A Basic Breakdown of Foundation Back Exercises

Building a strong, resilient back is essential for overall health and fitness. A well-developed back not only enhances your physical appearance but also supports proper posture, reduces the risk of injuries, and improves performance in various sports and daily activities. Here, we will delve into some foundation back exercises that should be a staple in any fitness routine.

Author Intro:

As a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant with over 7 years of experience, I am passionate about helping women discover how to exercise correctly and heal their pain. Join me at Good Mind + Body, where we create a supportive space for women to learn, grow, and achieve their health and wellness goals.

The Main Back Muscles

1. Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)

• Location: These muscles are on the sides of your back, stretching from your lower back up to your armpits.
• Function: They help you move your arms down and back, like when you pull something or do a pull-up.

2. Trapezius (Traps)

• Location: These muscles start at the base of your skull and go down to the middle of your back, the thoracic facet joint. They also spread out to your shoulders.
• Function: The traps help you lift your shoulders, move your shoulder blades, and tilt your head.

3. Rhomboids

• Location: These are small muscles between your shoulder blades.
• Function: They pull your shoulder blades together, helping you stand up straight.

4. Erector Spinae

• Location: These muscles run along your spine from your lower back up to your neck.
• Function: They help you stand up straight, bend backward, and twist your torso.

5. Teres Major and Minor

• Location: These are small muscles near your shoulder blades.
• Function: They help you move your arms, especially when you lift them or move them behind your back.

6. Infraspinatus

• Location: This muscle is on the back of your shoulder blade.
• Function: It helps you rotate your arm and stabilize your shoulder joint.

7. Lower Back Muscles

• Location: These include muscles like the quadratus lumborum (QL) on the sides of your lower back.
• Function: They support your spine and help you bend to the side and stabilize your lower back.

How These Muscles Work Together

• Movement:
  • Your back muscles help you move in many directions.
  • When you reach, pull, lift, or twist, your back muscles are working.
• Posture:
  • These muscles keep your spine in a good position.
  • They prevent you from slouching and help you stand tall.
• Support:
  • Strong back muscles support your spine and protect it from injury.
  • They also help carry heavy loads without hurting yourself.

Common Causes of back pain

• Poor movement patterns or faulty movement patterns.
• Poor posture 
• Degenerative Diseases
• Injury
• Are you wondering if popping sounds in your lower back is a sign of back injury?

The Good Morning Exercise

Steps to Perform the Good Morning Exercise

1. Start Position
   • Stand Tall: Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Soft Knees: Keep a slight bend in your knees.
   • Neutral Spine: Ensure your back is straight and your chest is lifted.
   • Arms Position: Place your hands on your lower back or cross them over your chest.
2. Hinge at the Hips
   • Push Hips Back: Begin by pushing your hips backward, not by bending your knees more. This is called a hip hinge.
   • Lower Torso: As your hips move back, your torso will start to lean forward. Keep your back straight and your chest open.
   • Reach Forward: Extend your arms in front of you, parallel to the ground, for better balance. (optional)
3. Lowering
   • Go Down Slowly: Lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the ground or until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings.
   • Engage Core: Keep your core muscles tight to support your back.
4. Return to Start
   • Drive Hips Forward: Reverse the movement by pushing your hips forward.
   • Lift Torso: As your hips move forward, your torso will lift back to the starting position.
   • Squeeze Glutes: At the top of the movement, squeeze your glute muscles for extra support.
5. Repeat
   • Controlled Movements: Perform the exercise slowly and with control.
   • Breathing: Inhale as you hinge forward, and exhale as you return to the start. Remember to take deep breaths. 

Tips for Proper Form

• Flat Back: Always keep your back flat and avoid rounding your spine.
• Hips Over Heels: Ensure your hips stay above your heels and don’t let your knees go too far forward.
• Core Engagement: Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise to protect your lower back.

Benefits of the Good Morning Exercise

• Strengthens Posterior Chain: This exercise targets your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles.
• Improves Posture: By reinforcing good hip hinge mechanics, it helps improve your posture.
• Enhances Flexibility: Regular practice increases the flexibility of your hamstrings and lower back.
• Reduces Injury Risk: A strong posterior chain can help reduce the risk of back injuries.

