Working out does not have to be a chore. In fact, it never has to be if you let your creativity take over. My favorite thing to do is to think of different ways to work a body part without creating a “routine.” Routine is great for ease of planning, but it eventually turns into an automatic response and kills fun. We all know, the more routine something is the less effort we give.
To make my back work out fun, I decided to employ this theory of having fun. I took it all the back to junior high. I grabbed a quality climbing rope from my local hardware store. I tied knots in it about every 18 inches or so and then tossed it over a tree limb.
Climbing a rope works your back very well. We especially work the lats and dorsal muscles. Not only that, we work the forearms, hands muscles, biceps, and even legs muscles get involved.
It is a very simple set up too. I took my extension ladder and set it up on a limb that was about 12 feet off of the ground. I took that knotted rope and tied it off very well around this limb and the rest is history.
To get a good work out, I climbed the rope and smacked the branch (not sure why, it just felt like I should) then I climbed back down. The goal coming down was to control my weight and the urge to just drop. The negative reps of coming down the rope are just as important as those going up the rope. I did this until my arms and back would not let me do another one. Since I was doing this for exercise, I did not go too high. I did not want my body to quit with me 25 feet off the ground.
For those who can’t climb a rope or just have a healthy fear. Another option is to get a pulley and tie it around the same branch. Run the rope through the pulley. (Make sure to get a thick rope that is made for climbing as the skinny ropes will cut into your hands.) Then tie a weight to the other end and simulate climbing the rope. The same muscles are worked.
Just remember to stand at an angle when doing this. DO NOT stand under the pulley so the weight would be above your head for obvious reasons.
