Kimberly Garrison | Back to basics

THE BACK IS perhaps the most neglected area in the typical fitness regimen. Both men and women, for whatever reasons, seem preoccupied with the fronts of their bodies. Abs, especially, hog all the attention for slimming, toning and building.

Don't you want to look as good going as you do coming? Then read on, and be sure to spend adequate time working on your back. Ideally, you should train twice a week with exercises that target all the back muscles.

Good posture can prevent or protect you against diseases such as osteoporosis. Furthermore, standing tall with a toned back can erase years in an instant, helping you to exude confidence.

You'll have fewer backaches, too.

The back comprises five primary muscles: trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, teres major and erector spinae.

The trapezius and rhomboids make up the upper back; the latissimus dorsi is in the middle. The teres major is a small muscle that attaches at the side of the shoulder blade. Last but not least, the erector spinae run vertically along the spine from the hips to the neck.

Here are my favorite four back exercises. I invite you to give them a try and enjoy the great results.

WIDE GRIP PULL-UPS: Hands down, wide grip pull-ups are one of the best exercises for strengthening and toning the upper back. This exercise primarily works the lats, but the rhomboids and shoulders are activated, too.

If your goal is toning, shoot for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. To add some mass while doing pull-ups, then be my guest and strap on some extra weight. If you've never done weighted pull-ups, start with 2 to 5 pounds and work your way up from there. If you use weights, do only 6-8 reps per set.

Now that you're ready to go, with an overhand grip, jump up and grab that bar with both hands in a position a bit wider than your shoulders. Pull up till your chin is level with the bar; hold briefly, then release down.

Give it all you've got! I believe that everyone should strive to be strong enough to push and pull his own weight.

For some extra motivation and inspiration, pick up the original "Thug Workout Volume 1," a 2002 DVD available at Amazon.com that features former inmates who have reached outstanding physical conditioning by mastering the bar. These brothers demonstrate how to get fit the old-fashioned way. See if you can handle it.

LAT PULL-DOWNS: If you're not ready for wide-grip pull-ups, my second choice would be lat pulldowns.

I often see people doing lat pull-downs wrong. First of all, you should only do these to the front, not behind the neck. Because most people lack flexibility in their shoulders, behind-the-neck lat pull-downs can damage the shoulders or even the cervical vertebra.

This exercise must be done with proper form, too. Lean back slightly and bring the bar down in front of your body to about the breastbone, while simultaneously pulling the shoulder blades down and together.

Your feet should maintain contact with the floor at all times. Keep your abs contracted and avoid bouncing or otherwise using momentum to bring the bar toward your chest. If you need a lot of momentum to move the bar, you're using too much weight.

Like wide grip pull-ups, lat pull-downs work the lats as well as the rhomboids and shoulders. Again, use lighter weights and 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps for toning. To build mass, shoot for a weight that allows 6-8 reps for 2-3 sets.

ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROWS: The one-arm dumbbell row targets the lats, teres major, lower and middle trapezius and the rhomboids. This is another exercise I see people doing all types of funky ways. As always, proper form is of the utmost importance.

To begin, place your right hand and right knee on a bench with your back flat and head in alignment with your spine. Keeping your torso still, hold a dumbbell in your left hand hanging down and then slowly move your arm back and up in one fluid motion until your forearm and upper arm form a 90-degree angle. Again, adjust your weight and reps accordingly, depending on your goal.

BACK HYPEREXTENSIONS: You get double the payoff with this exercise, which not only gives you a stronger spine but also makes your waist smaller. Nothing beats back hyperextensions for superior development of the lower back.

Most gyms have this old-fashioned piece of equipment, and if yours does I recommend that you get familiar with it and use it regularly. Be sure to maintain proper form and keep those abs engaged while using the muscles in your lower back to slowly raise your torso as high as you can. Pause at the top and then slowly lower.

Basically, it's like doing a reverse sit-up. Do 2-3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, using either your own body weight alone or holding a 10-, 25- or 40-pound plate.

If this movement is too advanced, start with a 45-degree hyperextension. Or do the "superman" on the floor.

Lie face down with your arms stretched overhead like, you know, Superman. Raise your arms, chest and legs off the floor, hold a few seconds, squeeze, lower to floor and then repeat. Repeat as above.

Now, you have a plan. So, let's get busy and build a back you can be proud of. *

Kimberly Garrison is a certified personal trainer and owner of One on One Ultimate Fitness in Philadelphia (www.1on1ultimatefitness.com).

E-mail her at

kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com. Her column appears each Thursday in Yo! Chat with her on her Daily News weblog, the Girlfriends' Locker Room, at www.girlfriendslockerroom.com. Her new podcast, "Philly Fitness and Health," is available for download every Thursday at www.philly.com.