Brief info:
25
186/82 (6.1/180 lbs)
Former aspiring elite tennis and golf player.

Without any real science behind it other than my layman thoughts so bear with me:

I believe the very explosive and almost exclusively forward motions occurring in these sports have lead to my back and shoulder muscles being very weak. Especially the area between the shoulder blades looks completely free from muscles and and the blades are pulled forward resulting in a gap (my hole, I call it)
This, together with many years of neglected stretching of all body parts have led to my poor posture.


Tools:
Stretching morning and night every other day. 3x30 seconds for each muscle.

Weightlifting - I have access to a decent gym located very close to were I live. Exercises I have in mind is rows, the sit-up one but for the back, lats etc.

Goals:
Improved posture and flexibility.
Improved upper back and shoulder strength. Filling my hole, perhaps bulb up a bit.
Update the log at least 2x a week. Keeping the schedule

Comments and tips of exercises are welcome

gl man
do you have any weight/weightlifting goals?

Thanks for the good luck wish!

For starters, no goals apart from the visual improvement (shallow, right ) and getting rid of the occasional back pain after long days at the university.

I have never really cared about my weight since I've been very active and therefore rather fit my whole life.

I'm of the opinion, which could very well be due to ignorance or lack of technique, that I am to unflexible to perform a decent classic such as the DL or squat. I squat either on my toes or with weights under my heels (due to short achilles and stiff ankles) and manage to go no heavier than 140lbs before I get severe issues with back rounding or losing tightness or how to put it. My hip extenders are also different in length making me tilt a bit just before and after I reach the full ROM

The same issue goes for the DL where I feel I can't go heavier than 90lbs before risking my back at a lift off from the ground. Ankles, achilles and hip-extenders feel like limiting factors here as well.

That being said, I don't see why I shouldn't set any goals for the weightlifting after my flexibility improves to the point where I can feel I can do the exercises correctly without the fear of hurting myself. But for the moment, no.

Due to a soar throat my first day at the gym became a trial run for different exercises to see which ones was the most tireing for my target muscles.

Questions I have:

Lat pulldowns. Front or behind my head, which ones targets my back the most?

Back extensions. This one feels like the focus is on my lower back rather than the upper back. What about the arms, behind my head or across the chest? "breaking" or rolling motion?

Seated low rows. I do a full ROM? from arched back with arms straight to an overextended back and arms and shoulders pulled all the way back. I feel this exercise targets my triceps the most, am I doing it wrong?

Feel free to recommend other exercises that focus on the area around the spine/ between the shoulder blades!

Stretching went well yesterday!
Starting off with right ankle as it is much stiffer than my left, I figure I start doing the left as well when the right one catches up.
Quads - Standing on one leg, trying to keep shoulders back and hip straight.
Glutes/butt - Sitting with one leg crossed, trying to reach my chest with the knee.
Hip-extenders. Standing on one knee and keeping my upper body straight while pushing the hip forward.

Facepulls and band pull aparts seem like they'd be useful for you goals. You should look up the series "Neanderthal No More", it is a five part article by Cressey and Robertson. The first part is here.

Thank you for the exercise tips. Will add them to my routine.

I've read through the first two parts of Neanderthal No More, a lot of latin but looks good. Many thanks

The program of exercises kicks in in part 4 and 5, for some other ideas of things to try.

Second gym visit today.
Did standing rows, lat pulldowns, pull-ups, back extensions and some row on the rowing machine. I tried the face pull but the only height-options available are either too high or too low for me. I did try however to do a few on the low one but didn't really feel I was targeting the right part. Also tried out the tecnique for some exercises from the neanderthal no more part iv and I might add them to my routine.

I've kept the stretching schedule so far.

Another session today and the goal was to find what resistance to use for the different exercises. I am planning to do 8 repetition (too many or too few or okay? the goal is volume) each set and these were the numbers:

Lat pulldowns: 14 plates a 5 kg so 70 levered kg
Standing rows: 40 kg + bar
Face pulls: 9 plates
Seated rows: 11 plates a 5 kg so 55 levered kg. Very short ROM though with focus on contracting the shoulder blades as much as possible.
Back extensions on the side: 10 kg + the other arm over my head.
Pull-ups. As many as possible (I managed 5 so far)

Kept the stretching routine but having issues doing it in the morning as I feel super tired and unflexible. Have been doing after work and before bedtime instead of morning and night

Think you should do your lats pull downs to chest. In my experience its better for the shoulder also, lat pull downs to the back is a little bit more advanced.

