The modern epidemic of back problems comes from our sedentary culture. Put simply, we spend too much time sitting—and that locks up our hips, shortens our hamstrings, and creates a “chain of pain” throughout the body, leading to back problems for many.

To address back problems, it’s necessary to attack the entire core region, which is why we turn to moves that open the hips, lengthening and strengthening to put our bodies back in proper alignment.

So when we think of a bodyweight back workout, we’ll perform those moves that give us that desired V-shaped back. But we’ll also focus on preventative, or “pre-hab,” exercises that will keep us from developing back problems down the road.

You can use these 10 as a warmup, part of a core workout, or as a standalone circuit. If you do a circuit, do two sets of 10.

Pete Williams is a N.A.S.M.-certified personal trainer and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.

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