Nothing makes you look more beautiful -- or slimmer -- than a strong back. You stand taller, look great in a bathing suit or open-back dress, and exude a great sense of self-confidence. In fact, adopting great posture and supporting it with a strong back can make you look at least five pounds lighter. To get a strong, shapely back, try this bent-over row. It trains a host of back muscles: the latissimus dorsi (lats, for short), a large triangular-shaped muscle of the lower back that attaches to your upper arms; the trape-zius, another large, kite-shaped muscle, which extends across the upper back; and the rhomboid muscles that lie underneath the trapezius. Plus, your biceps (in the upper arms) get a bonus workout.

For best results, use a sturdy padded weight bench or piano bench to do this exercise. Or try using two armless chairs side by side.

The essentials

Repetitions: 8 to 12 lifts is considered a set. Do 1 to 3 sets on both sides.

Sessions per week: 2 to 3; allow at least 1 day of rest between workouts.

Speed: 3 seconds to lift, 1-second pause, 3 seconds to lower.

Remember to breathe.

Position yourself

Back should be parallel to the floor.

Let the arm hang straight down, keeping shoulders even. Dumbbell is directly under your shoulder and parallel to the floor.

Keep foot flat on the floor.

Extend the leg, but not so it's locked.

Don't:

Rotate your torso

Look up

Scrunch your shoulders and neck

Place your knee and hand too far apart

Bend supporting leg

Arch your back

The exercise
1. Pull the dumbbell straight up by bending your elbow. The dumbbell should remain parallel to the floor.
2. Keep your elbow and the dumbbell close to your body.
3. Continue until the dumbbell touches your rib cage and your elbow is slightly higher than your shoulder. Hold, then lower.

Strength-training logistics
One question I'm asked frequently is, "Why do you recommend 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions? Why not just 1 set of 15 or 20 reps?"

Researchers haven't yet sorted out the optimal numbers for optimal results. But, in the meantime, here's my answer.

Sets: One set is certainly appealing when you've got errands to run and kids to chauffeur. And some research has shown it to be just as good as more sets, at least in beginners. But there's a catch. These studies were all done in labs with people lifting the maximum amount of weight possible. The reality: When working out at home, most of us don't lift to the max. So the extra sets help make up for that. Plus more sets makes for an easier transition to heavier weights. And you know the key to building strong, shapely muscles is progression. But if you only have time for one set, go for it. It's better than not training at all.

Reps: Using the range of 8 to 12 reps helps gauge when to increase weights. And helps to prevent injury. You should be using a weight that's just heavy enough to allow you to do 8 reps. Can't do that many? Grab a lighter weight. As your muscles get stronger your reps will increase. Once you can easily do 12 reps, it's time to up the weight.

In our research at Tufts, we have seen that in people exercising at home, this training protocol builds strong muscles and can even be done by beginners.

by Miriam Nelson, PhD
Created 1997