The world-renowned British-Somali boxer and Olympic gold medalist is renowned for her agility and power in the ring, but it’s her back that’s among her favorite body parts. "More women should embrace it—and train it" she says.

Picture this. You're at that wedding, gala, or fancy dinner. You've got the dress. You know the one; it’s backless, plunging to just the right spot. But here's the thing. Confidence doesn't just come from wearing the dress itself. It comes from knowing that when you turn around, your back is doing all the talking.

The dress is just a bonus. What makes a piece of fashion design truly stunning is the architecture underneath. Those defined shoulder blades, the sculpted lines running down your spine, the way your lats create that athletic taper—that's what we’re building here. You can't Photoshop a gorgeous back in real life, but you absolutely can build it in the gym.

Even for me, as an Olympic gold medallist, there are days when the gym feels like a battlefield I'm not ready to enter. Days when my body is telling me to rest, but my mind knows I need to move. Days when my period has arrived with the kind of cramps that make any core-focused workout feel impossible. And there are days when I'm just not feeling a session. On those days, I turn to my back.

I know what you're thinking: No one ever talks about “back day”. It’s not a dedicated part of someone’s regular workout program in the same way that leg day or arm day is. I’ve trained my body twice a day, six days a week under legendary coaches around the world, from the spit-and-sawdust boxing gyms of Compton, California, Harlem, New York, and London, to Olympic training centers in England, Italy, India, and Japan. I work with world-class boxing coaches, renowned strength and conditioning trainers, physiotherapists, and just about every other expert in the field of elite performance. And one lesson has been universal—your back is the foundation of everything.

The Unsung Body Part

I didn't appreciate my back until I caught a glimpse of myself in the gym mirror mid-pull-up one day. I was like, "Wait, those are my shoulders? That’s my back?" It was the first time I realized that all those rows and pull-downs weren't just making me stronger, they were sculpting something fierce. Something that looked damn good in tank tops, strapless tops, and yes, backless dresses. (Not that I wear many of those in the boxing gym, but you know, a girl can dream.)

Your back is the anchor of your posture. It’s the powerhouse behind every punch I throw, every movement I make in the ring. When I'm standing across from an opponent, it's not just my arms doing the work; it's the latissimus dorsi, the rhomboids, and the trapezius, all firing in synchrony to generate my power and maintain my guard while keeping my spine protected.

But beyond boxing, your back is central to how you move through life. Poor posture? That's weak back muscles. Shoulder pain from sitting at a laptop? Often, it's because your back isn't supporting your shoulder girdle properly. Lower back issues? Usually, it's a sign that your posterior chain needs attention.

Women are rarely taught to think about their backs. But it can transform your confidence. Standing tall, shoulders back, spine neutral? That's not just good posture. That's presence. That's power. 

Train It When Everything Else Feels Too Hard

As women, we deal with challenges in training. During my period, the cramping, the bloating, and the general discomfort in the core area make push-ups, planks, or heavy pressing movements feel nearly impossible.

Plus, let's be honest, when you're bloated and cramping, the last thing you want is to squeeze into your tightest gym leggings and do exercises where you're staring at your stomach. Back day? You're facing away from the mirror half the time. It's the workout equivalent of comfortable pajamas—functional, effective, and exactly what you need.

Women are expected to push through everything, to never acknowledge that our bodies have cycles and rhythms that affect our training. But I've learned that working with my body, rather than against it, makes me a better athlete.

Your Back is the Foundation of All Your Gains

Everyone wants a strong, sculpted backside, right? But here's the truth nobody's telling you. Your glutes don't exist in isolation. You can train them five times a week and still not get the results you want if you're neglecting what supports them.

Look at Olympic sprinters. They have some of the most impressive physiques in sport, but they're not doing endless glute-focused workouts. They're training their entire posterior chain as one integrated system. The back, the hamstrings, the glutes—everything works together to generate that explosive power. That's why their proportions look so natural, so athletic, and so right. They've built the foundation, not just the showpiece.

Back Day Can Be Meditative

Here's the beauty of it: Back training doesn't demand the same from you that other workouts do. You're pulling, lengthening, opening up your body in ways that actually feel good, especially when other movements don't. It's not about punishing yourself. It's about meeting yourself where you are, and still making progress.

There's something almost therapeutic about it. The pulling motions, the focus on form, the way you have to really concentrate to feel your lats engage, brings you into your body instead of fighting against it. When I'm doing rows or pull-downs, I'm not thinking about my to-do list. I'm just there, feeling my muscles work, breathing through each rep.

Plus, there's something pretty amazing about trying on a backless dress and thinking, "Yeah, I earned this." Knowing that all those pull-ups, all those rows, all those days when you showed up even when you didn't feel like it, they're all right there. Visible. Undeniable. Your back is literally your badge of honor.