Claudine de Jong
Most women tend to focus and obsess on “mirror muscles”, which means parts of their body they can easily see, but remember just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean no one else can. While training abs, thighs, and hips is imperative, often we forget about what is going on behind us.
Having a strong back not only looks sexy, but also it is vital for preventing imbalances, reducing risk of injury, reducing pain, and most importantly to help support good posture.
In truth, for every exercise you do in the front you should do three for the back. This is because we spend most of our time slouching and rounding forward through the shoulders.
For example, sitting in front of a computer, driving, eating, walking etc. This leaves us with tight chest (pectoral) muscles, which then pulls everything forward.
By strengthening the back we can then open the chest up, get the shoulders back and down, and stand taller.
3 Exercises to Help Build a Sexy Back
1. Bent Over Rows – Targeting the Rhomboids (centre of the back)
2. Bent Over Reverse Flys – Targeting Rear Deltoids (back of the shoulders)
3. Overhead Pull Downs – Targeting Latisimus Dorsi (broadest muscle group on either side of the back)
Perform each exercise 3x 15-20 repetitions. To find the right weight start light and perform your three sets, if you feel like you can do more reps or sets then you need to increase your weight.
3 Tips for Keeping Good Posture
1. Substitute your office chair for a stability ball – this will force you to sit up straight or you will fall off
2. Always keep your core engaged 24/7 – think about pulling your belly button into your spine while still breathing (sounds silly but everybody holds their breath when doing this)
3. Constantly remind yourself to roll the shoulders back and down. Stick that chest out, don’t be afraid to show off what your mama did or didn’t bless you with. Standing tall equates to confidence and that is SEXY!
So be ready for the backless dresses, tank tops, and bikinis this season and start working on getting your sexy back.
Tags: fitness
About the author: Claudine de Jong
Claudine de Jong - 42 year old mother of three, business owner, personal trainer, group fitness leader, schwinn spin cyclist, nutritional counsellor and motivational speaker brings over 20 years of experience to the fitness industry. Having trained with some of the most elite fitness experts in North America, Claudine has designed and created a style of training that will develop a stronger core, smarter muscles, better endurance and an overall sense of well being.www.slimdowninc.com
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