I am not going to deny it: I’m proud of my derrière. Genetic is quite friendly with Brazilian women and I am not an exception. Of course that without all the squats, leg presses, lunges, etc, only a miracle to fight aging and gravity.
However, there are other important muscles on the back besides the gluteus that deserve as much attention when training for a great physique.
Training Thursday: Baby Got Back, not just bootie
One of the topics we already discussed on the first class of the Physical Trainer course was posture. The way a person stands or sits is crucial not only for the relief of stress to the joints. Those interested in practicing sports should take their usual stance into consideration when picking exercises too.
Having in mind the things I learned and doing my best to put them into practice, I made some adjustments to the plan I had put together for the week. Sunday is fun day, so I generally to do legs. Since Saturday is my rest day, my body is relaxed and I am ready to give it all. To make it even more exciting this time, I did hamstrings. And for the second body part, I picked back!
I did only 3 exercises per body part (4 sets of 10 repetitions), making sure that I was focusing on different muscles with each one. For the back, my workout consisted of:
- assisted pull-ups
- cable row
- straight bar pull down
One of the most frequent mistakes I see at the gym is that instead of working the muscles from the back, a lot of people just use their arms. If you are doing a row (with dumbbell, cable or row machine), make sure you pick up challenging, but manageable, weights and that you squeeze the muscles of your back when contracting them. Do not just push the handles, work your trapezius. When doing pulldowns, work your lats. If you do not have neck problems, try pulling the bar behind your head. It will make it harder to turn the pulldown into a chest press.
Back Muscles
By training wisely, you can not only prevent injuries, but also accelerate your progress. My upper body is a work in progress, however I have much more muscle definition on my back than most guys I train with who lift weights much heavier than me. It is true that a balanced diet contributes a lot for that. Still, I make the best out of my workouts with the tools that I have. It does play a major role in my progress.
Some people do not understand why I prefer not chit-chatting during training. The thing is that I really like to focus all my attention in what I am doing. I always go for PRs. I feel every single contraction of my body and I observe how it reacts to my movements. When working out, I find it extremely important to be mindful to achieve more, to feel the tension on the right place for better results.
And you? How important is ‘form’ for you? Do you actively think about your posture during strength training or running? Do you do any visualization practice when practicing sports?
To log my workouts, I have been using the application The Fitness Games. If you want to join (or challenge) me, make sure you download it and add me to your workout partners. My username is debbieinshape .
The Fitness Games App
Train hard and wise!
#DebbieinShape
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieInShape
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/debbieinshape
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebbieInShape
- Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debbieinshape/
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/104966489810408220684/