You know that having a ripped muscular back shows that you’re dedicated in the gym. But have you ever realized that training the back is entirely different that training most muscles?
A lot of guys and girls actually lift way too heavy when training their back muscles.
When they do this they end up putting excessive strain on the lower back, shoulders, and elbows. And they also train the biceps, forearms, and spinal erectors more than the lats and mid back muscles.
To avoid this I came with some tips and tricks to build the best back possible.
1. Don’t go too heavy- This may sound contradicting at first to what I preach, but hear me out. When you’re working out the back things are a bit different. The reason is because you’re pulling VS. pushing so more muscle are naturally being worked. To counter this I recommend you use a load about 60% of your max for hypertrophy. Add very little every other week. The best way to know when to add weight is by following this.
For example: If the workout calls for barbell rows 3 sets of 10 then you should choose a weight that 60% your max barbell row. The best way to judge if it’s the correct weight is by the last few reps. Reps 9-10 should be challenging. If you can lift all three sets at 10 reps at good form with ease, then it’s time to move up!
2. The Squeeze is the key- Make sure to squeeze the shoulder blades together in a row. (Visualize as if a quarter was in between your back and you’re trying to hold it with your shoulder blades. You want to squeeze your shoulder blades together in almost every back exercise.
3. Position your weight correctly- On pull ups make sure to keep your feet and weight forward. This will allowed you to do more weight and take the stress and work off the forearms. Again squeeze at the top.
4. Try using assistance- Sometimes your grip will fail before your back. I recommend using straps or chalk to reinforce your grip. This will take stress off the forearms as well and allow you to focus on the back. Not to mention you can add a bit more weight.
5. Keep good form and posture. Keep naturally flat back and neutral head on any back exercise, especially rows and deadlifts. When you arch your back you put yourself at risk for injury. When you kink your neck you actually inhibit your body from producing its maximum amount of strength.
For example: Pretend your brain is like a water tank and your spine is like a garden hose that’s watering a garden. Or in this case, your brain is suppling the signals to your muscles to produce force. Now if you were to kink the garden hose it wouldn’t be able to supply the water efficiently to the garden. The same applies if you were to kink your neck when lifting.. your brain would be limited to sending maximal force signals to the muscle. So remember form isn’t just limited to safety, but it actually helps to force!
Try this workout and let me know what you think! I know you will crush those Personal records
–3 warm-up set of pull-ups 6-10 reps–
Sets| Reps| Tempo
Close grip Lat Pull-Down -4 sets| 8-12 reps |2-1-2
Wide grip pull up- 3 sets | 8-12 reps | 2-1-2
Dumbbell Row -3 sets | 8-12 reps |2-1-2
Rope face pull- 3 sets |15-rep triple drop set| 2-1-2 (45 reps per set)