Best bodyweight back exercise when bar/rings not available

[Cole T]

I travel often and usually can get a killer calisthenics workout right on the hotel room floor. I’m super into posterior chain strengthening, though, both for strength and health reasons, and was wondering what the best back exercises are when a bar isn’t available. I’m talking full back, from upper trap all the way down, and needing zero equipment. Thanks!

[Philip_J_Fry]

Well, there are some ways, but back muscles were basically made to pull, and to do “pull exercises” with your own body, you need sth to hang from. You can try australian pull ups with a broom between two chairs (if you have some bacis strength, that will be not a challenge for you, but there are some harder progressions ;), other solution could be doing pull ups on doors. Good floor exercise for posterior chain if full back bridge, but they do not attack your lats enough. Lats also work as stabilizators during push ups, handstand push ups, etc. – but training muscles is not the same thing as training moves.

[Cole T]

Thanks for the reply, Fry. I love the full bridge and bridge pushups, but like you said there are just some things that it doesn’t hit as hard as others – definitely one of my favorites and awesome for a lot of posterior chain muscles. One thing I’ve experimented with is isometric rowing type positions on the ground (think holding your upper body up on your elbows while supine). Thanks for the suggestions with doors and chairs to get some pulling work in – maybe I should just start taking a doorframe pullup bar in my suitcase!

[Ondra]

There are interesting time static contraction exercises, like TSC simple row, TSC pullover or TSC Bicep Curl. You hold the position for 90 seconds (45/30/15 or 30/30/30) with low/medium/high intensity. (cca 6, 8, 10/10 rate of percieved exertion). For details I recommend Project Kratos by Drew Baye.

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