Targeting Specific Back Muscles

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I am Nolan Vannata. This newsletter is a part of my mission to make health, fitness, and nutrition content that is evidence-based, digestible, practical, and accessible.

More biomechanics. Yay!!!

I’m going to show you how to target four back muscles:

• Trapezius (traps)

• Latissimus Dorsi (lats)

• Posterior Deltoids (rear delts, back of the shoulders)

• Erector Spinae (the long ones that run alongside the spine)

I am choosing these specific muscles for two reasons:

1. These muscles are very important for developing a strong, muscular back

2. They are large, superficial muscles that are easier to feel and see grow

Many back exercises will work most, and usually all, of these muscles, but your exercise selection and execution will allow you to load a specific muscle to a much higher degree.

Once you know the motion a muscle is responsible for, you can pick and modify specific exercises to target that muscle. You might even be able to create your own exercises!!!

Targeting a muscle comes down to one key concept: “What resistance stretches and lengthens this muscle so I can contract the muscle against that resistance.”

I will teach you the movement of each of these muscles, some example exercises, and I will share my top exercise for working that specific muscle. It’s not that these are necessarily the “best” exercises, just my personal favorites :)

Trapezius (traps)

The trapezius muscles, or “traps” for short, are responsible for bringing the shoulder blades closer to the spine. Interestingly, the traps move the shoulder blades in several ways, so in order to strengthen the whole muscle, you need to target the lower, middle, and upper sections of the traps.

Bring your shoulders back and down. You’re using a lot of your lower and middle traps to do that. Shrug your shoulders close to your ears. You’re using your upper traps now. Fun!

Think about this… What exercises require you to pull your shoulder blades back, up, or down against resistance?

Some exercises work the entire trapezius muscle, but they tend to favor one part of the trapezius over the others. Here are some example exercises:

Upper traps

• Shoulder shrugs

• Any sort of heavy carry (farmer’s carry, heavy deadlifts)

• Behind-the-neck overhead press

Mid traps

• Any sort of rowing movement (although it might depend on the angle that you pull relative to your torso)

• Reverse flies

Lower traps

• Pull-ups

• Lat pull down

• Scapular retractions from bar

My personal favorite exercise for the traps is a wide-grip cable seated row. I can change the angle at which I sit to target more of my lower, middle, or upper traps.

Latissimus Dorsi (lats)

The lats originate at many locations along the back, connecting from the top of the hip bone (iliac crest) and halfway up the spine on the vertebrae. This large, triangular muscle connects to the top of the humerus (the upper arm).

Because of this, the lats pull the upper arm toward the hip and spine.

I want you to try something:

• Put one arm overhead

• Place the hand of the other arm on your lat muscle on the side of the arm that is reaching up

• Take your elbow on the arm that is up and try to touch it to your lower back.

• You can feel your lat muscle contracting!!!

Think of the motion you just did to contract your lats. Does it look like any exercises you can think of?

Exercises to target the lats

• Pull-ups

• Chin-ups

• Lat pull down

• Lat pull over

If I had to pick one exercise to specifically target the lats, it would be a half-kneeling single arm lat pull down. Click on this link for a video demonstration. The angle of pull and the ability to twist your torso puts a large emphasis on the lats.

Posterior Deltoids (rear delts)

The rear delts move your humerus (upper arm) closer to your shoulder blade. To feel this muscle being used, do the following:

• Stick one arm out to the side with the palm facing down.

• Take the hand of the opposite arm and place it on your rear delt of the arm reaching out.

• Slowly take the arm that is reaching out and move it backwards. Almost like a very slow karate chop to something behind your back.

• You can feel your rear delt contracting!!!

Again, think of the motion you just did. Does that movement pattern remind you of any exercises?

Exercises to target the rear delts

• Wide grip cable or barbell rows

• Rear delt flies (machine or cables)

• Bent over reverse flies (free weights)

My personal favorite exercise for targeting the rear delts is a single arm seated cable row, specifically when I row with a higher elbow. I like doing one side at a time because I can change my torso angle relative to the cable angle, and the overall load is much lower than what it would be with both hands, so I feel it less in my lower back.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae muscles are responsible for extending the spine. Place your hands on either side of your lower spine and hinge over at the hips. You should feel your erector spinae muscles contracting.

If you have ever moved heavy furniture, done yard work, or any sort of repeated lifting movement from the ground, you have likely felt these muscles being worked and potentially sore.

Exercises to target the erector spinae

• Deadlifts

• Roman chair back extensions (video example)

• Side planks (not as obvious, but still works the erectors a lot!)

• Any sort of movement that heavily loads the spine

My personal favorite exercise for the erector muscles is the Roman Chair back extension. It’s very comfortable for me, less technical than something like a deadlift, and I just feel my back muscles more.

Summary

If you know the movement a muscle is responsible for, you can figure out what exercises can isolate that muscle. Most back exercises will work most or all of these muscles to some degree, but that degree will vary based on exercise selection and execution.

If you have a favorite exercise to target these specific muscles, leave a comment so I and others can learn!!!

What’s next? Top Tips for Better Sleep

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