How to improve back muscles?

If you want a higher arabesque, this really has very little to do with back strength. First you must have proper form and not compress your spine. Your standing leg is in full turnout and this is the one of the few times that the working leg isn't. You must roll your thigh bone forward in the hip socket. This sets you up for having the "crease" where you leg goes up, under the buttock and not on the spine compressing it. Then you can get your leg higher without injury to your back. And, if you keep your hips and shoulders square, you wont lean forward. If this sounds confusing, I am including a video link (starting at :40 into the clip) which will show you just what I am talking about. Once your form is good, the height will come. Building the wrong muscles up wont do it for you . This is true for any extension whether it is a developee where you use your core and hamstrings in turnout not your quads to lift, or an arabesque as I have described.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACuVnmS7h9A

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This exercise helped me immensely. I don't know the name of it but I will describe it as best I can. What you will need is weights, or something rather heavy. I like to use 8lb weights in each hand because that's what I have.

With weights in hand, stand tall with legs a little wider than hip-width apart. Keeping legs and back straight with core engaged, bend at the waist until the weights are touching the floor- go as far as you can. Now, keeping legs and back straight, rise slowly until you are standing straight again. The arms kinda hang. After some reps of this, you will start to feel a burn in your lower back- that's the muscle building burn!!

I learned of this move when I did a bootcamp with a friend. The instructor claimed it was for hamstrings but I definitely felt it in my lower back. I quit the bootcamp but kept this exercise- it made my arabesque a lot higher and easier to hold.

look at the links specifically

Back flexibility---

1 a) Stand in front of a blank wall or closed door, face away from the wall and lean back until you can touch the wall. Slowly start to walk your hands down the wall (if you need to adjust how far you are from the wall, now would be a good time). DO NOT try to go all the way the first time, you will hurt yourself unless you already have a flexible back. Each time you do it try to get a little farther and once you reach the ground start to hold the position before coming back up. This is the bridge or backbend position you are achieving. http://kittyscott.shutterfly.com/17055 (yes that is me)

b) You can also try to reach a backbend by lying on your back and pushing up into it. Once you have learned how to get into the position, hold it for longer and longer periods of time.

c) As you feel more comfortable you can attempt to fall into the backbend from a standing position; USE A SPOTTER for the first few times or until you feel confident enough to try without one. Lean back with your upper body as far as you can, but do not put your arms out yet. As you go back try to spot the ground, as you spot it or just before you can see it reach back with your arms to help you finish getting to the ground. Either collapse to the ground or try to stand back up from it.

d) Once you get good at doing that you can progress to a back walkover by raising a leg slightly as you go back and kicking over quickly after hitting the backbend to finish standing up.

2) Basket or bird’s nest stretch—Lie on your stomach and grab your feet behind you. Pull up towards your head and the ceiling. Your goal is to get your legs as close to your head as you can.

3) Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Rock back so that you lie on your back, while keeping your legs straight stick your legs up vertically so you are on your shoulders with your legs in the air. Hold it as long as you can. Keep your arms either on your back for support or if you feel that you can do it put your hands on the ground next to you. Either come out of it by rolling back into the sitting position or try to touch your legs on the ground beyond your head. Hold it and then release going all the way back to the sitting position with a stop at the vertical leg position if you want to.

4) Standing and sitting pike stretch, cobra, kick your legs up while lying on your stomach, just lean back while standing up, lean forward until you have a flat back and then lean back as far as you can.

5) One last stretch which will help your splits (and your arabesque penchee). You will need to find a blank spot on a wall and grab a chair. Now facing away from the wall and holding onto the chair for support, take a leg and slide it up the wall like you are going into splits. Hold it for as long as possible then switch legs. Try to keep your legs straight. As you work the stretch move the chair closer to the wall until you are touching the wall in a vertical split.

http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/back.strengthen...

http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/back.stretching...

personally I follow this as in the following link:

http://www.postureconfidence.com/

it works well for me but i think one's gotta do it at least twice daily, and i don't :(

hope it helps!