You may not have thought of it this way before, but your back and shoulders are kind of like the trunk of a tree: they provide the essential support and stabilizing force for the rest of the body that branches off from them. You hear lots of talk in fitness circles about how essential it is to have a strong core because this is where your power comes from, and that’s true. But a strong back works in tandem with a strong core; one without the other leaves you lacking in the strength and stability departments.
Having a strong back and shoulders aids you in a variety of everyday moves (from carrying groceries or laundry baskets to lifting young children or luggage) as well as most sports (basketball, boxing, crew, lacrosse, racket sports, soccer, swimming, volleyball, and more). After all, many power moves—pulling, punching, pushing, swinging, throwing, and others—depend on back strength, which gives your body the stability it needs to initiate strong movements from your chest, arms, legs, hips, or core. In fact, the stronger your back muscles are, the more weight-bearing exercises you’ll be able to do robustly, safely, and effectively.
In our culture, we talk about the importance of having a strong backbone, meaning the ability to stick with our principles, speak up confidently, stand up for what we believe in, and have the courage to take smart risks. It’s a sign of mental vigor, fortitude, and integrity. The same notions can be applied to physical performance, but it’s not just the backbone that matters here. To develop true physical strength, the muscles in the back—especially the trapezius, rhomboid, latissimus dorsi, and erector spinae muscles—are crucial, too. What people sometimes don’t realize is a strong back makes you look super-fit overall. Plus, having a strong back makes you feel more capable and confident. It’s a win-win situation.
Gender isn’t exactly on our side here. The truth is that women’s backs and shoulders generally aren’t as strong as men’s. Mother Nature compensated for this unfortunate reality by giving us strong hips and legs, but that doesn’t help us in the back department. The good news is that this innate disadvantage can be largely eliminated—or at least minimized—with smart strength-training moves.
Many women neglect to work on their backs because, well, they’re behind them, and often out of sight means out of mind. Instead, they focus on the body parts they can see in the mirror (the biceps, quads, and abs, for example). That’s a mistake because without a strong back, it’s difficult to have and maintain good posture, balance, agility, and coordination. Having good posture can make you look thinner and more confident. A strong, toned back and well-defined shoulders will make your waist look smaller (what woman wouldn’t love that?), which will help you look and be strong, svelte, and sexy. Along with the muscles in your core in the front of your body, your back muscles serve as a corset, providing support and protecting your spine from injury. Without strong back muscles, it’s like wearing only half a corset—which really isn’t effective! In fact, one of the main reasons people develop back problems is because they have weak back muscles.
The following exercises will help you strengthen, sculpt, and tone the muscles in your upper back and shoulders. A hidden perk: Working on one set of muscles (such as the rotator cuff muscles) often can set you up for developing greater strength in other back muscles (such as the trapezius and rhomboids). It’s a positive ripple effect indeed.
In terms of figuring out which dumbbells you should use, here’s a good rule of thumb: if you’re doing regular strength-training circuits, use weights that are comfortable yet challenging to start. If you can do 8 to 10 reps easily, you should increase the weight. But since the serious benefits come from shocking your body, it’s smart to change up the weights you’re lifting, too. For example, if you normally do a set of 15 reps with 8-pound dumbbells, every now and then you could use a heavier weight (say, 12-pound weights) and do 6 to 8 reps instead.
The circuits in this book are based on time rather than reps, so you should mix up your sessions based on the same principles—by starting with a higher weight for a minute (as long as you feel your technique and form aren’t being compromised!) to challenge yourself once a week, then dropping down to a lower weight when fatigue sets in. (With this format, you’ll want to do as many reps as you can within the time limit.) Remember, your body will adapt fairly quickly to the challenges you’re giving it with this program, so try to go with a higher amount of weight once a week after you’ve been on the program for two weeks. You can also go lighter once in a while and power out more reps to surprise your body in another way. With this shock-your-body-fit approach, you’ll build toned muscles and get leaner all over. Enough talk—let’s get to it!
Here’s a look at the best exercises for back-to-basic strength.
Lie on your belly with your legs straight behind you and your feet together, the balls of your feet on the floor, and your heels in the air. Place your palms on the floor so they’re at chest level and directly under your elbows. Straighten your arms so that your body rises off the floor, keeping your neck straight and your chest lifted, your eyes focused on the floor slightly ahead of you, your abs held tight, and your body as straight as a board. Slowly bend your arms and lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the floor; if this is too difficult, lower yourself just halfway down. Exhale then push back up to the starting position.
Start in a plié position with your feet in a wide stance (slightly more than shoulder-width apart) and your toes pointed out toward the corners of the room. Your knees should be bent slightly, but not to a full 90-degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended in front of you and your palms facing in toward your body. From this position, raise your weights up along the front of your body toward your chest, letting your elbows stick out at your sides (and keeping your shoulders back and down and your chest lifted) as you bring the weights to shoulder level. Lower your dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat. (Note: You’ll be staying in a plié position the whole time.)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms out to your sides and then bend them at the elbow into a 90-degree angle with your knuckles facing up toward the ceiling. (You will look like a scarecrow.) Then rotate your forearms down and forward until they are parallel to the ground. The upper part of your arms should remain at a 90-degree angle to your torso at all times. Rotate your weights back up to starting position, and repeat. (By the way, this is a great exercise to get rid of armpit flab.)
With your feet hip-width apart, hinge forward from your waist so that your torso is leaning over slightly (no more than a 45-degree angle from a standing position). Your knees should be slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, your palms facing in toward your body. From here, bend your right elbow and pull your right dumbbell up and back toward your spine, driving from your elbow and keeping it tight against the right side of your body; at the top of the move, the dumbbell will be next to your rib cage. Lower your right arm back to the starting position, then repeat on the left side. Continue this pattern, alternating arms as you work. (For the record, the Dumbbell Row is the same exercise, but both arms move in sync.)
