How To Exercise Your Back Using Free Weights

Step 1: Start position

Begin by positioning yourself kneeling with your right leg on a bench and the left leg on the floor. Support your body over the bench by placing your left hand flat on the bench.

Step 2: Lowering and lifting

Hold a dumbbell with your right hand and extend your arm towards the floor with your elbow slightly bent.

It is important not to fully extend or lock out your elbow at the joint. This puts pressure on the joint instead of the muscle.

Step 3: Breathing

For this exercise, whilst you lower you need to breathe in through your nose.

And then when you lift your arms back up, you need to breathe out through your mouth.

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise on each arm.

Step 1: Start position

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart leaning forward. Now with the barbell, hold it in front of your body, arms extended towards the floor.

Step 2: Lowering and lifting

Bend your arms with your elbows pointing outward raising the bar up towards your chest.

Lower your arms back to the start position to complete one repetition.

Remember not to fully extend or lock out your arms at the elbow joint.

Step 3: Breathing

As with the first exercise you should be breathing in through your nose as you lower your arms and out through your nose as you raise your arms.

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.

Step 1: Start position

Lie face forward on a bench set at a 30 degree incline.

Hold the dumbbells and extend your arms towards the floor. Put your hands down the side of your body, palms facing each other.

Step 2: Lifting and lowering

Raise your arms outward keeping them extended but slightly bent at the elbow.

When your arms are parallel with the floor lower them back to the starting position. This completes one repetition.

Step 3: Breathing

The breathing is the same as with the first two exercises. Remember to breathe smoothly and in rhythm with your movements.

Once you are familiar with the movements perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.

Remember that doing this exercise every other day for a month can really help to tone and firm your back.