The no-equıpment back workout
Oxygen|Spring 2021
All you need to do these moves is a towel and your body weight.
Lara McGlashan
The no-equıpment back workout

If at-home workouts have taught us anything, it’s that it sucks training back without equipment. These creative exercises use a towel and your bodyweight to hit all the major muscle groups on your flip side. Sure, they look simple, but when done properly, they will make you sore.

IRONMAN EXTENSION

Lie facedown with your legs together and your arms along your sides, palms facing upward. Make your hands into fists. Keeping your head neutral and in line with your spine, lift your legs and upper body off the floor, simultaneously rotating your arms in your shoulder sockets so your fists turn to face the floor. Hold briefly, then reverse these steps to return to the start.

TIP: Actively extend your arms away from your head, as if punching the wall behind you as you lift. This creates tension in your upper back and shoulders, intensifying every rep.

FLOOR PULL-UP

Lie facedown on top of a towel (if needed) on a smooth floor with your legs together. Place your forearms, elbows bent, underneath your shoulders, and make your hands into fists. Keep your body tight and your head neutral as you push backward, sliding your body away from your elbows. When you’ve gone as far as you can, drive down into the floor with your elbows and pull yourself back to the start.

This story is from the Spring 2021 edition of Oxygen.

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This story is from the Spring 2021 edition of Oxygen.

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