Looking for some good back exercises - basically the only ones I know are (assisted!) pull-ups, lat pulldowns, & rows of various sorts. Most of these hurt my hands - even though I wear gloves. Any thoughts for shaking it up, and what might be less painful on the grip?
If you work out at a gym, try using different bars and handles for cable rows. You can do the one arm at a time from a high, mid or low position, add a balance element by standing on one leg, etc. Or use a double rope handle to do cable rows. Another good back exercise is a "Cobra" using 2 cables: set the cables high and stand in the center. Pull your elbows down to your waist, keeping your hands high, palms forward. Pinch your shoulder blades together and stick out your chest. You don't need much weight on there to activate the muscles.
I have gloves with extra padding in the palms and fingers and mine hurt worse on free weights than the machiens, so I would second getting a more high-end glove.
I also lie on the bench and do a tricep pullover. You hold one dumbbell over your head and extend your arms back beyond your head and then PULL the db over back to above your forehead. I can feel every part of my back, plus my abs, working. Also the dumbbell lift, where you do a bent knee lift of dumbbells on the floor using your back muscles and pivoting at the waist.
My trainer showed me some back exercises last week. One of them was the pullover hrbabe mentioned above. I love that one. It feels so good. The only difference was that she had me extend the pull farther down to right above my sternum, rather than above my forehead. Arms should be horizontal at the farthest point when you reach back.
Another one was what she called "Seated front raise and pull". I used a 5lb weight in each hand. I extended my arms straight out in front of me, about lip height. I pulled them into my chest, then lowered them to my side. Then back up to the starting position. 3 x 12 reps. I had to switch to 3lb weights on the last set.
Then, of course, the classic one arm row.
Reverse hypers on the stability ball were mostly for glutes, but they worked the lower back too. You lie on the ball on your abdomen, put your hands either on the floor or - for more advanced or better balancers - grasp a pole in front of you. Keep your legs straight and put feet together. Lift your legs as high as you can. 3 x 15 reps. Add weight held between your ankles when you're ready to notch it up.
When I trained today, I thought about this post. I use a lot of non-conventional equipment to train- climbing ropes, sledge hammers and truck tires, gymnast rings, huge rubber bands- in addition to basic gym equipment. Most people just accept that back exercises, if done heavy enough to work their backs, are going to hurt their hands momentarily. I use well padded gloves and straps when I do back. I couldn't possibly tax my back based on my grip strength. I use 50 pound dumbbells for my heaviest set of one arm rows. Even with straps, it's pretty uncomfortable. But it only takes about 30 seconds, and then your hands can recover along with the rest of your body. Your hands will toughen up.
Good back exercises?
