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Back Exercises
FINISH
START
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the
latissimus dorsi, teres major and rear deltoid
which make up the large pulling muscles of your
upper back. It also involves the muscles on the
front of your upper arms (the biceps group) which
are responsible for bending your elbows.
Pulley position: Lat tower.
Starting position:
• Attach a single handle to each cable.
• Facing the Power Rods
®
, grasp the handles with
the corresponding hand, palms facing each other,
and sit on the bench.
• Position your knees directly under the pulleys
and sit upright with your arms extending upward.
NOTE: You may position your hips directly under
the pulleys but then you must lean back slightly
from hips (not the waist).
• Maintain good spinal alignment, chest lifted, abs
tight and maintain a very slight arch in your lower
back.
Motion:
• Keeping your hands shoulder width, initiate the
movement by pulling your shoulder blades down
and together while simultaneously drawing your
elbows downward to the front, and then back
toward the sides of your body.
• At the end of the motion, your arms should be
drawn near your sides, your shoulder blades
should be fully depressed toward your hips and
your forearms must be upward in line with the
direction of the cables (not rotated forward).
• Slowly return to the starting position allowing
your arms and shoulder blades to move upward
fully, without relaxing the muscles.
Optional motions:
• Bilateral movement – both arms pulling at the
same time.
• Unilateral movement – performing all reps with
one arm before moving to the next.
• Alternating – performing one rep on one side and
then the next rep on the other side.
• Simultaneously alternating – both arms moving,
although in opposite directions (one pulling while
the other is returning).
Key points:
• Do not lose spinal alignment.
• Keep the lats tightened throughout the entire
motion.
• Do not lean backward as you pull.
• Keep the chest up, especially at the bottom of the
movement.
Narrow Pulldowns Shoulder Extension (with elbow flexion)
FINISH
START
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the
latissimus dorsi, teres major and rear deltoid
which make up the large pulling muscles of your
upper back, and eliminates the biceps from the
movement.
Pulley position: Wide.
Starting position:
• Lie on your back on the bench, head toward the
Power Rods
®
. Your buttocks will eventually be off
the end of the bench.
• Slip your arms through the handles and slide the
cuffs just past your elbows and tighten cuffs.
• Grasp the cable with your palms facing inward
and slide your body down along the bench far
enough that your arms are fully extended, knees
bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Although they will be overhead, position your
upper arms wide, out to the sides.
• Tighten your abdominals to stabilize your spine
while maintaining a very slight arch in the lower
back.
Motion:
• Initiate the movement by pulling your shoulder
blades down toward your bottom while
simultaneously pulling your elbows out to the
sides, then down and inward toward the sides of
the torso.
• Slowly return to the starting position, allowing
your arms and shoulder blades to move back up
toward the Power Rods
®
without relaxing.
Key points:
• Do not lose spinal alignment.
• Keep the lats tightened throughout the entire
motion.
• Release your shoulder blades at the end of each
rep and initiate each new rep by depressing your
shoulder blades.
• This exercise may also be performed by grasping
the handles, although you will have to slide
farther down the bench to create starting
position tension.
Lying Lat Pulldowns