Back training at home
If you want to save the money for expensive equipment and the gym, you can fall back on some exercises to train your back muscles at home. One exercise for the large back muscle (M. latissimus dorsi) is lat pressing lying down. The starting position is lying on the back.
The upper arms rest on the floor next to the body, the lower arms point vertically upwards. The legs are angled with feet on the floor, or at a 90° angle in the knee joint in the air. For the execution the upper arms are pressed firmly off the floor and the upper body is guided upwards.
The gaze goes upwards, so that the head lies in extension of the spine. The buttocks remain on the floor. The movement must be from the arms, not from the stomach.
This position is held briefly, only to return to the starting position afterwards. Variations are possible in the position of the thighs in relation to the abdomen. The closer the thighs are to the abdomen, the more demanding the exercise becomes.
An exercise for the back extensor, which can also be performed without aids, is called Superman. You lie on the floor with your stomach and stretch your arms and legs forwards and backwards. At the beginning you slowly lift your arms and legs at the same time.
The range of movement is not very large, so the highest position is held for a few seconds. Alternatively, arms and legs can be raised and lowered alternately. The leaning back camel is an exercise that also trains the back extensor.
This exercise can only be performed with your own body weight, but also with an additional weight. The starting position is kneeling on the ground. The body is knees upright and the gaze goes forward so that the head is in extension of the spine.
The knees are hip-wide apart and the hands can be placed on the hips or chest. Now slowly lean your upper body backwards so far that you can reverse the movement by yourself. The movement takes place exclusively in the knee joints, the back remains straight and does not form a hollow back. This exercise should always be performed slowly and in a controlled manner.
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