Your back muscles need to grow stronger in line with your arm, leg and abdominal strength increases to prevent imbalances. Weak back muscles can decrease your potential for gains in other areas and possibly increase the risk of injury. Luckily, you can target your back muscles directly and get your heart pumping at a healthy rate with a few easy moves. Here are four exercises to combine to create a safe and successful back workout routine.

Chin Ups

As you slowly pull your chin over the bar and lower back down again, your back, shoulders and chest muscles get a workout of a lifetime. The controlled movements used for chin ups slowly activate all of the muscle fibers in those areas for immense strength gains. Unlike regular pull ups, chin ups are performed with a palm inward, underhand grip. The grip affects which muscles activate with each upward and downward movement. Start with ten chin ups and increase the rep amount each week to push toward improved strength.

Rope Climb

All of your muscles will work at their limits as you climb up and down a long rope. Your back muscles will keep your body stabilized as you move your hands and legs along the length of the rope. In addition to all over muscle gains, you should also see an increase in grip strength from this move. During the first full climb, time yourself to see where your baseline lies. Attempt to beat your timed records each session to continually improve your performance on this exercise. If possible, complete the rope climb three times a session and record your best time.

Kroc Rows

Kroc rows are an effective variant of the well-loved dumbbell rows. To properly execute this move, you must focus on utilizing the full range of motion in your arms and shoulders. Extend your arm fully at the bottom and squeeze those shoulder blades at the top. The dumbbell should rest near the floor at the bottom and touch your rib cage at the top. Start with the heaviest dumbbells you can lift and perform at least 25 reps per session. Continually increase both the weight and reps until you find your limits. At that point, you can attempt to break your own personal record each week.

Deadlifts

To perform a deadift, you load up the bar with as much weight as you can lift at one time. Each session, you will perform a single rep. Focus on maintaining form with a straight back and arms. Keep your muscles flexed to prevent excess joint and ligament strain. Start with about half of your weight and add on five pounds at a time to find your sweet spot. Lift from the ground to your thighs and back down again to complete the movement.

Creating A Solid Routine

Make sure to complete the exercises in the order shown above for best results. Listen to your body as you lift and don’t be afraid to scale back the weight if needed. You can always make forward progress the next week once your muscle strength adjusts.