Improving your posture is one of the best things that you can do to improve your self confidence and physical health. In this article, we are going to discuss different exercises that can improve posture.
For those that don’t know, your posture is controlled mostly by your back muscles. And when you don’t workout your back muscles, you can end up with bad posture.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, good posture involves training your body to sit, stand, walk and lie down with the least strain possible on your muscles and ligaments.
This sounds good and all, but what workouts should be done? In this article, we are going to cover 5 different exercises that can improve posture. If you do these twice a week, there is no doubt that your posture will improve.
If you want a full workout plan, go ahead and download our app All Workouts: Personal Trainer (iOS | Google Play). We have multiple FREE workout plans that will whip you into shape.
Now let’s get into these exercises.
Barbell Bentover Row (3 Sets, 8 Reps)
The barbell bentover row is one of my favorite workouts for posture. You can use a preloaded barbell or an olympic barbell and add weights to it.
In this video, you can see clearly that I am using a preloaded barbell. But that isn’t what I use anymore because I have outgrown the weight of them.
Here is what you need to know about the barbell bentover row. Keeping your back parallel to the ground is not as important as keeping your back straight and tight.
If you find yourself arching your back, then you need to lower your weight.
One thing about posture exercises is that form is more important than anything else. Form is what improves your posture, not the amount of weight that you can lift.
Lying Incline Back Flye (3 Sets, 8 Reps)
The lying incline back flye of course requires an incline bench and some dumbbells. Simply adjust the bench to the incline position, and lay face down. I prefer my head to be above the back of the bench.
That way your chin can be free instead of smashed.
Make sure that when you pull back the dumbbells to the up position, you are squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
You will notice a muscle flex when you do that. And if you are doing it right, you should be struggling by the 8th rep.
Seated Cable Row (3 Sets, 10 Reps)
The seated cable row is probably the easiest exercise out of all the different exercises that can improve posture on this list. Why? Because all you have to do is hook up the cable row with the parallel grip attachment and start pulling.
This would be a great exercise to experiment with how much weight you can pull. I mentioned in the barbell bentover row section that form is the most important thing when lifting weights to improve posture.
And it is. But what I am trying to say is that the seated cable row is hard to mess up your posture on. Therefore it is safe to increase your weight.
Deadlift (3 Sets, 5 Reps)
The dreaded deadlift! The deadlift is literally the best exercise of all time. It requires immense focus and it works out your entire body. But the 2 main muscle groups that it hits are your legs and your back.
These are of course great for improving your posture.
We are back to being form police for this one. Start with as little weight as you can and spend a long time slowly increasing weight and working on your form.
If at any time you see your form slipping, then it is safe to say that you should drop down in weight a bit.
With the deadlift, you want to keep a straight back, strong legs, and an engaged core. If you feel that you are not able to perform all 3 of these tactics, then you are probably trying to lift too heavy.
Pullups (3 Sets, 4-8 Reps)
Pullups are the only exercise in this list of different exercises that can improve posture that doesn’t require weights.
And honestly, if you don’t have access to a gym, pullups alone can help improve your posture.
The great thing about pullups, is that there are all sorts of different kinds. Standard pullups, close grip pullups, wide grip pullups, weighted pullups. You get the point, right? And they all workout muscles that improve your posture.
But why did I wait to talk about them until our last section? Because we have to save the best for last, right?
Well, I won’t say that they are the best, but pullups are so versatile, that you won’t need anything else as long as you have access to a pullup bar. If you don’t I recommend this one from Amazon.
You will also notice about this pullup section, that I recommended 4-8 reps instead of the standard 8 reps. That is because you can’t change your body weight. Just do as many as you can. You will improve, there is no doubt.
Main Point: Different exercises that can improve posture
As you can see, there are multiple different exercises that can improve posture. If you really want to improve your posture, the best thing that you can do is just get started.
Yes, you are going to have to work at it. Posture is not something that is going to improve overnight. There are little things that need to be done every single day.
Obviously I don’t recommend working out everyday, but I do recommend giving conscious thought to your posture and how it affects you.
As someone who has struggled with posture in the past, I still catch myself slipping into old habits from time to time. And I can see how people never come out of it.
But you will find that if you do these exercises twice a week, it is certainly going to improve your posture to the point where you aren’t even going to recognize your past self. And it is not just posture that is going to improve. It will be your body in general and your self confidence.
I highly recommend taking “before” pictures of your posture so that you can see the actual difference side by side. This goes for any physical transformation that you are going to undertake.
You can work on your posture while improving the whole of your body. What are your next steps? Are you going to make it happen?
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