Are you tempted by the exercise of horizontal pulling with elastic? Some bodybuilding pros swear by it!This backexercise is usually one of the first moves people try at the gym.

Despite the seeming simplicity of the horizontal pull, this exercise actually requires a lot more technical skill than most people realize. Doing horizontal pulling with elastic correctly can increase the relief of your back, increase your back muscles, gain thickness for a more toned back. In this article, discover everything you need to know about horizontal stretching with elastic!

Movement of the horizontal pull with rubber band step by step

Before directly attacking the exercise of the horizontal pulling, you must invest in a pair of quality rubber bands for more comfort and for an optimal training. Once you have a comfortable setup, follow these steps to perform the horizontal pull without injury:

• Hang yourrubberband on a mounting bracket or behind a pole.
• Stand facing the binding, legs bent, feet firmly planted in the ground.
• Place your body backwards to find the perfect balance with one end of the rubber band in each hand.
• As soon as your position is stabilized, bend your elbows backwards, keeping your back straight. This is the moment of inspiration.
• Return to the initial position by bringing your arms in front of you. Exhale slowly.

This horizontal pulling exercise with rubber band can also be done seated for people who are not comfortable with their balance. Here are the steps:

• Sit on your buttocks with your legs slightly bent in front of you and your toes pointing up.
• Pass the elastic behind your feet and grab both ends of the band with your hands.

• Pull your elbows back so that your hands come up to your abs without moving your legs or back. To further work the deep muscles of the back, you can inhale during this step.
  
• Return to the initial position by bringing your elbows gently until you keep a slight flexion. Exhale slowly.

To grip the rubber bands in your hands, you have the option of putting your palms down (pronation), inwards (neutral grip) or up (supination). It’s easier to start in a neutral grip before trying the other positions.

This horizontal pulling exercise with rubber band can also be done on a machine, more commonly known as seated rowing.

Horizontal pulling with elastic: which muscles worked?

This full back exercise will allow you to work a large part of your back thanks to the horizontal pull with elastic. For optimal thickness growth and a complete design of your back, here is the list of muscles worked thanks to the horizontal pulling with elastic:

• The middle and lower trapezius support the movement of the scapula and are therefore heavily involved in this workout.
• The rhomboids, diamond-shaped in the upper back, also support the movement of the scapula and are therefore just as involved in the exercise of the horizontal row with elastic as the trapezius.
• The posterior deltoids, located at the back of the shoulder joint, are heavily used during this horizontal pulling exercise. Your shoulder will be drawn thanks to the use of elastic band adapted to your strength and resistance.
• The brachialbicepsare also slightly solicited during the horizontal pulling exercise even if the back takes precedence over the arms.

The advantages of horizontal pulling with elastic

Resistance band training offers a multitude of benefits. This horizontal pulling exercise with rubber band can be beneficial for your fitness routine on its own or in addition to exercises using weights or on machines in the weight room:

• Safe and Low Impact: This is especially ideal for complex joints such as the shoulders, as they are prone to injury. This allows you to focus on specific areas.
  
• Injury prevention: Performing gentle exercises to increasestrength, stability, and mobility can help you maintain shoulder and upper back health and prevent injury.
  
• FOR ALL ATHLETES: Resistance bands get tougher as you stretch them. This makes the exercises more difficult as the bands are stretched. This way it is easy to change the intensity of a movement. You can therefore adapt the level of resistance according to your individual needs.
  
• PORTABLE, INEXPENSIVE AND EASY TO USE: The rubber band is an economical strength training accessory that you can use absolutely anywhere. So you can easily incorporate them into your bodybuilding routine. It slips easily into a bag.
  
• GREAT FOR HEALTH: The horizontal pulling exercise with rubber band improves flexibility and corrects muscle imbalance. Plus, it helps relieve pain, especially after injury or surgery.
  
• Improved coordination: the bands work much like a pulley machine, allowing you to maintain constant tension on the muscles you work. You’ll also use more stabilizing muscles to keep the band tight throughout each exercise, adding a different dynamic to the same movements.

Mistakes not to make when pulling horizontally with rubber band

crane your neck

It is common for people to adopt a “head forward or upward” posture while doing horizontal rows with a rubber band. This error is characterized by craning the neck forward or toward the ceiling and rounding theshoulders.

Straining your neck during this exercise can cause pain and, at worst, can lead to muscle tension in your neck or upper back.

Use hips or lower back

It is essential to firmly anchor yourself in the ground, legs bent with yourbuttocksbackwards to perform the exercise of the horizontal pulling with elastic. Otherwise, you risk pulling through the extension of your hips or lower back rather than the force of flexing your elbows. You have to manage to find the right position in balance on your feet so that you only move your elbows backwards.

Use the biceps

The horizontal pulling exercise with elastic is done by bending the elbow only. Unfortunately, the effort may seem easier by putting more strain on the arms, especially the biceps.

It is therefore necessary to remember to position yourshoulderswell backwards and downwards, in such a way as to really work the muscles of the back and not of the arms.

Exercise ideas to complete your horizontal pull-up workout

The bird exercise

For the work of the posterior deltoids in addition to the horizontal pulling, you can perform this bird exercise.

Starting position: take dumbbells and stand upright, feet hip-width apart. Then lean forward until you have a flat back. Push yourglutesback, bend your knees slightly if necessary, and extend your arms towards the floor.

Exercise: Simultaneously lift the dumbbells laterally. Raise your arms as high as possible, elbows slightly bent. Act as if you want to bring your shoulder blades as close together as possible. Be careful not to exceed the line of your shoulders.

The side elevations

In order to put more strain on the trapezius muscles, you can do lateral raises with dumbbells or with your resistance bands.

Exercise: Simultaneously, raise your outstretched arms to the side either at 90° or higher for more in-depth work.

The row

For rhomboids, all exercises with a straight back are excellent. Rowing in particular strengthens this upper back muscle in addition to the horizontal pull.

Starting position: Flat on your stomach on a weight bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand, your arms touching the floor.

Exercise: Bring your upper arms, from shoulder to elbow, along your body while keeping your back straight and your head down. Then lower your arms back to the ground and repeat for the number of repetitions desired.

In summary: the horizontal pull with elastic

The horizontal row withrubber bandis a very effective exercise for building upper back muscles. This variant with a resistant band allows you to do it everywhere just as effectively as on a machine in the gym. The elastic has many advantages allowing you to perform your horizontal pulling exercise anywhere, without constraint and at a lower cost.

Quite simple to perform in appearance, the horizontal pull-up with elastic still requires good concentration and a good form of execution of the movement in order to correctly solicit the muscles of the upper back. So, ready to get started in the horizontal pull with elastic?