The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (50 page)

Align your feet about shoulder width apart.

Make sure your knees are pointing directly in front of you throughout the movement.

Bend over at the hips, making sure that your lower back is not slumped over. To make sure of this, squeeze or contract your abdominal section while slightly arching your low back, mimicking yourself sitting in a chair. Do not bend over all the way as this can injure the lower back. Bending at the hips to a position where your upper arm (triceps) can still follow directly towards the ceiling is sufficient for back muscle stimulation. If you stand too upright, this positioning will not sufficiently activate the back muscles. You can recognize this mistake by noticing that the back of your arms (triceps) are not following directly towards the ceiling and the focus of muscle activation in this case will most likely be the trapezoid muscles. You must be bent over to a degree where the elbows will naturally remain close to the body. At the same time, the back of the arms (triceps) follow a row-like movement, directly towards the ceiling.

Pick up the bar using either a palms-down or a palms-up grip. The palms-down grip is recommended for beginners as with this grip there tends to be less biceps involvement. Advanced trainees can benefit from a palms-up grip as it stresses the “lats” in a more direct manner.

Stick out your chest while slightly squeezing your shoulder blades together. This will position and keep your body in the proper alignment throughout the movement. Holding these alignment positions throughout the exercise will help make sure that stimulation remains in the back muscles.

Keep your head up and looking straight ahead throughout the movement. This will help you keep your balance and make it easier to maintain the described position.

TECHNIQUE AND FORM

As you pick up the bar, think about what muscles you are about to exercise. The latissimus dorsi, also known as the “lats,” are located on the outermost side of the back and are a good point focus.

Align your body in the correct postural alignment.

Let the bar hang down.

Keep the elbows slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Slightly squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Begin rowing the elbows up toward the ceiling, allowing the back of the arms (triceps) to lead the motion.

Drive the elbows and back of the arms upward until the barbell is touching your lower belly and you are able to fully contract the back muscles. Imagine that there is an egg in the middle of your back. Your objective for each repetition, when the bar is being pulled to your belly, is to crack the egg with your back muscles.