< strong>Back muscle training: 4 recommended warm-up movements!
The back muscles are the strongest and most powerful muscle groups in our body and are the key to our inverted triangle figure! At the same time, the back muscles are also one of the most difficult muscle groups to train in the gym
Many people have the dilemma of not feeling their back muscles when doing back exercises, and instead their arms are extremely sore!
Are your back muscles asleep?
All the muscles in our body are connected to nerves and then to the brain. However, some links will "break" because you use them too little, or use other links too often. How you "move" in daily life will determine the development pattern of muscle nerves:
The nerves connecting the muscles you use frequently will be stronger; at the same time, the nerves of those muscles you neglect will become stronger. Will slowly "fall asleep". For example, office work does not involve much movement of the buttocks. If you maintain this lifestyle for a long time, the connection between the buttocks muscles will naturally weaken.
We call commonly used muscles "convenient, awake" muscles, which have strong and active connections with nerves; muscles that are rarely used are called "inhibition, sleeping" muscles, which have strong and active connections with nerves. The link is weak and passive.
For most ordinary people, their latissimus dorsi muscles, the rhomboids and trapezius muscles are asleep! Poor muscle sensitivity and low sense of presence! At this time, when doing multi-joint movements such as pull-ups and rowing, the arm muscles will naturally take on most of the work!
Wake up your back muscles!
Warming up before exercise is not just about running for a few minutes and getting your body warmed up. You need to do some specific things to help you promote and awaken the connection between nerves and back muscles. Allowing the body's muscles and nerves to function properly will make your movements more efficient.
Today I would like to recommend some good little movements for you to activate and start before back muscle training, so that you can become better in the following training!
Action 1: prone shoulder adduction
Purpose: To activate the latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, and rhomboids
1. Lie prone on the floor or a chair
2. Raise your hands above your head and extend your arms straight!
3. Start the downward rotation of the shoulder blades and pull the elbows downward to the sides of the body! Stay for two seconds and squeeze the back muscles
Action 2: Retract the shoulder blades with the elastic band
Purpose: To activate our middle trapezius and rhomboids! < /p>
2. Use the shoulder clamping method to tighten the elastic band outward (scapula retraction). Remember, instead of applying force with your palms, wrists or arms, you should press your shoulders back. Ideally, your shoulder blades can hold a pen!
Action 3: Y-shaped lift
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Purpose: Activate the upper and lower trapezius muscles and serratus anterior
1. With empty hands or small dumbbells in hand, lean over!
2. Extend your arms straight forward, at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively. Thumb pointed straight to the sky. Then lift it up!
3. Use the trapezius muscles and feel the scapula rotate upward until the arm and shoulder body form a Y shape! Stay for a second, then play back slowly! During the movement, pay attention to the upward rotation of the shoulder blades to drive the arms!
Action Four: Straight Arm Pulldown
1. Adjust the pulley to a high position, stand up, grasp the crossbar with both hands, bend your elbows slightly, keep your back straight and stable, lean your upper body slightly forward, and tighten your abdomen.
2. Contract the latissimus dorsi and press down (do a shoulder stretch), and imagine bringing your elbow back. When the wrist reaches near the waist, tighten the back muscles
Then slowly return to the control of the back muscles