6 Plank Exercises for Men to Strengthen Upper Back

The upper back can be a sensitive region for many, especially men. Maintaining an upright posture in today’s busy, desk-job world can be a struggle, which can lead to a lot of issues. One such issue faced by many is poor posture, which is attributed to a weak upper back.

The upper back is a collection of small muscles in the region that are responsible for most upper body strength, movement and even posture. Strengthening them is important to maintain your frame and avoid back pains.

Fun fact! These muscles can be strengthened by a few simple plank exercises that barely takes any time out of your day, if you’re not able to work your upper back at the gym.

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Plank Exercises for Upper Back

To strengthen your back, it's essential to train your core muscles. Planks are helpful in that regard. On that note, here's a look at six plank exercises to strengthen your upper back:

1) Elbow Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Get on the floor on your hands and knees.
• Drop yourself onto your elbows and straighten your legs out behind you.
• Brace your core muscles and glutes to bring your hips in line with your shoulders and ankles.
• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, and perform three to four sets.

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2) High Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Get on the floor on your hands and knees, and straighten your legs out behind you.
• Ensure your palms are right below your shoulders and your elbows are locked.
• Brace your core muscles and glutes to bring your hips in line with your shoulders and ankles.
• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, and perform three to four sets.

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3) Side Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Get onto the floor on your right side. Stack your feet one over the other, and bring your hips forward to align them with your shoulders and feet.
• Prop yourself up onto your right elbow, and lift your hips up, bringing them in line with your shoulders and feet. You may hold your left arm up.
• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, and perform three to four sets on each side.

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4) Plank Row

Here's how it's done:

• With a dumbbell in either hand, get into a high plank position on the floor.
• Bring one dumbbell up to your chest by raising your elbow in a rowing motion.
• Bring the dumbbell back to the floor before repeating it on the other side.
• Perform 10-12 reps on each side.

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5) Decline Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Get your feet on an elevated surface like a bench, and drop to your elbows on the floor, keeping your legs straight and core engaged to align your hips.
• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, and repeat for three to four sets.

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6) Reverse Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Sit on the floor with your legs bent in front of you and knees pointing the ceiling.
• Place your palms on either side of your hip with fingers pointing behind you.
• Raise your hips up, and squeeze your glutes to bring them in line with your knees and shoulders.
• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, and repeat for three to four sets.

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Takeaway

Strengthening your upper back is not too difficult. Take a few minutes out of your day to perform the aforementioned planks, and observe how they help relieve you of back pain and bad posture. Don’t neglect the other muscles in your body, though.