A hunched back and rounded shoulders are caused by weak back muscles! Coach reveals super simple "wall training method" to improve muscle tightness
Excessive tension on the front of the body, tight muscles, and fear of hunched shoulders and rounded shoulders
If you sit in front of the computer for a long time, are you careful about rounded shoulders, hunched back, and turtle neck? Coach Li Guanying, IPTA International Fitness Gold Medal Coach License and Assistant Manager of the Coaching Department of Xinyi Factory, a fitness factory, pointed out that in the gym, you can find a high proportion of Taiwanese people with hunchbacks. In addition to congenital skeletal factors, most of them are office workers who work long hours and students who study for exams for a long time. People who often raise their arms forward, such as chefs, are prone to excessive tightness of chest and neck muscles and back weakness due to long-term improper posture. It can be said to be the most common “disease of civilization”.
Coach Li Guanying said that excessive tension on the front side of the body will cause the chest muscles and the “trapezius” of the shoulders to be too tight, or due to insufficient back muscle strength, it is easy to develop a hunchback and be accompanied by rounded shoulders. During training, we will first check whether the chest muscles need to be adjusted, and then strengthen the back muscle training, especially the two main muscle groups of the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi.
What exercises should be done to train back muscles? Is “leaning against the wall” effective at home?
What equipment is generally used to train the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi? Coach Li Guanying pointed out that the most commonly used training movements are “pulley pull-downs” and rowing machine movements in the front and rear directions, while the horizontal “rear fly” movement can exercise the rhomboids.
Coach Li Guanying said that you can also train your back muscles at home. It is recommended to hang the elastic rope at a high place to do pull-down exercises, or hang it horizontally and push and pull it back and forth to train your back muscles. If you don’t have appropriate equipment, you can place your back, head, buttocks, and heels against the wall to simulate the pull-down movement in the gym.
In addition, coach Li Guanying reminded that people who have been sedentary for a long time should get up and exercise every once in a while to properly relax the neck and back muscles, and cooperate with back muscle training at home to help improve the problems of hunchback and back muscle weakness. Horizontal bars commonly used in parks and sports fields are also helpful for training back muscles. However, novices who hang horizontal bars can easily use the wrong muscles and cause compensation. It is recommended to perform auxiliary horizontal bar training under the guidance of professional coaches.
Do you worry about arm compensation if you train too hard? Back muscles support the spine
What are the common mistakes in building back muscles? Coach Li Guanying pointed out that some people increase weight when exercising, but instead use their arm muscles to exert force during exercises. Or because the upper trapezius muscles are too tight, the scapula cannot contract properly and lift up, causing the muscles on both sides of the neck to remain tight, and the back muscles cannot be effectively trained.
Coach Li Guanying pointed out that the back muscles are the most difficult muscle group for adults to exercise because they cannot observe it themselves. The back muscles are responsible for stabilizing the spine, especially related to the movement of the thoracic and lumbar spine. When the back muscles are effectively trained, the body can achieve better extensibility when practicing movements such as chest presses.
In addition, back-lifting barbell squats and other movements also require the back muscles to participate and support the body, which shows the importance of back muscles to mobility. If you have any doubts about training back muscles, you should consult a professional fitness coach appropriately to avoid sports injuries caused by incorrect training.
Further reading:
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