Fitness trainer Naomi Doran is our type of social media guru. Not only does she post inspirational updates on Instagram, but she qualifies them with something tangible that readers can actually try out for themselves. And, in a recent update, the “Bodies by Naomi” owner explained some of the best back exercises for optimal growth Here’s what you need to know.
“Building muscle in the back requires a well-rounded approach that includes various movement patterns — vertical and horizontal pulls, utilizing proper technique and ensuring adequate rest/recovery for optimal growth,” wrote the beauty, who provides online coaching and body transformation advice. Here are the moves that Doran say should be; “staples within your program when it comes to training back.”
Naomi Doran’s Top Back Exercises
Pullups/Chinups
“A staple exercise which specifically targets the upper back and lats. Vary your grip to target different muscle groups – wide, narrow, underhand.”
Lat Pulldowns
“If pull-ups are too challenging, lat pulldowns can be a good starting base to build the foundations.”
Bentover Rows
“Effective for the mid-back and lats, which can be performed with a barbell or dumbbells.”
Deadlifts
“A compound lift that targets the entire posterior chain, including the back, glutes, and hamstrings. Proper form is crucial to prevent injury with this one.”
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
“Allows for a greater range of motion and helps correct muscle imbalances. Focus on driving the wrist towards the hip, rather than the body.”
Seated Cable Rows
“Targets the mid-back, rhomboid and rear delts. Use different attachments to vary the focus and engage different muscle fibres.”
Naomi Doran’s Back Workout Breakdown
Naomi Doran’s approach to hitting the back from all angles while maintaining form is a solid approach to gaining muscle in a difficult part of the anatomy. Many people also suffer with muscle or postural imbalances, so bringing in single-arm movements is a great way to help correct such issues. Remember that compound movements such as deadlifts rely on stabilizing muscles, and these will be weaker for beginners, so always start out light and make sure to maintain form without putting undue stress on the posterior chain. The number of reps and sets to aim for will depend on your individual ability, however, for muscle building (hypertrophy) try 3 – 5 sets of each exercise listed above, performing 6 – 12 taxing reps. You can also take 1 – 2 minutes between sets to reset. Remember to perform a warmup to get the blood flowing first, and aim to progressively overload every now and then as you see fit, to keep those muscle building effects. The back is certainly not an area that you want to overtrain, so start with one of these workouts per week and there’s really no need to exceed three per week, as you need adequate time to recover.
Doran says; “It’s important to remember, when performing these exercises, avoid using momentum from your body! Perform these exercises with a controlled tempo, focusing on both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. Maintain a neutral spine, avoid excessive rounding or arching of your back, and use an appropriate weight that allows for full range of motion without compromising form.”
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