How to Do the Woodpecker Exercise by Foundation Training

Steps to Perform the Woodpecker Exercise

1. Starting Position
   • Stand Tall: Stand with your feet together and your arms relaxed at your sides.
   • Soft Knees: Keep a slight bend in your knees.
   • Lengthen Spine: Stand as tall as possible, lengthening your spine and keeping your chest lifted.
2. Step and Hinge
   • Step Forward: Take a big step forward with your right foot, keeping your left foot in place.
   • Hip Hinge: Shift your weight onto your front foot. Begin to hinge at your hips, pushing them back as if you are trying to close a car door with your butt.
   • Torso Angle: As you hinge forward, your torso will naturally lean over your front leg. Keep your back straight and your chest open.
3. Arm Position
   • Extend Arms Forward: As you hinge forward, extend your arms straight in front of you, parallel to the ground. This helps with balance and engages your upper back muscles. (optional if you have poor balance)
   • Alignment: Ensure your arms are in line with your ears and your thumbs are pointing up.
4. Engage and Hold
   • Engage Core and Glutes: Tighten your core and squeeze your glutes to maintain stability.
   • Hold Position: Hold this position for a few seconds. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and engagement in your back and glutes.
5. Return to Start
   • Drive Hips Forward: To return to the starting position, push through your front heel and drive your hips forward.
   • Lift Torso: As your hips move forward, lift your torso back to an upright position.
   • Balance: Bring your back foot forward to meet your front foot, returning to the starting stance.
6. Repeat
   • Switch Legs: Repeat the exercise, stepping forward with your left foot this time.
   • Controlled Movements: Perform the exercise slowly and with control, focusing on maintaining proper form.

Tips for Proper Form

• Flat Back: Keep your back flat and avoid rounding your spine throughout the movement.
• Core Engagement: Keep your core muscles engaged to support your lower back.
• Hip Hinge: Focus on hinging at the hips rather than bending at the waist.
• Balance: Use your arms to help maintain balance, especially when extending them forward.

Benefits of the Woodpecker Exercise

• Strengthens Posterior Chain: This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
• Improves Posture: By reinforcing proper hip hinge mechanics, it helps improve your overall posture.
• Enhances Balance and Stability: Holding the forward hinge position enhances your balance and core stability.
• Increases Flexibility: Regular practice increases flexibility in your hamstrings and lower back.

Foundation back Exercises: The Windmill

Steps to Perform the Windmill Exercise

1. Start Position
   • Stand Tall: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
   • Soft Knees: Keep a slight bend in your knees.
   • Arm Position: Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, forming a “T” shape with your body. Keep your palms facing down.
2. Hip Hinge and Rotation
   • Hinge at the Hips: Begin by pushing your hips back, keeping your back straight and chest open. Imagine you are trying to touch a wall behind you with your butt.
   • Rotate Torso: As you hinge, rotate your torso to the right, bringing your left hand down towards your right foot. Your right arm should remain extended upwards.
3. Reach and Stretch
   • Reach Down: Continue rotating until your left hand reaches your right foot or as close as you can get without compromising your form. Your right hand should point towards the ceiling, and your gaze should follow your right hand.
   • Stretch: Feel the stretch along your hamstrings, hips, and lower back. Hold this position for a moment, keeping your core engaged.
4. Return to Start
   • Drive Hips Forward: Push through your hips to return to the upright position, rotating your torso back to the center.
   • Extend Arms: Ensure your arms are extended out to the sides in the “T” position once you’re back to standing tall.
5. Repeat on the Other Side
   • Switch Sides: Repeat the movement on the opposite side. Hinge at the hips and rotate your torso to the left, bringing your right hand towards your left foot while your left arm points upwards.
   • Controlled Movements: Perform the exercise slowly and with control, focusing on maintaining proper form.

Tips for Proper Form

• Flat Back: Keep your back flat throughout the movement to avoid rounding your spine.
• Hip Hinge: Focus on hinging at the hips rather than bending at the waist.
• Core Engagement: Keep your core muscles engaged to support your lower back and enhance stability.
• Rotation: Ensure the rotation comes from your torso, not just your arms.

Benefits of the Windmill Exercise

• Strengthens Core: This exercise engages your core, increasing muscle strength and stability. 
• Enhances Flexibility: Regular practice increases flexibility in your hamstrings, hips, and lower back.
• Improves Coordination: The rotational movement enhances coordination and body awareness.
• Promotes Better Posture: By reinforcing proper movement patterns, it helps improve your overall posture.
• Increases Stability: The exercise promotes balance and stability, crucial for functional movements.

