Back Exercises
Target: latissimus dorsi, Traps, teres major and minor, rhomboids and spinal erectors
- Lat Pull downs
- Seated Pully Rows
- One Arm Dumbbell Rows
- Deadlift
With most intermediate bodybuilders, back training seems to have taken a back seat to other muscle groups. However, competitive bodybuilders, like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, recognize the importance of this muscle group in total body development. Dorian's back is his best body part, and he won the Mr. Olympia Contest for several years in the late 1990’s. In reality, the back muscles respond very well to resistance training. Even so-called "hard-gainers" can develop good back musculature without a tremendous investment in time. However, you do need to make an investment in effort. I've always trained my back muscles very hard, and as a result, the deadlift was my best lift as a powerlifter.
The back is composed of several muscles. Most bodybuilder’s just train the lats (lattissimus dorsi), but the traps, and the spinal erectors are equally important for balanced development. The smaller back muscles, such as the teres major and minor and the rhomboids, are hard to isolate and thus are seldom targeted directly during back workouts. Some bodybuilders target the upper, middle and lower back, which is an appropriate training approach. In short, just don't train your lats to the exclusion of the other back muscles.
Lat Pull downs
Grip the bar with your palms forward. Do not use a grip wider than shoulder width. Pull the bar down to your upper chest or behind your head while keeping your elbows pointed to the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom position. Release slowly and stretch the lats as the bar returns to the starting position. Do not do behind the head pull-downs if you have or have shoulder problems. Instead, pull down to the upper chest.
Lat Pull downs
Seated Pulley Rows
Use a close-grip attachment. Bend your knees, push your shoulders down and flair your lats. Pull the bar to your stomach and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Release slowly and stretch the lats as the bar returns to the starting position.
Seated Pulley Rows
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Hold a dumbbell, bend over at the waist, and brace yourself on a bench. With the dumbbell hanging straight down, pull the weight to the outside of your chest with your palm facing in. Your upper arm should be parallel to the floor. Lower the dumbbell slowly and feel the stretch.
One Arm Dumbbell rows
Deadlift
The squat is the most important exercise in weight training without a doubt. In my opinion, two exercises tie for second place -- the deadlift and the bench press. Bodybuilders and fitness trainees frequently overlook the deadlift. Pulling muscles seldom get the attention that the pushing muscles do. In any event, the following muscles, in somewhat of a priority order, are worked by deadlifts:
- Middle Back
- Lower Back
- Upper Back
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Forearms
If you think about it, what other exercise stimulates so many muscle groups? The deadlift works your entire "back side". You probably agree with me that this is a great exercise, but why don't you do it?
- Difficulty of performance
- Doesn't target “show muscles”
- Risk of injury
My deadlift picture was taken at my first Powerlifting contest that I won as a "220 lb. Junior". I'm not sure which lift it was, but I maxed out at 600lbs that day. Notice the finish position and the overall positioning of my hands and legs. Done properly, the deadlift is a safe lift. I've injured myself several times doing benches and once doing squats; however, I've never incurred a back injury doing deadlifts.
Deadlift
As for a workout, I would suggest you do deadlifts only once a week and they can be combined with upper body movements. I wouldn't suggest that you do them with squats or with heavy lat work. The obvious exception is Powerlifting.
Wear a lifting belt and stand with your feet at shoulder width apart and with your shins lightly touching the barbell. Use an over/under grip with your hands on the outside of your legs. Keep your butt down, your back flat, and your head up. Pull the weight up your thighs until you are upright with your shoulders back. Lower the weight rather quickly but under control.
|
