Are you ready to slip on that sexy, skin-baring dress for your Valentine's date? Before heading out the door, check yourself in a full-length mirror — front and back, please. If you don't like what your back is revealing, get thee to the gym.

The back is one area that can benefit greatly from strength training. Whether you prefer weights, bands, a stability ball or medicine ball, it requires resistance to develop well-defined back muscles.

We asked personal trainer Angela Yamashita for help with this story. Yamashita, a certified personal trainer, works out of Gold's Gym and with clients in their homes.

The model is Julie Hendricks of Kahala, who has been working with Yamashita for seven months. Hendricks has a 10-month-old baby and began working out vigorously to get back in shape. She now weighs less than she did before her pregnancy.

THE WORKOUT

The following exercises work the upper, middle and lower back, as well as the abdominals and other key muscle groups. Try to do all five exercises in the same session and aim for three times a week.

Repetitions should be dictated by your ability to maintain good form. It's all about quality, not quantity.

GENERAL TIPS FOR BACK WORK