How to Do the Lunge Stretch by Foundation Training

Steps to Perform the Lunge Stretch

1. Start Position
   • Stand Tall: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides.
   • Posture Check: Ensure your back is straight, shoulders are relaxed, and chest is lifted.
2. Step into Lunge
   • Step Forward: Take a big step forward with your right foot.
   • Lower into Lunge: Bend your right knee to lower your hips, making sure your right knee is directly above your right ankle. Your left leg should be extended behind you with the knee slightly bent and heel off the ground.
3. Position and Alignment
   • Front Leg: Your right thigh should be parallel to the ground, and your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle.
   • Back Leg: Keep your left leg extended with a slight bend in the knee. Your left hip should be aligned with your right hip.
   • Hips and Core: Engage your core muscles to maintain balance and ensure your hips are squared forward.
4. Add the Stretch
   • Hands on Hips: Place your hands on your hips to ensure proper alignment and balance. Or you may have your arms extended forward.
   • Deepen the Stretch: Gently push your hips forward while keeping your back straight. You should feel a stretch in your left hip flexor and right hamstring.
   • Hold Position: Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply and maintaining the stretch.
5. Return to Start
   • Step Back: Push through your right heel to step back to the starting position.
   • Stand Tall: Return to a standing position with feet hip-width apart, maintaining good posture.
6. Repeat on the Other Side
   • Switch Legs: Repeat the movement by stepping forward with your left foot.
   • Perform the Stretch: Lower into the lunge and perform the stretch on the opposite side, following the same steps.

Tips for Proper Form

• Knee Alignment: Ensure your front knee is directly above your ankle and doesn’t extend past your toes.
• Flat Back: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your spine.
• Hip Position: Keep your hips squared forward and avoid twisting your torso.
• Core Engagement: Maintain engagement in your core muscles to support balance and stability.
• Controlled Movements: Perform the exercise slowly and with control to maximize the stretch and minimize the risk of injury.

Benefits of the Lunge Stretch

• Improves Flexibility: This exercise stretches the hip flexors, hamstrings, and quadriceps, enhancing overall flexibility.
• Enhances Posture: By promoting proper alignment and muscle engagement, the lunge stretch helps improve posture.
• Increases Strength: The lunge position strengthens the muscles in your legs and core.
• Reduces chronic Pain: Stretching the hip flexors and hamstrings can help alleviate lower back pain.
• Enhances Balance and Stability: The exercise improves your balance and stability, which are crucial for functional movements.

1. Pull-Ups

How to Do Them:

1. Grip the Bar: Grab the pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, palms facing away.
2. Hang and Stabilize: Hang with your arms fully extended and engage your core to stabilize your body.
3. Pull: Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, focusing on using your back muscles rather than your arms.
4. Lower: Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with control.

Tips:

• If you’re a beginner, use resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine to build strength.
• Avoid swinging your body for momentum; focus on controlled movements.

2. Bent-Over Rows

How to Do Them:

1. Setup: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells with an overhand grip.
2. Bend: Bend at your hips and knees, keeping your back straight and chest up.
3. Row: Pull the weight towards your lower ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
4. Lower: Lower the weight back down with control.

Tips:

• Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
• Avoid using excessively heavy weights that compromise form.

3. Deadlifts

How to Do Them:

1. Setup: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes under the barbell.
2. Grip: Bend at your hips and knees to grip the bar with hands just outside your knees.
3. Lift: Engage your core, keep your back flat, and drive through your heels to lift the bar, extending your hips and knees.
4. Lower: Lower the bar back to the ground with control, keeping your back straight.

Tips:

• Start with lighter weights to master the technique before progressing to heavier loads.
• Keep the bar close to your body throughout the lift to reduce strain on your lower back.

4. Lat Pulldowns

How to Do Them:

1. Grip: Sit at a lat pulldown machine and grip the bar with hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Pull: Pull the bar down towards your chest, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
3. Return: Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position.

Note: This exercise can also be completed using a resistance band. 

Tips:

• Avoid using momentum; focus on controlled movements.
• Do not pull the bar behind your neck, as this can increase the risk of injury.

If you are experiencing severe pain during or after these exercises please speak to your personal healthcare provider. If you have severe medical conditions, please consult your physical therapist before attempting these series of exercises.  

The Takeaway

Incorporating these foundation back exercises into your daily life or fitness routine will help you build a strong, balanced, and injury-resistant back. Possibly, even heal that stubborn chronic back pain. Remember to focus on proper form, start with manageable weights, and gradually increase the intensity as you build strength. Whether you’re aiming for better posture, enhanced athletic performance, or overall health, a well-rounded back workout is key to achieving your goals.

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Please also note that I am not certified in Function Training or have any affiliations with program.