By using upper back workouts you can build up strength with rhombaid exercises too. All the muscles that make up your upper back work in unison to help hold the shoulder girdle in place and maintain proper upper body posture.
Individuals who are often hunched over are this way because their upper back muscles are not strong enough to help them maintain a straight posture stance. For this reason it is very important to create upper back exercises for your upper back & rhomboids in your workout as well as to help develop muscular size in this area as they are very aesthetically pleasing.
The upper back is composed of the trapezius, the rhomboids, the teres minor and major and lastly the latissiumus dorsi.
The trapezius is the most superficial muscle and is located on the very upper portion of the back, closest to the neck. It has a flat and triangular shape and is responsible for stabilizing, retracting and rotating the scapula. It also aids in head extension.
Your rhomboids are made up of two rectangular muscles that are located beneath the trapezius. They are divided into the major muscle and the minor muscle with the minor being located superior to the major. Together they help to also retract the scapula and 'square' the shoulders. If you were to perform an action similar to that of paddling a canoe, these would be the main muscles you'd be using.
Next you have your teres minor and major. The minor is a small elongated muscle that is under the spine and would be classified as one of the rotator cuff muscles. It helps to hold the humerus (top of arm bone) in its cavity and stabilizes the shoulder joint. The teres major muscle on the other hand is thick and rounded and is, as stated, underneath the minor. It helps to extend and medially rotate the humerus and acts as a synergist of the latissimus dorsi muscle.
Finally, the latissimus dorsi muscle is the largest muscle of this area of the body and fans from right underneath the underarm to your hips. It is a flat, triangular muscle and is the prime mover when it comes to arm extension. It also aids in arm adduction (bringing the arm closer to the body) as well as rotating the arm at the shoulder.
So as you can see, there are quite a few muscles to train when it comes to this area of the body. Some people dedicate a full workout to it while others combine it with the rest of their upper body or just their biceps. The choice is really yours, just be sure you do not leave it out altogether.
