Why Pulling?

Pulling exercises strengthen the upper and middle back, rear deltoids (shoulders), and the biceps and triceps in the upper arm.

These pulling exercises all influence your posture, and, in turn help to improve your balance.

How Pulling Exercises Help to Improve Back Strength.

Pulling exercises correct length/tension imbalances in the body, particularly around the spine with the stretching and strengthening movements that work the muscles directly surrounding your spine.

As the muscles get stronger and more elongated your range of motion increases along with more muscle tone. This helps to protect your back and other joints from injury, as well as improving your posture aligning your body in its natural state.

Some of The Best Pulling Exercises For Your Back:

· Lateral Rowing – Using a cable machine or Thera-band anchored. Sitting tall with both hands on the cable or band handles and palms facing the body pull your elbows straight back until hands come to your waist. The forearms should stay parallel to the floor. Feel the shoulder blades draw together but do not pinch them as you pull the weight. Helps to improve the posture by strengthening muscles of the mid and upper back.

· Pull ups – Using a straight bar overhead or the new machines that displace your weight. You can choose an overhand narrow or wide grip, underhand grip or palms facing grip. They all involve a pulling action working slightly different muscle groups of the back and upper body. With your body extended bend your arms pulling your chin up until it is level with the overhead bar, then lower and repeat as many as you can do with good form.

· Lat Pull Downs – Using a cable machine with the long overhead hanging bar position yourself just slightly behind it with your legs anchored. Tilt your body about ten degrees back grabbing the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip. Pull the bar to your breastbone drawing the elbows down and back toward your spine. Keep your chin parallel to the floor, not looking up but out in front of you.

This exercise helps to strengthen the Latissimus Dorsi muscles that run the length of the back on either side of the spine helping to support the back in twisting and turning motions.

· Reverse Push Ups or Inverted Row – Using a straight bar on a rack or Smith Machine with bar set around waist height.

Position yourself under the bar with your hands on top and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Walk your feet out until your body is completely extended with heels on floor and toes up. Chest is square with the bar and arms are extended at chest level.

Bend your arms pulling your chest up to the bar keeping your abdominals tight and body aligned straight. Lower and repeat for as many as you can repeat with good form.

· Pilates Reformer/Long Box Pulling Straps – Using the Reformer under a watchful eye is a great way to improve your posture and back strength helping to realign your spine.

Lying on your stomach with chest just off the front edge of the long box grab the straps one in each hand. Inhale as you pull the straps with straight arms down and back to your hips bringing the head and chest up opening the front of the spine. Exhale as you release. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions adding a triceps extension at the end of the pull for another set.

· Pilates Reformer/Rowing Back – Sitting tall on the Reformer facing backwards holding the straps pull elbows straight back as your hands come to your waist. Release and repeat for 8 –10 times. This can be done with straight arms pulling down and back. Feel the chest expand as you draw the arms back.

Jennifer Adolfs is a certified Pilates Mat and Equipment Specialist who works with musculoskeletal injuries. Find more articles and her new Pilates ebook that outlines many great exercises to help strengthen your back and improve your posture by going to her web site at http://www.Pilates-Back-Joint-Exercise.com

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