A complete back workout at home should have a few crucial elements-diet, workout routine, equipment and exercises. If you miss even one of those elements your back workout at home is not complete, and you may fail to see progress. Personally, I am not a big fan of the workouts at home but I know by fact, that good results can come from one.
Diet to gain muscle mass:
You have to establish a eating habit, which will include between 4 to 6 meals a day. You should start to eat more foods, that are reach on protein. Here are some of the foods, that are reach on protein – cheese, lean beef and veal, beans, lean chicken, pork, lamb, fish (tuna, salmon), lobster ,crab, Lentils, Pulses and Peanuts. You could also take whey protein as a supplement three times a day – in the morning, before workout and before going to bed.
Diet for lean muscle:
Eat as much as 4 meals until 6pm. Don’t eat anything more than a salad, or a fruit 4 to 6 hours before going to sleep, or like I already said after 6pm. This will help you burn the extra fat. You will also need to take whey protein as supplement once a day before workout for muscle growth.
Equipment:
You will need a dumbbells ( 45 to 90 pounds). If you are just starting with lifting weights you can go to the nearest store and buy 3 or 5 gallon bottles of water and use them as replacement to the dumbbells. You can empty the water and fill them with sand, which will make them even heavier. 5 gallon bottle of water will give you 40 pound of weight. This will save you money in the beginning and give you some time to buy the more expensive dumbbells one by the time. You will also need a pull up bar. You can build one in your basement or garage, find a park or school that have one ,or just buy a doorway pull-up bar. It would be nice if you have a barbell too. I will give you one exercise that will require the use of barbell. You decide if it worth buying one.
Workout routine:
It’s best to workout your back muscles as part of an overall body building routine because you will look awkwardly imbalanced unless you do so. If you are new in the “workout world” you better start with once a week back workout. For advance workout you can do two to three times a week.
Exercises:
Always start your workout with good full body warm up. For people, that want to lean muscle and lose the extra fat, I will suggest more intense workout with extra rep. per set (between 12 and 16) and a lite weight. People, that want to gain muscle mass should repeat 8 to 10 times with maximum weight.
Chin up/Pull-ups.
The chin up/pull-ups works the lats, rear deltoids, biceps and forearms. Chin ups are an advanced exercise, because you have to be able to lift your entire body weight.
Grab the pull up bar with wider than shoulder width grip and palms facing away from the body. Arch slightly and pull yourself up to the bar until your chin is over the bar. Hold this position for a second to maximize the peak contraction. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position. Repeat. Do 4 sets, 2-10 rep.
Tips-Chin up is an advanced exercise but one of the most important and basic for your back workout. Start with as much pull-ups as you can do. Step by step your muscles will get stronger, and you will be able to perform a good 6 to 8 rep. set.
- Arm dumbbell row.
This exercise works the lats, trapezius, biceps, and the forearms. Knee on a chair with one foot and the other on the floor beside the chair. Support your upper body by placing one hand at the end of the chair. Grab a dumbbell (water bottle) with the other hand. Take a minute to line up your body, and let the dumbbell (water bottle) hang down at arms length. Keeping your elbow close to your side, pull the dumbbell directly upwards until it touches the side of your torso. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.Repeat with the arm. Repeat 10-14 times for 4 sets.
- Basic low back crunches
Lay on the floor, face down. Take a moment to line everything up. Put your fist on top of each other, and rest your head on the top this will line it with the spinal cord. Lift your right leg and your left arm at the same time then rest them and lift the left leg with the right arm. Repeat 15 times in 3 sets with a 1 to 2 minutes between sets. The point of this exercise is not how high you are lifting the leg but the concentration and slow motion of the exercise. This exercise will strength your lower back, which will reduce the discomfort in the lower backs. 3 sets for a start may be too much, if so stick with 2 sets for the first few weeks.
- Dead-lifts.
This is one of the best power building exercises, that you can do. Dead-lifts works the spinal erectors, quadriceps, buttocks, hips, forearms, trapezius, lats, and abdominal. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grab the dumbbells (water bottles) with your hands slightly wider then shoulder width. Keeping your arms straight, bend your legs and flatten your back. Position yourself so it is like you are doing a squat with the dumbbells(water bottles) at arms length in front of you.Pull the dumbbells off the floor by straightening your legs and torso until your body is completely erect. Pull your shoulders back and lower the dumbbells back to the floor.Do 3 sets with 10-12 rep.
- Chin up/Pull-ups with palms facing you.
Grab the pull up bar with your hands shoulder width apart and palms facing you.Bend your legs so that your body is hanging from the bar. Arch your back slightly and pull yourself up to the bar until your chin is over the bar. Hold this position for a second to maximize the peak contraction. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position. Repeat.Do 2 sets and 6-10 rep.
- Barbell rows.
If you have barbell, will be nice to have these exercise in your list of exercises for back.This is similar to the dumbbell row except you are working both lats at once. Although this is a great exercise for gently strengthening the spine extensors, skip this exercise if you have a history of lower back problems. Stand with a narrow stance and hold the bar with overhand grip. Bend down with knees slightly and let the bar hang in front of you. Use your back muscles to raise the bar until it touches the abdominal region and not the chest region. Lower the bar under control to starting position.
Be serious, consistent, persistent and never give up. Results will come in a few months. Try that back workout at home, and reach your goal without “breaking the bank”!