Exercises for the back

Deadlifts, rows (seated or standing), and pull-ups.

Also remember... how your back will be is also genetics. Some might have a smaller back, but huge quads. Or massive arms and a small chest.

If you can't do pull-ups (like me ), you could do something like negative pull-ups, assisted pull-ups, or lat pull-downs.

Cherimoose is right - you don't want imbalances. You need to work your "antagonistic" muscles, too.

In addition to weights I would also suggest using the row machine if your gym has one. I've been rowing 2000m everyday for almost 4 weeks now & I'm starting to see some definition in my upper back. I love it because it works so many muscles at one time!

cariketchum wrote: »

Thank you for the suggestions .(:
I'm not looking to be a body builder or anything . Yes I did look up a routine but have not started yet and information about giving your muscles a break . I just wanted to see what exercises were recommended for back pain / relax back/ exercise back so it's not always so tense/ stiff.

I found yoga moves to help me the most with flexibility and stiffness. There are some specific ones I do for my lower back which help with disc issues before and after every workout. Beyond that, work on your core, that's the sweet spot. You need to work your way up to pull ups, push ups, bodyweight stuff. I currently do yoga stretches each morning, then 50-70 push ups (not traditional, I do incline for cardio), 100 sit ups, 60 leg lifts, 30 crunches, 15 reverse crunches, 60 second planks, etc. You don't have to start with a specific number of each type, just know that you're working on your core and increase a little bit each week or two until you're at a level you can sustain. I still can only do maybe 1-5 chin ups, and maybe 5-10 push ups (traditional), but I do this routine every day six days a week. It's really helped to strengthen my back muscles, and my core. I also could not do sit ups for the longest time, so I stuck with crunches. Now I do both.

Your core is what supports your back, abdominal and back muscles. Look up body weight exercises and do them as well as you can on a regular basis and work your way up. It took me months just to get where I am today but my back feels so much better. Feel free to msg me if you need a link to any of the yoga stretches I do. They are designed for sciatica relief, but there are many you can look up on youtube, google, etc.

I have had 3 herniated discs in my lower back (L5, L4, L3) and have had L4-L5 repaired in the past and was in pain for years. The back is still stiff in the mornings until I stretch, but after stretching and working out it feels like a million bucks the rest of the day. I also have spinal stenosis (arthritis of the spine) and refuse to let it slow me down.