How to Train your Back with NO Gym Equipment
You can do makeshift workouts at home targeting almost all body parts- ALMOST all... except the back. It isn’t easy to train your back with no barbell or DB available to pull. That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to do but it might mean that you should adjust your expectations.
The reality is, yes, you may lose strength and muscle mass if you are stranded for a few weeks without proper gym equipment or a pull-up bar. The good news is that you can still maintain a proper base of strength by getting a little creative.
Whether you’re stuck in the house due to self quarantining or you're away on vacation, I’ve got four exercises for you to do to hit back when you have no gym equipment available.
1. Inch-worms
Stand tall, your feet roughly hip-distance apart.
Take a breath in, then as you exhale, look down at the ground and start reaching your hands toward the floor in front of your feet, allowing your back to bend forward, rolling down one vertebra at a time. Allow your knees to bend slightly, as needed, to enable your hands to reach the ground.
Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Inhale and walk your hands forward, one at a time. Allow your heels to lift off the floor as your body begins to straighten.
When your hands are directly under your shoulders, check your form—you should be in a full plank position with your core, chest, quads, triceps, and shoulders engaged, your body forming a straight line from heels to head. If you can,. Keep walking those hands over your head so they are extended up as much as possible without losing engagement in the core.
You’re going to then walk your hands back to your feet while trying to keep the legs as straight as possible.
Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
2. Wall-walk ups
Start out with your palms planted a few feet in front of the wall and hold a bear crawl position.
Brace your core!
Start inch worming your way up the wall with your feet.
As your feet get higher, you can inchworm your hands closer to the wall to try and get as upright as possible.
Try 3-4 sets of 4-5 reps. Take it slow and remember, this is all about control here.
3. Bent over reverse flys
Use your body weight or grab a couple of water bottles or canned beans for this one!
Hinge from the hips until your body is almost parallel to the floor and allow the arms to hang straight down from the shoulders with a neutral grip.
Take a deep breath and pull the dumbbells towards the ceiling using the rear deltoids.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.
Repeat for 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
4. Supermans
Lay on your stomach with enough room to fully extend your arms in front of you and your legs unbent behind you.
Extend your arms in front of you and your legs stretched out behind, now take a solid belly breath.
Squeeze your glutes and use that breath to guide you to gently and slowly lift your arms and legs toward the ceiling simultaneously.
Shoot for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps, with arms and legs raising at the same time.
Is it ideal to grow your back by doing these four exercises? No. But again, if you are stranded as most of us currently are with little or no gym equipment, you can at least focus on maintaining your hard-earned muscle by implementing some of these bodyweight exercises in your weekly routine.
