Training your body at home can be a challenge, but while working your legs with squats or your chest with push-ups is quite easy to do, doing back exercises without weights at home can be a challenge. In this article, I'll give you an idea on how to solve this problem and work on your back muscles at home.
The first thing you can do is get a pull up bar. There are plenty of brands offering pull up bars and they are very affordable on the whole. There are also doorway pull up bars that you can fit over most doorways in your home. You can find them online or in sport stores in many locations.
However, what if you don't want to buy a pull up bar or can't, for some reason? What happens if you want to work your back without any fitness equipment whatsoever, using just some household gear? Can you do it?
The answer is yes. There is one back exercise that requires no weights at all and be be done at home: the supine row, also known as the Australian pull-up. This is actually one of my favorite back exercises and I do if often when I go to the gym. It can, however, be done at home.
What you need to do this exercise are two high backed chairs, sturdy ones that aren't susceptible to falling over and a big pole of some kind. You need this pole to be strong enough to bear your weight. This is where you need to take responsibility for what you're doing. If you can't find a pole that you KNOW will bear your weight, don't do this exercise. It just won't work.
Place the pole on the two chairs with them at a distance of slightly more than your shoulder width. You need space to crawl on your back beneath the bar and to do the supine row itself. Make sure the pole is placed securely. It is your responsibility to make sure everything is secure.
Once you're on your back underneath the pole, grab it with both hands apart at slightly over shoulder width. Stretch them as far as you can and hang from the pole. Pull yourself up and bring the pole as close as possible to your chest. Then, lower yourself down slowly without touching the floor and repeat. There are two variations of this exercise: an overhand grip with is harder and an underhand grip which is easier and works the biceps more.
This is a back exercise that you can do at home with no fitness equipment. However, you HAVE to make sure that the pole you're using is strong enough to bear your weight. Otherwise, you may injure yourself. If there's any doubt about the strength of the pole, do not perform this exercise.
