Bent-over Barbell rows and Heavy Deadlifts are suitable in building lower back muscles.

Time and Dedication

Building back muscles is not a one-day affair. It takes time and dedicated training in order to achieve the desired results. Consider designing a workout schedule that includes working out the back at least twice a week. Remember that although the back is generally quite strong it is important to take care not to push it too hard, especially in the early training stages. In the same respect, stretching and warming up the back before weight training will prevent unnecessary injuries and problems. The good news in regards to back exercises is that they are generally compound exercises which means that more than one muscle group will get worked at the same time.