The Back Routine is a great general strength workout that helps improve your core and back strength. It includes eleven key exercises:

-Opposite Arm, Opposite Leg
-Prone Double Arm Raise
-Prone Straight Leg Lift
-Prone Lower Body Crawl
-Sitting Bicycle
-Straight Leg Circles on Knee
-Sitting Push Kicks
-In-n-Outs
-Australian Crawl
-Back Rounders
-Catback, Swayback

Watch the video above to see how to perform each exercise properly, then click HERE to download a PDF detailing the entire routine.

Originally posted here

*Note - The Back Routine is an elemental general strength routine for the simple reason that it helps balance out your body, a body which has probably done 1,000's of crunches and a body that likely spends an hour or two a day hunched over a keyboard.  I'll be honest, I need to the do the back routine daily and I don't....but I should.  Why?  I spoke a HS clinic last January in Arizona and I had the chance to meet with Phil Wharton.  He did an evaluation and the first thing out of his mount was "this guys a flexion animal" - which is Phil's way of saying that I'm somewhat leaned forward and my shoulders have a forward roll from time spent sitting and/or using a keyboard.  And while I'm embarrassed that I don't have "neutral" posture, the fact is that most distance runners have similar issues.

Here's another way to look at it.  In the past few years people have been critical of the crunch as an exercise to strengthen the core.  While I very much agree with these people that you need to do much, much more than a just a crunch in your ancillary work, the crunch and it's derivatives are a decent use of your time IF you do the back routine as well.  It's such a simple concept - if rolling your body up into a ball is deemed useful, then should you flip over, lye on your stomach and unroll yourself?

The Posterior Chain - The back of the body is neglected in most ancillary programs, yet one of the hot topics in the world of Physical Therapy for athletes is training "the posterior chain.''  The back routine, done 2-3 days a week the first few weeks, yet done as much as needed (Sara Vaughn has it assigned every day for the upcoming week as a preventive routine...most athletes would do it just 3-4 times a week) throughout the year is a great way to address the posterior chain.  I hope to work on a follow up to this routine, yet this is one of the "elemental" routines that I think athletes should be doing all year long.

Finally, the Back Routine is simple - you can do it anywhere - and it's easy, unlike some of the general strength routines we'll share in the new year...

I look forward to your comments and I hope you're training is going well.


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Jay Johnson