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4 Exercises To Improve Your Posture

Improve Your Posture With Exercises!
Progressive overload pull-ups

Rounded shoulders, a hunched back, lower back problems.... these are all signs of poor posture, often a result of sitting for long periods of time.
The good news is there's a number of great exercises to counter and improve your poor posture. Get out of the office and give these 4 exercises a try next time you find yourself sitting or standing with poor posture.

If improving your posture is your #1 goal I recommend performing several sets of these exercises 2 - 3 times per week.
If building muscle mass and strength is your goal simply incorporate them into the corresponding body part split during your usual regime.

4 Exercises To Improve Your Posture

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The Deadlift

The first exercise that any personal trainer or coach will mention when it comes to improving posture is the deadlift, for good reason too. The deadlift works the entire body and hits literally every single muscle group all in one efficient movement.

When we're looking at the deadlift specifically from a posture standpoint it's the hips, hamstrings, upper back and core strength being utilized by the deadlift that strengthen these important muscle groups, in turn making maintaining good posture easier.

The Goblet Squat

A goblet, zercher or front squat (all of which you're bearing the weight infront of your body) is fantastic for building core strength and stretching your hips on the negative portion of each rep (provided you're utilizing a full range of motion).

See also
Pre-Exhaust Leg Workout For Killer Quads!

Back squats are great too, however from a posture standpoint the increased hip stretch and increased core activation make it a clear winner when it comes to improving posture.

The Barbell Shrug

The barbell shrug, specifically targeting the traps is a great exercise for correcting hunched or internally rotated shoulders.
When performing the shrug ensure you're shrugging the weight up and slightly back before squeezing tightly for a second.
Don't roll your shoulders over and over, this is the most common mistake I see being made on the shrug, as this only places stress on your tendons and ligaments - you're not actually increasing muscle activation.

Cable Face Pulls

Just like the barbell shrug, the face pull works the rear deltoids and traps.
By focusing on pulling the weight back and maintaining correct shoulder position you'll be strengthening the muscle that're responsible for your internally rotated shoulders while also practising good posture (chest forward, shoulders back - squeezing the weight on the cable machine with every rep).

Bodybuilding & Bad Posture

A key point to takeaway here is that weak muscles are often responsible for bad posture - how often do you see a guy with a physique carved and granite sitting with internally rotated (hunched) shoulders? I never have.

By following a regular workout regime, ensuring you hit exercises that strengthen key muscle groups responsible for your posture (e.g. your core, shoulders and lower back while also working on your hip flexion) i'd be surprised if you find yourself utilizing bad posture.

See also
The Best Pull Up Bar For Home Workouts

What's Your #1 Posture Improving Exercise? Let Me Know In The Comments Below!

Scott J.
Scott J.https://ignorelimits.com
I’m SJ. I’m a fitness enthusiast and published author. I transformed my body from a skinny fat 135lbs with 18% body fat to a solid 192lbs at 8% body fat. I became qualified in a field I was passionate about. I founded several online businesses that allow me to pursue ideas and projects in my life that I am passionate about without having to constantly worry about money. I published several eBooks explaining the training and dieting techniques I used to achieve the body I have today. I learnt a plethora of new information on dieting and fitness by reading and applying what I read, to find out what does work and what doesn’t work, because as I’m sure you’ve noticed the health and fitness industry is full of non-sense claims and BS. I found out what was true and what worked for me and applied that knowledge. And you bet I had fun during the whole process.

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