Band pull-aparts

Who it's for

Anyone who climbs, whatever the grade. It's the simplest upper back exercise there is: a light band, 5 minutes, no bar and nothing to set up, so you can do it at the gym, at home or at your desk. It balances out a week of pulling and helps with the rounded shoulders a lot of climbers end up with. It isn't a strength builder on its own, so heavier pulling still has its place in your week.

Common mistakes

• Bending the arms. Keep them straight. Bent arms turn it into a row and take the work off the upper back.
• Shrugging. Shoulders stay down, away from your ears. If the neck tightens, the band is too strong or the reps are too fast.
• Arching the back to finish. Stand tall and let the band touch your chest by moving your arms. Leaning back makes the rep look complete without doing it.
• Snapping back. Return slowly against the band. The lowering is half of the exercise.

How to progress

Get three sets of 15 clean and slow, with the shoulder blades squeezed at the end of every rep. Then move to a slightly stronger band, or hold the band with your hands closer together, which makes the same band harder. Most climbers can do this three times a week or more. Once it's easy, change the angle: pulling the band apart diagonally, one arm high and one low, trains the same muscles through a wider range.