Workouts for the back are essential and bring many benefits
When the back is in good shape the body looks balanced – pulling the shoulders back and creating an illusion of width at the lats (the latissimus dorsi) moving down to a smaller waistline.
It’s not about the back looking broader, just more balanced and symmetrical. This shape is also known as a V-taper.
Whether, if you’re a man, you are trying to develop more muscle or, if you’re a woman, just creating a lean back, workouts for the back are essential no matter what age you are.
The largest back muscles are the latissimus dorsi (also known as the lats) in the mid-section of the back, which wrap around the sides of the upper body just below the arms. The lats give the torso a wider, flared shape. Other muscles include the middle deltoids, rhomboids and trapezius, while the lower back muscles consist of the abdominis, erector spinae and psoas muscles.
Working out your back can be a great calorie-burner. And as it’s such a large muscle group you may find you are able to lift more weight that with other muscle groups, but always proceed with caution and start on a lighter weight before increasing the weight, if you are able.