There are a lot of bodybuilders in the gym who are misguided on the knowledge and information of building a muscular back. They are eager to develop a wide, powerful and muscular physique, but few of them really understand how to get to that goal.
These beginners lifters are just concentrating too much of their energies on building big chests and arms by tolling endlessly on many sets, hoping that results would show. But they never really see significant gains in muscle growth.
While chest and arms are considered important parts of any complete physique, their roles are smaller in contrast to the back muscles that belong to a larger intricate muscle group.
So what are back muscles made up of? Well, they are the lats, traps, spinal erectors, rhomboids and lower back. Of course, these are the layman’s terms of description for the back muscles.
Question: Why do most lifters tend to neglect to train the back muscles?
3 main reasons:
- Not easily seen from the eyes, as most of the time it is hidden under the layer of clothing
- It is far more taxing and exhausting to the body
- Most people simply do not realize how important to train those back muscles
Well, the secret is if you truly want to achieve wide, thick and powerful faster, then I would suggest to go for upper back exercises. The back actually makes up about 70% of your upper body muscle mass. Through these back strengthening exercises, you can develop the upper body into thick, bulging lats and a set of wide, tall trapezius muscles.
4 major movements are necessary for a muscular back:
- Deadlifts – nothing can compare to that of a basic, bent-legged barbell deadlift. Using this exercise can significantly help you to build strong, thick back muscles. Moreover, it can stimulate muscle growth all over the entire back region.
- Vertical pulling movement that targets the lat muscles, to give you that wide and v-tapered look when viewed the back from behind. Examples are Chin-ups (overhand or underhand), lat pulldowns and v-bar pulldowns. The basic overhand chin-up, being the fundamental of vertical pulling movements, is the most effective exercise.
- Rows, which are horizontal pulling movements, emphasize on the upper and middle portions of the back and stimulate the lats. Core exercises that involve this are bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated machine rows and cable rows, for instance.
- Shrugging movement, though not quite as important as the other three, can supplement to the overall back workout by enhancing greater development on the back muscles. Usually, it is performed towards the end of the routine. It targets the upper traps and develops that towering diamond-shaped look from behind. Example of such movement is a basic barbell or dumbbell shrug.
For maximum gains in back size and strength, drill down to this workout routine for the back:
- Deadlifts – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
- Overhand Chin-Ups – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
- Bent Over Barbell Rows – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
- Barbell Shrugs – 2 Sets of 10 to 12 reps
Work every set to muscular failure and focus on quality rather than quantity. With these exercises, they would provide enough stimulation for maximum back growth. Remember also that a written record of every workout should be jotted down on paper for tracking progress over time. Focus on increasing either the weight that you lift or the number of reps that you perform within the given rep range.
Get this routine done once a week with your best effort and intensity. I assured you that your upper body will grow thicker, wider and more muscular as time progresses.
