The total masculine figure is defined by a fine-toned body and this body should be sculpted by firm muscles and a shapely body. Nothing else sends the girls drooling than a man with wide shoulders, firm arms, a flat torso, and the top-grosser: a sexy back that women can dig their fingers into at the most climactic moments. Also, a strong back is essential to your overall health since you use your back in every task – from getting up from bed to picking up your son from the floor.
The entire back is composed of many types of muscles, but the largest one is the latissimus dorsi or lats. Lats are the part that originate from the armpits down to the lower back. The outer part of the shoulders are called deltoids. The inner portion of the muscles are called trapezius and they extend to the middle of the back. The rectus abdominis and obliques are muscles that are found on the lower back.
To achieve a well-sculpted back is necessary in creating the complete masculine package. And to define it, the same amount of work is needed when firming up abs, and toning your arms, legs and butt. Push yourself and lose the reps. Instead of counting, do as much in 30 seconds.
Here are 10 great ways to sculpt your back.
1. Dumbbell press.
Hold your dumbbells on your shoulder while your knees are bent. Jump up and raise your arms, and return to the starting position as when you started. Then lift the dumbbells again while knees are bent.
2. Use the pull-down machine.
Sit on the pull-down machine and reach for the bar. Make sure that your arms are stretched wide. Pull down the bar as slowly as possible and bring them back up.
3. Use the seated cable rows.
Attach the narrow bar to the cable. Sit on the chair and place your feet on the pedals in front of you, then reach for the narrow bar. Do not sit back up but only pull till you are slightly arched. Then hold and repeat.
4. Try the cobra lats.
Place a bar lower on a squat rack. Then lie underneath it. Grab on the bar and lift yourself up.
5. Do intense push-ups.
Lie flat on floor with your knees bent. Reach for your knees while raising your feet till the tips of your toes are touching the floor. Then lower your head back to the floor as low as possible, but do not reach the floor. Repeat.
6. Do a crossover reverse lunge.
Stand on the floor with one leg behind you. Make sure that both legs are in a 90 degree angle. Then rotate your torso to the right and another to the left. If you are getting the hang of this exercise, try doing it with hugging a weight around your chest.
7. Do rows.
With both feet on the floor, lunge to bend your right knee forward. Then with your left arm, lift a dumbbell side wards with full arm extended. Do this 10 times. Repeat with your left knee forward and with your right arm.
8. Fly like Superman.
With face flat on the floor and arms extended forward, lift both legs and arms. Hold this position as long as you can. Then repeat.
9. Use deadlifts.
Place the desired weight on a narrow bar. Stand in front of it with two feet apart, then lunge. Pull the narrow bar as you lunge, making sure that your back is still straight.
10. Pull-ups
Place yourself under the bar and grab onto the bar with both hands facing outward. Then lift yourself up with knees bended. Hold your position then go back down.
Most guys think that back muscles are not as important as the other muscles in the body. More pay attention to their arms and delts. Reality is guys use their backs in more ways than they realize. Try these exercises to get a stronger back, and get more out of your energy. Gyms like 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym offer the best equipment and facilities and get that core workout that you need.
For guys who are into heavy lifting, back exercises are essential to avoid muscle tearing and bone breakage. Even for guys who are not into hard work during the day, a firm back is definitely a plus when sitting for long hours behind a desk, or stuck in meetings the whole day. A stronger core is especially good in maintaining good health and increasing your productivity at the same time. Allocating time for a good core workout everyday will not only improve your body’s health, but it will also increase your stamina and give your body higher energy levels. At the end of the day, you can still come home to the wife and kids and be the man of the house.