This was first published in t-nation feb 06

Exercise Description: One of the other biggest weaknesses I see with lifters is the upper back. This causes problems coming out of the bottom of the squat and makes the lockout of the bench press much harder. There are many things to correct this, but this is one of the best I've seen and used. I have to give credit to Louie Simmons for this one.

You'll need to use a safety squat bar to do this movement.

Get under the bar, unrack the weight, and take a moderate to wide stance. This is a very simple movement to do and you can use the pictures as a guide.

Start in a standing position and let the upper back round forward as your hips stay in the same place. From this point, arch your upper back back into the start position. I wish there was more I could say to describe this, but that's about it!

This is a movement where higher reps (10-15) with multiple sets (3-5) will work better. Make sure to keep your upper back as tight as you can when you're in the start position. To top this off, add in 15-20 shoulder shrugs at the end of your set.