Back in the day I started lifting because I wanted to improve my posture. I literally typed "exercises for good posture" in the search engine and found a blog of a girl who got very strong by doing pull-ups and dips. This is how I got into lifting. I did a month of P90X when I was sixteen years old and wanted to become a professional skater. I remember how I though my "ollie" was going to get huge by doing plyometrics. Anyway today I will focus on exercises for good posture.
The back is the most important muscle group after the heart. Why? Because our back muscles support the spine, ribcage...etc. No back no life. At the same the back is obviously what makes our posture "good." This is why I recommend that you follow a solid back routine if your goal is to improve your posture.
The exercises I will present here can be done at home. I know a lot of you are probably not so interested in joining a gym and training like a bodybuilder. The following routine requires very little equipment.
Pull-ups - this exercise is vital for improving posture. When you do it correctly with an arched back you will know what I am talking about. I've written tons of articles on pull-ups in this blog and Rookiejournal.com. You can find all you need to know there.
Recommended sets - 3-5 sets of as many as you can do with good form;
Rest between sets - 3-5 minutes
Horizontal rows - the horizontal row is like a reverse push-up and works your whole back from a horizontal angle. It's easier than a pull-up and a good way to place some more stress on the upper back.
Recommended sets - 3-5 sets of as many as you can do with good form;
Rest between sets - 3-5 minutes
Plank
The plank is a good way to strengthen the lower back and the abdominal muscles. It's actually much harder than it looks.
Perform 3 holds for as long as you can.
This is it. You don't need more exercises to make your back muscles stronger. However there is more to good posture than that. I know guys with really strong backs who still have poor posture. In other words there are other factors such as self-esteem and emotional state. I found out for myself that when I make a mistake at work or some other place my posture gets worse. In other words when your self worth is hurt your posture may reflect that. That's why the most important thing to do for a good posture is to improve your overall personality - not just your back.
Make sure you try to maintain very good posture at work, the bus, car...etc. Start with 5 minutes a day and add 5 minutes every second day.
While nobody has perfect posture all the time those simple steps will help you a lot.