Get into a push-up position with a dumbbell gripped in each hand (so that the dumbbells are on the ground, rather than placing your palms on the ground). From here, lift your right hand along the side of your rib cage (while holding the dumbbell) and drive your right elbow back and up behind you toward the ceiling, keeping your elbow tight against your body. Lower the weight back to the ground, and repeat on the left side. Continue to alternate sides, keeping your abs tight, your back straight, and your head in line with your spine the whole time.
THE CRANK-IT-UP CHALLENGE: Try adding a push-up between each row.
Lie on your belly with your feet together, the tops of your feet on the floor and your arms extended straight along the floor above your head. (Your elbows should be next to your ears and your shoulders down.) From here, simultaneously raise your shoulders, your arms, and your legs several inches off the ground. Keep your neck in line with your body and your eyes focused on the floor. Your back will be arched at the top; squeeze your glutes throughout to avoid injury. Hold this position for a moment or two then lower your arms, shoulders, and legs back to the ground. Repeat.
Lie on your back with your knees bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your knees should be bent and your feet should be flat on the floor. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling above your chest, with your palms facing each other and the weights touching; while keeping your arms straight, move the weights down and back so that they extend beyond the top of your head. As you squeeze your shoulder blades together, bring the weights back toward the ceiling until they are above your chest again. Repeat.
THE CRANK-IT-UP CHALLENGE: Try doing this while lying on a stability ball with your neck and upper body supported, your hips lifted in line with your spine, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor; you can also use heavier weights.
Stand in a plié position with your feet in a wide stance (slightly more than shoulder-width apart) and your toes pointed out to the corners of the room. Your knees should be bent as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Grip a dumbbell in each hand and hold your arms in front of your body with your palms facing front. As you lift the weights out to the sides and overhead in an arc-like movement, they will meet in the middle above your head. Your arms should be fully extended, but there should be a slight bend in your elbows. Make sure your abs are engaged and tucked back toward your spine the whole time. Lower your arms back down to your sides and repeat.
Sit on a bench or chair, and hold a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with your elbows pointing toward the floor, your palms facing your body, and your knuckles facing the ceiling. To start your press, rotate your elbows out to the sides of your body as you lift your dumbbells up above your head. Your arms should be fully extended at the top (though your elbows can have a slight bend in them); at this point, your palms should be facing forward. Lower the dumbbells back into your starting position, and repeat. Remember to keep your chest up and your back straight with every press.
THE CRANK-IT-UP CHALLENGE: Try doing this move while sitting on a stability ball or use heavier weights.
You’ll need a broom and two stable chairs for this one. Lie on the floor on your back under a low bar that you can reach with your hands when your arms are fully extended. (For a great home-based version of this exercise, you can do inverted rows by lying between two sturdy chairs that have a broom placed across their seats). Your chest should be directly under the bar, and your legs should be extended straight along the ground. Grasp the bar with both hands, slightly farther apart than your shoulders, with your palms facing away from you. As you keep your core tight and your body in a straight line, pull up on the bar, bending your elbows as you raise your body off the ground. (If this is too difficult, you can perform this with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor until you get strong enough to straighten your legs.) Try to lift your chest all the way up to the bar. When you reach the top, your heels should be the only things still touching the ground. Slowly lower yourself back to the floor, keeping your body in a straight line, and repeat. (Note: If you grip the bar with your palms facing you, you’ll target your biceps more than your lats; you can alternate between the two styles for added benefits.)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hinge forward from your waist while keeping your back flat and your head in line with your spine. Extend your arms straight toward the ground in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you drive your elbows out, up, and back until they reach a 90-degree angle from the sides of your body. (Be sure to keep your abs tucked back toward your spine and your gaze focused on a fixed point on the floor in front of you.) At the top of the move, squeeze your shoulder blades together before lowering your weights back down to their starting position. Repeat.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hinge forward from your waist while keeping your back flat and your head in line with your spine. Extend your arms toward the floor in front of you with a dumbbell in each hand, your palms facing each other. From here, lift your arms out to your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your elbows slightly bent. Slowly return them to the starting position and repeat.
THE CRANK-IT-UP CHALLENGE: Step forward into a runner’s lunge with one leg, bending your front knee at a 90-degree angle; don’t let your front knee extend past your toes, and keep your back heel lifted slightly off the ground. Do rear flies from this position. For an extra challenge, you can also do a whole set with one arm at a time, or a set in which you alternate sides.
Position a stability ball under the front of your hips and lower torso. Keeping your knees straight or slightly bent, place your toes on the floor behind you (or against a wall if you’d like extra stability) and lift your hands behind your head, your elbows extended out to the sides. Slowly roll your body down onto the ball, and then lift your chest off the ball, raising your shoulders until your body is in a straight line from your head to your toes. Repeat. (Make sure your body is in its proper alignment, with your abs engaged and pulled in; don’t arch or hyperextend your back.)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand just at shoulder level, with your palms facing forward and your knuckles facing toward the ceiling. Press your arms overhead, and straighten your arms at the top. Return to the starting position and repeat.
THE CRANK-IT-UP CHALLENGE: Try this move while standing on one foot. Switch legs between sets.
Lie on your belly with your arms outstretched overhead, your legs extended along the floor, and your feet together. (Here, too, your elbows should be next to your ears.) Simultaneously raise your head, neck, and shoulders, along with your right arm and your left leg, straight up and off the ground. (To avoid injury, squeeze your glutes and press your pelvic bone into the floor.) At the top of the extension, hold this position for a moment or two, and then release your body back to the ground. Immediately repeat this move on the other side (raising your left arm and right leg along with your head, neck, and shoulders). Continue this pattern, working alternate sides.
