PATH OF HIGH RESISTANCE

Sometimes, the future of your fitness depends on what’s behind you. The BAND-DISTRACTED DUMBBELL ROW has your back

Master the banded dumbbell row to fix your desk posture and broaden your back

Building a bigger back can be tricky. “Many people have trouble with the posterior chain in general,” says MH fitness editor Andrew Tracey. “It’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.” Yet neglecting the muscles you can’t see will only result in bad form.

“We’re so mid-back dominant,” says Tracey. “The first thing we do when we pull something towards us is shrug up and shrink our bodies. It can be difficult to know how to switch on our lats.”

Working a band into this gym staple will set you straight. “When you’re performing a dumbbell row, the angle of resistance is up and down,” says Tracey. “The band distraction adds horizontal resistance. This creates a cue to switch on our lats and use them to move the weight.” Perform three sets of 10 reps on each arm with a light weight; go heavy once you’ve mastered it. You’ll hit all the muscles – lats, rhomboids, rear delts – needed to bring your back to its best.