by Sofia Moreau

We often devote much of our training time to utterly visible muscles – our arms, legs, tummy. But isn’t it time we showed some love to the unsung hero that works overtime so we stand taller and move with ease – our back? In this straight-to-the-point guide, you’ll find tips to build a stronger, more toned back, coupled with a 10-minute back workout designed to accommodate various fitness levels.

Strengthening and toning your back is not merely about flaunting your back-split gown at the next gala, it’s about enhancing your overall body functionality in ubiquitous activities. So, let’s delve into the seamless ways you can boost your back strength and enjoy an improved posture.

Six stellar solutions to strengthen and tone your back

1. Pilates – It’s more than just a cool, calming workout. Pilates can effectively improve your posture and tone your back muscles.
2. Pay attention to your upper body alignment throughout the day and make a habit of engaging your back muscles by rotating your shoulders up whilst pulling your shoulder blades together.
3. Book a periodic deep-tissue massage. By targeting tension in your back, it improves flexibility, making your workout sessions more effective.
4. Incorporate the rowing machine in your gym cardio routine. Make sure to bend from the hips to ensure your back reaps the maximum benefits.
5. If your work demands you to hunch over a laptop or constantly be behind the wheel, take frequent breaks, followed by exercises to prevent your body from getting stiff.
6. Lastly, extend your beauty routine to your back as well, solicit the help of your partner to exfoliate and moisturize areas hard to reach.

Equipped with these simple yet effective habits, you are ready to take up our ultimate 10-minute strengthening back workout! Are you ready?

Choosing the Right 10-minute Back Workout for You

There will always be a degree of uncertainty when you’re embarking on a new fitness routine, but worry not! Depending upon your comfort and previous experience with back workouts, we offer three different levels of circuits, designed for beginners, intermediates, and advanced exercisers respectively.

And remember, irrespective of the difficulty level you choose, do not forget a proper warm-up before you start and a cool-down stretch once you’ve completed your session to avoid next-day muscle soreness.

Here’s what each level of workout includes:

Beginner

• Resistance band seated row (15 reps)
• Four-point box (10 alternating reps)
• Resistance band seated row (10 reps)
• Dorsal raise with shoulder rotation (5 reps, hold each for a count of four)
• Resistance band seated row (10 reps)
• Aquaman (10 alternating reps)

Intermediate

• Dumbbell bent over row (10 reps)
• Prone press on gym ball (10 reps)
• Dorsal raise with shoulder rotation (10 reps)
• Dumbbell bent-over flye (10 reps)
• Gym ball back extension with twist (10 alternating reps)
• Four-point box (6 alternating reps, hold each for a count of four)

Advanced

For the advanced workout plan, you will perform two supersets. Each sequence is made up of two exercises performed back to back with minimal rest.

1. Superset 1 (complete 3 rounds, with a rest of 40 seconds in between each round):
   • Dumbbell bent-over row (12 reps)
   • Dumbbell bent-over flye (12 reps)
2. Superset 2 (complete 3 rounds, with a rest of 40 seconds in between each round):
   • Prone press on gym ball (12 reps)
   • Gym ball back extension with twist (12 alternating reps)

Embrace these workouts and strengthen your unseen, unsung strength- your back. And yes, now you can flaunt that back-split gown with all the confidence in the world!

Related: The Powerful 10-Minute Chest Workout for Women

back workout, fitness for women, back strengthening exercises, upper body workouts, resistance band, gym ball