- Stand tall with your legs extended straight.
- Bend over from the hips and touch the floor with your palms flat on the floor.
- Keep your legs straight as you walk your hands as far forward as you can. Don’t let your hips sag.
- Take small steps and walk your feet to your hands.
- Continue for the desired amount of repetitions and then straighten up to the starting position.
Middle and Upper Back
1 min
·
6 exercises
Inchworms
Supermans
Back Extensions
Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows
Single Arm Dumbbell Bench Rows
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns
This Middle and Upper Back 1 min gym workout plan effectively targets your abs, back and legs. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 6 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!
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For more pre-planned training plans and hundreds of workouts, check out Fit – a simple workout app you will love! Follow visual workouts, manage your training calendar, build your own routines, track your progress and more. Join thousands of Fit users and sign up today to claim your free week!
Middle and Upper Back
1 min
·
6 exercises
Inchworms
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Lower Back
Secondary:
Biceps, Calves, Chest, Forearms, Shoulders
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs
- Get into a face down position on the floor supporting your upper body on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.
- Extend your legs straight out behind you, supporting them on your toes and balls of your feet.
- Keep your body in a straight line by tightening your abdominal and oblique muscles.
- Hold for as long as possible.
For extra balance training and core strengthening, you can lift one arm or leg.
Supermans
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs
- Lie face down on a mat, with your arms fully extended above your head and your legs fully extended behind you.
- Lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor by arching your back. Only the tops of your quads and your lower abdomen should be in contact with the floor.
- Hold for a count of 2 while squeezing your abdominals and obliques.
- Return to the starting position for a count of one, then repeat.
This exercise can be done using one arm and it's opposite leg at a time. For example, right arm and left leg raised while your left arm and right leg remain on the floor. This method of execution allows you to use the free hand to push down on the floor to lift your chest higher from the ground.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings
- Lie face down on a hyper extension bench with your upper thighs and lower hips on the support pad. You must be able to bend at the waist freely.
- Lock your ankles under the footpads.
- Start with your body in a straight line head to toe.
- Place your arms across your chest, behind or at the side of your head.
- Slowly bend forward by relacing your, back and abdominal muscles.
- Continue as far as possible without rounding your back or raising your thighs from the support pad. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.Hold for a count of one.
- Return to the start position by contracting your back and abdominal muscles until your body is once again straight. Do not arch your back up at the end of the movement. Pause and repeat.
As your strength and flexibility increase, you can hold a weight plate against your chest for extra resistance.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
- Lie prone on a swiss ball with your feet hip width apart. You can place your feet against a wall for better stability. Clasp your hands behind your head with elbows pointing out.
- Engage your abs and raise your torso off the ball, hyperextending your spine.
- Return your torso to the ball to the starting position.
Back Extensions
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings
- Lie face down on a hyper extension bench with your upper thighs and lower hips on the support pad. You must be able to bend at the waist freely.
- Lock your ankles under the footpads.
- Start with your body in a straight line head to toe.
- Place your arms across your chest, behind or at the side of your head.
- Slowly bend forward by relacing your, back and abdominal muscles.
- Continue as far as possible without rounding your back or raising your thighs from the support pad. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.Hold for a count of one.
- Return to the start position by contracting your back and abdominal muscles until your body is once again straight. Do not arch your back up at the end of the movement. Pause and repeat.
As your strength and flexibility increase, you can hold a weight plate against your chest for extra resistance.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs
- Lie face down on a mat, with your arms fully extended above your head and your legs fully extended behind you.
- Lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor by arching your back. Only the tops of your quads and your lower abdomen should be in contact with the floor.
- Hold for a count of 2 while squeezing your abdominals and obliques.
- Return to the starting position for a count of one, then repeat.
This exercise can be done using one arm and it's opposite leg at a time. For example, right arm and left leg raised while your left arm and right leg remain on the floor. This method of execution allows you to use the free hand to push down on the floor to lift your chest higher from the ground.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders
- Lean forward into an incline bench
- Using a neutral grip, hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms are facing in.
- Your arms should be fully extended and hanging straight down. This is the start position.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and flex your elbows to pull the dumbbells up to your sides.
- Hold and squeeze your shoulder and back muscles.
- Return to the start position in a slow, controlled movement.
- Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
- Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
- With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps
- Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
- Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
- Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
- Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
- Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
- Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
- Hold for a count of one.
- Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
- Repeat.
Do not swing or rock back and forth as you perform this exercise. Doing so can cause lower back injury. <strong></strong> You can perform this exercise using a straight bar instead of a V-Bar. You can use an underhand or overhand grip.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps
- Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
- With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
- Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
- Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
- Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.
Single Arm Dumbbell Bench Rows
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps, Shoulders
- Place a dumbbell on each side of a flat bench.
- Place your right knee on the end of the bench.
- Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand on the bench in front of you for support.
- With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you.
- Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position.
- Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so.
- At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles.
- Return to the start position inhaling as you do so. Repeat.
- Complete all repetitions for one side before switching sides.
This exercise can be performed using a cable station, with a stirrup handle attached to either the high or low pulley.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
- Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
- With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
- Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
- Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
- Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps
- Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
- With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
- Set up a cable station with a straight bar attached to the top pulley.
- Sit on the seat facing the station. Keep your feet flat and planted firmly on the floor.
- Using an overhand grip, hold the bar as wide as comfortable. (Your hands should be about 1 1/2 – 2 times body width apart.)
- Lean back slightly without arching your back.
- Pull the bar towards the top of your chest using your shoulders while arcing your elbows out to the sides of your body.
- At the end of the movement squeeze you shoulders together slightly and hold for a count of one.
- Return to the start position by arcing your elbows forward while relaxing your shoulders.
- Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders
- Standing under a pull-up bar, reach up and hold onto the bar with an overhand grip. Make sure your hands are about twice your shoulder width apart.
- Keep your arms straight and hang from the bar so that your arms are taking all of your weight.
- Keeping your body straight and not swinging your weight, pull your body up towards the bar by pulling your elbows down towards your torso at an angle.
- Continue lifting until your chest is nearly touching the bar. You should feel a “squeeze” at the base of your lats (about midway down your back and to the side) as they contract.
- Once your lats have completely contracted at the top of the movement, slowly lower your body to the starting position.
- Repeat.
By using a wide grip, your lats are doing most of the lift, rather than your biceps. It doesn't matter if you keep your legs straight or bent at the knees with your feet crossed. The important thing is that you do not use your legs to assist in lifting your body weight. As your strength increases, you can add weight by using a weight belt.
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