This back anatomy muscle guide will not only assist you in comprehending the structure of the back or which workouts are essential to affect a certain back location, but it will also instruct you on how to do those exercises correctly.

Imagine it's Tuesday, Wednesday, or whatever your gym's 'Back day' is, and you head to the gym, where you begin doing back exercises that were either advised by your trainer, or that you learned from a YouTube video, or that you just copied from others in the gym. Well, the last one is the worst, because most of us don't know how to do the exercise properly, and even fewer people understand which muscles are impacted by each back exercise.

Complete Back Anatomy Muscle Guide

The back comprises those muscle groups that are not only the strongest but also the most difficult to train. However, before you can grasp the training guide, you must first understand the anatomy and construction of the back muscles.

There are two ways in which we can categorize the back part of our body:

1) Using muscles name

2) By muscles location

List of Back Muscles

Here is all that you need to know about the muscle on your back. 

1. Trapezius

The upper trapezius begins at the base of your skull and attaches to your clavicle; the middle trap begins on your spine at your upper middle back and attaches to the scapula, and the lower trap begins at your lower middle spine and attaches to the scapula. It covers the middle area of your back from head to tailbone.

2. Rhomboids

Underneath the traps are the rhomboids, which are deep muscles. From your thoracic spine to your scapula, they run at an angle. Even if they aren't visible, you should emphasize them since they are important for front-to-back thickness.

3. Latissimus Dorsi

The latissimus dorsi, sometimes known as the "lats," is a muscle to which you might have heard trainers refer a lot but have no idea what it is. Well, now you know. They start at the humerus (upper arm bone) and link to the scapula (lower thoracic spine) and the thoracolumbar fascia (membrane covering deep back muscles). They help in extending and rotating the upper limb.

4. Levator Scapulae

This muscle originates in the neck and descends to connect with the scapula. It lifts the scapula muscles, as the name implies.

By muscles location

• Upper/ Outer Lats
• Lower lats
• Middle back
• Lower back

Muscles Training using Back Anatomy Muscle Guide

Now that we have a basic understanding of back anatomy, we can go on to the training guide, which includes instructions on how to properly exercise various muscles.

1. Pull Up (Upper Lats)

Pull-ups are a type of vertical pull that focuses on the lats. Although the execution is simple, it is one of the most difficult exercises. You may develop this technique by adding resistance once you've completed numerous repetitions with your own body weight.

• Grab a pull-up bar or pull-up handles in an overhand grip with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Exhale and retract, your shoulder blades, and bend your elbows to pull your chest up even with your hands.
• Keep your back straight and neck neutral, tucking your legs if needed to hang from the bar.
• Inhale and lower your body back down with control.

2. Wide-Grip Barbell Partial Deadlift (Lats, Lower Back)

This is a great exercise to add to your muscle training routine since it works a number of vital back muscles. This lets you gain the maximum mass in your back muscles.

• Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Take an overhand hold on a barbell, keeping your arms at a 45-degree angle to the side of your body and no elbow bend.
• Squeeze the bar into your thighs and draw your shoulder blades together as you stand tall. This is your starting position.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping the bar close to your body, and descend it to just above the knee, counting to five each time.
• Return to the starting position slowly. Do the recommended reps.

Also read: Cutting Carbs For Muscle Building: Should You Do It?

3. Dumbbell-Bent Over Row (Lats, Trapezius, Rhomboids)

The dumbbell-bent over row is a fantastic workout that targets a variety of back muscles while also covering the interior parts of the lower, upper, and middle back.

• Stand shoulder-width apart with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
• Bend your knees slightly, bend your hips, and drop your chest to approximately parallel with the floor.
• Row both weights up to your chest, bending at the elbow, while keeping your core firm and your arms close to your body. Perform 12 repetitions.

4. Dumbbell Pull Over (Lats, Middle & Lower Back)

Although it appears complex in posture and requires a lot of stamina on your part, it helps a lot in terms of back architecture in terms of growing bulk in your lower and middle back muscles.

• Sit on a floor with your knees bent and your back against the side of a bench. Hold a dumbbell on your lap.
• Press onto your feet to lift your hips off the ground, balancing your body on the bench.
• Hold the dumbbell with both heads as you extend them overhead, then drop them behind your head, allowing your hands to bend.
• Reach as far as you can then, exhale and pull the dumbbell back over your chest. Repeat 12 times.

5. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown (Lower Lats)

Trainers frequently recommend this exercise to beginners since it is simple to complete with your own body weight. However, some considerations should be made, such as avoiding undertaking excessive movement and releasing and activating your scapula after each repetition.

• Grasp an overhead lat bar and stand far enough away from the station so that you can keep your arms virtually straight (with only a tiny bend in your elbows) during the action.
• With straight arms, pull the bar down in an arc until it reaches your upper thighs. Concentrate on feeling your lats move; your arms should just serve as levers.
• Only the shoulder joints should be used for movement.

Also Read: 10 Exercise & Diet Requirements That Will Simplify Muscle Development

Conclusion

Apart from these muscle-building exercises, there are many other back exercises to do, but you should start with the first five and work your way up because they practically cover every muscle mentioned in the back anatomy muscle guide.

So, were you doing any of these wrong before? If that's the case, now is the time to apply this muscle training guide to assist you in accomplishing your physical goals the proper way. Last but not least, never do ego lifting, and if in doubt, get assistance from your trainer; you'll get there eventually. You're now ready to go and hit at the gym.