The "hole" that you speak of in your shoulder whats that? Is it like behind the deltoids? Its a point above the deltoids that is normal to have a hole but every one don´t have it. As you have been playing tennis it seems like to me that your shoulder just are more defined.

That's the way I do it, watch somed youtube videos and that seems to be the general consensus

No, my "hole" is just an area lacking of muscle along the spine, at the hegiht of my shoulderblades basically. Since my blades are a bit "wingshaped", this becomes even more noticeable.


Another session at the gym today. I think I will cut the face pulls from my routine due to the fact that I can't adjust the height of the machine. Will add some other exercise from neanderthal no more to replace it.

I've kept my stretching schedule so far, starting to notice an increased flex in my right ankle and hopefully it will catch up with my left in a week or two.

24/10 - Did all the exercises for Nnm monday.

26/10 - Did all the exercises for Nnm tuesday, apart from declined barbell extensions as my triceps was already fried from the dip-shrugs when I realized I had forgotten it so I just skipped it.

I've been slacking a bit with the stretching the last few days but in my defense I had severe soreness in my glutes from a backhand-focused tennis practice and after that the step-up exercise from "monday". And there is a lot of stretching in the Nnm-program as it is.

28/10. Performed more exercises from NnM. Had some difficulties performing the pull throughs and the isometric hold exercise. Also the walking lunges has completly killed my glutes and inner thigh muscles.

31/10. Performed most of the exercises for Saturday in NnM. The one armed row variant felt really good. I once again realised how ridiculously weak my shoulders are when it comes to pressing out.

2/11. Did a mixture of exercises that I feel really targets the area behind my shoulderblades. Did some pulldowns as well as pull-ups.

3/11. NnM-Monday exercises. Having real issues with the dead bug twists and I can't see what good they will do? Is it a stretching exercise? Performed them to the best of my ability anyway.

They are a good core exercise, particularly for the often-over looked anti-rotation function of the midsection. If it is too easy, you could hold a small weight in your hands. An alternative exercise is something like a pallof press.

I'm 1-2 weeks into NNM as well. I try to do everything including the off-day training, so will be interested in following your progress.

You should definitely feel the DBT in your abs. Are you sure you are doing them correctly; legs up w knees bent at 90 degrees and you lower back in contact with the floor?

I enjoy the one arm cable row as well and also found the lunge workout brutal.

Why are your triceps sore after the shrugs; are you keeping your arms locked out? FWIW I'm really sore after the decline barbell pullovers, so don't go top heavy on them at first (although this 'tip' applies to all movements).

Okay, will try with the plate next time

Incorrect form on the dip shrugs is certainly possible I have issues multi tasking and should probably try to up the focus a bit.

Good luck to you!

hey, glglgl, posture and yoga is something I watch and try to always work on, right now Im doing calisthenics and results are very promising both in posture and building strength(shoulders, chest and back). Ive always had problems with my back(scoliosis) since I started with my routines pain has been off the picture...

gl with whatever you decide

Thanks for the gl.

There are a lot of calisthenic exercises in the Nnm-program so hopefully I will get some result as well. Haven't been a fan of yoga because of the "spiritual" side of it but I'm sure its legit as far as the exercises go.

5/11: Didn't feel like going to the gym but dragged my ass there anyway and did some semi-inspired exercises from the Nnm-program. Not sure it did much help

7/11: Did Nnm according to the schedule but once again I'm to unflexible to perform the pull throughs so I will have to search for an alternative exercise for this one.

Additional stretching is going well too but I don't do it every other day no more but closer to every third day.

What, how is this possible? Just only go down/back until just before your lumbar starts to round...?

I have very unflexible ankles and hips. To illustrate, how far from a wall can you stand with your foot (mesured from your big toe) and still touch the wall with your kneecap if you push forward until it hurts/doesn't go any further?

My distance is about 4 cm. Now add a hip-mobility of a professional biker but in the other direction so to say, and you might understand this problem.

Not so much updates lately. Had a tennis game last sunday which left me with soreness all over the place so didn't do any gym until:

14/11: Did NnM saturday. Felt good, the area behind the shoulderblades was really tired after and same for the shoulders.

Will try to do another workout after lunch today.

16/11. Performed some standing rows, pull-ups and some other exercises from NnM. Left shoulder is a bit sore today which I guess is a good sign.

18/11. NnM monday, tried the dead bug twist with an 11 pound weight but I can go on forever so I'm obviously doing something wrong.