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Calisthenics back workout is a great way to build a muscular body with a minimum of exercise equipment. These effective exercises develop not only the back, but also strengthen the shoulder girdle and fully pump the muscles of the arms.
Why Is Strengthening Your Back Important?
Strengthening your back muscles has many benefits. The most important one is to make everyday life easier. Even the simplest everyday movements, such as walking or lifting weights, involve the back, including several zones: vertebral, scapular, subscapularis, sacral and lumbar.
There are more than ten types of back muscles that can be worked out and strengthened. Calisthenics workout helps to correct posture, and this is not only aesthetics of the body, but also the harmonious functioning of internal organs and most processes, including breathing and the musculoskeletal system. Back exercises are included in the training plan for weight loss, as they can be quite energy intensive.
Doctors confirm that the degeneration of the intervertebral discs, leading to disc protrusion, occurs not only due to injury, but also as a result of insufficient muscle tone. This process often depends on genetic predisposition and lifestyle.
Outdoor Calisthenics Back Workout for Mass
The appeal and growing popularity of calisthenics workout lies in its affordability and minimal cost. Since outdoor sports equipment is suitable for training. Also in calisthenics, resistance band and additional weight can be used.
Back workout is an essential part of any strength training program. Regular implementation of the proposed exercises will help to harmoniously develop the muscles of the upper body, strengthening the deltoid muscle, latissimus dorsi muscle, trapezius and other muscles.
The main difference between calisthenics and crossfit is the lack of clear rules for the selection of exercises and their sequence.
Where to Begin?
Do a little warm-up before doing calisthenics back workout. You can start with five minutes of light cardio: simple active heart rate exercises such as jumps in place, butt kicks, or high knees. This warms up the muscles and prepares them for work with minimal risk of injury and sprains. Remember that any load must be increased gradually. It is best to start with a small number of reps, making the exercise more difficult over time. If you have back problems, then consult a physical therapist before beginning exercise.
6 Best Calisthenics Back Exercises with Bodyweight
Calisthenics exercises are multi-joint, in contrast to training with dumbbells. When they are performed, the load falls simultaneously on the latissimus dorsi muscle, and on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, and even on the abdominal muscles.
1. Classic Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are a basic back exercise that can be done at home, in the gym, or outdoors. Depending on the width of the arms, as well as on the type of grip, the load on the muscles involved varies.
In fact, pull-ups are the main exercise of the calisthenics back workout. They develop the latissimus dorsi muscle, shoulder girdle and arms. This allows you to progress to more difficult variations of this exercise. For example, adding leg raises or bar push-ups at the top.
The main benefit of pull-ups is that they strengthen joints and ligaments. Without which it is impossible to perform more complex exercises.
In order to correctly perform pull-ups on the horizontal bar, you need to feel that it is the back muscles that are involved in the work. The movement should be smooth and without jerking, pushing the body over the bar at the top of the exercise. Strive to reach 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps.
2. Dips on Parallel Bars
Strictly speaking, dips on parallel bars are considered a chest exercise. However, using different variations allows you to load both the back and the muscles of the torso. In particular, the need to support the body above the parallel bars surface places a static load on the upper half of the body, helping to load the back.
3. Vertical Press
In bodybuilding, the key back exercise is the bent-over barbell row. On the street, it can be replaced with a vertical press. In this case, again, the main load falls on the muscles of the chest, but the shoulder girdle and latissimus dorsi muscles are also actively working.
4. Planche on Parallel Bars
Planche on parallel bars is one of the most powerful upper body and total back exercises. It allows for many variations, including push-ups in the horizontal and vertical planes.
5. Human Flag
Human Flag is the calling card of calisthenics and one of the hardest exercises to perform. It requires not only strong muscles of the back and spine, but also an extremely good level of development of the arms and abdominal muscles. However, in terms of the effectiveness of the effect on posture, no other exercise on the horizontal bar can compare with it.
6. Glute Bridge
Glute Bridge is another great back exercise that can be done outdoors.
It is used in many variations in calisthenics: shoulder supported bridge, tabletop bridge, candlestick and so on.
First of all, the glute bridge is useful for developing shoulder mobility, allowing you to do other back exercises correctly. In addition, it develops the shoulders and improves the typical posture problem of excessive slouching.
This exercise can be performed both in a static mode for time, and for the number of repetitions. In the first case, we will talk about strengthening the deep muscles responsible for posture, while with controlled repetitions, muscle strength increases.
Contraindications
Calisthenics back workout is not for everyone. It is necessary to give up physical activity in such cases:
- the spine is injured;
- there are postoperative stitches;
- acute chronic disease;
- diseases of the kidneys, heart, blood vessels or lungs;
- pregnancy.
In this case, you must first consult with an orthopedist and start training only after the doctor’s approval.
Conclusion
Most exercises on the horizontal bar, to one degree or another, involve the muscles of the back. Pull-ups are a basic exercise to increase muscle strength and joint mobility. In addition, back grows well thanks to vertical press, planche and dips on parallel bars.
It should be borne in mind that the result of calisthenics back workout depends not only on physical activity and frequency, but also on lifestyle, thinking and psychological factors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Calisthenics?
Calisthenics is a system of strength training with bodyweight, which helps to get harmoniously developed muscles, increase strength and aerobic endurance. The name refers to the combination of the Greek words kallos (beauty) and sthenos (vigor). No special equipment or machines is required for training, just a sports ground with horizontal bar and parallel bars is enough.
How Often Do You Workout Back Calisthenics?
It is enough to perform back workout three days (not in a row) a week. It is important to note that if your workout was too intense and you did not have time to recover, then take a break for a few days.
How Many Sets Should You Do in Calisthenics Back Workout?
You should perform exercises in 3-5 sets to get an effective result from the calisthenics back workout. Rest time between sets: 60-90 seconds.
