Back exercises

[b_t]

I finally exhausted my potential on my whole body program and switched to two muscle groups/day.
day 1 - Chest & Abs
day 2 - Back & Biceps
day 3 - Cardio
day 4 - Legs & Lower Back
day 5 - Shoulders & Triceps

I can figure out plenty of exercises for all these groups except my back. On day 2 I do snatch grip deadlifts, and day 4 I do regular grip deadlifts. I also do pull ups, and seated rows, but am wondering if there is anything else I should be looking into.
I'm trying to get a good workout going for my lats in particular. My upper back and traps are doing well, but my lats are pretty weak. Suggestions?

[bulaian]

you could try switching up how you do your pullup/pulldowns

maybe try with a wider grip or underhand grip

Edit: maybe try switching from front to behind your head or vice versa

[b_t]

Right now I do it with the wide grip, palms facing forwards.

[bulaian]

Originally posted by b_t
Right now I do it with the wide grip, palms facing forwards.

for a few days you could try a narrow grip and/or with palms facing you.

another exercise i like for lats is: straight arm pulldown (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/videos/2005/straightarmpulldown.mpg)

[teggypimp95]

I currently work out 2 muscel groups a day at the gym. I have been doing it for a few months and noticed results quite quickly Doing as much weight as i can for 8-10 reps 3-4 sets.

You also do not need to count abs as a muscel group. Do a little abs each day in your work out. Your abs can take a beating and dont need the recovery time like your other muscle groups do. Just my 2 cents.

[b_t]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
I currently work out 2 muscel groups a day at the gym. I have been doing it for a few months and noticed results quite quickly Doing as much weight as i can for 8-10 reps 3-4 sets.

You also do not need to count abs as a muscel group. Do a little abs each day in your work out. Your abs can take a beating and dont need the recovery time like your other muscle groups do. Just my 2 cents.

I'm doing abs on days 1, 3 and 5, spending a bit more time on them on day 1.. right now, I am doing 5 sets of 5 one week then 3 sets of 20 the next except for pull ups. those are always 3 sets of 8.

[Oz-]

BACK WIDTH
rack chins to front
rack chins to back of head
reverse grip rack chins (close grip)
assisted pullups
hammer strength "pulldown" machines
other good "pulldown" machines
pull downs to front
pull downs to back of head

BACK THICKNESS
deadlift
rack deadlift
T-bar rows
smythe rows
barbell rows

[buh_buh]

Bent over rows and one armed dumbbell rows are two of my favourites.

[Redlined_8000]

How much do you deadlift??? you cant have a big back pulling 300.......

[gqmw]

I do something for the shoulders/back, but I'm not sure what it's called.

My upper arms are down the sides of my body and my forearm/lower arm are pointing forward at a 90 degree angle to my upper arms.
I hold dumbells in each of my arms and i proceed to lift with my shoulders and upper arms to create a 90 degree angle under my armpit. It seems to work my shoulders well and some back also.

[b_t]

Originally posted by Redlined_8000
How much do you deadlift??? you cant have a big back pulling 300.......

300? not even, more like 210 max on a good day, but I have always been a smaller guy

[civic_rida]

my max deadlift is 300 pounds.
big difference between strength and size.
personally like doing pull ups and rows

[KRyn]

Originally posted by Redlined_8000
How much do you deadlift??? you cant have a big back pulling 300.......

I can deadlift well over 300lbs and my back is not big by any means...

[civic_rida]

check your diet .
maybe your overtraining.

[kutt3r]

I would look at playing with your sets/reps more... your pull ups are always 3/8.. so how are you challenging the muscles?
Heavy pull-downs as well as I am assuming you are looking for width.

Add weight, weight vest, belt, dumbell to your pull ups, if you do the same thing all the time you are not going to change, growth is based on adaption and you have already adapted. Always change things up, add an extra rep or an extra # do not let your body get acustom to the work.

or.....

http://www.google.ca/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENCA278&q=lat+training

[FilthyMcNasty]

IMO this is the best site for exercises:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

[Oz-]

Originally posted by b_t


300? not even, more like 210 max on a good day, but I have always been a smaller guy

Don't you weigh like 180 or so? That is surprising that your deadlift is so low.

You should work on your posterior chain by doing some assistance exercises to help the deadlift along. Then when you start putting some more wheels on the bar, you will notice some real back thickness come on.

Some of the assistance exercises that will help make your deadlift go up.

Glute Ham Raise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0oqLDZ8JcI

Ghetto Glute Ham Raise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsBgbdHQmxA

Pullthroughs (low)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-1kMHjTlI

The heavier your get your deadlift the thicker your back will get and the bigger your traps will get. I personally don't even bother with extra trap work until I can get to my 405 x 10 goal, at about 6 reps now. So pretty close, just have to work on my conditioning a bit more.

[Darkane]

No love for good mornings people? :D

B_T, I wouldn't do 2 dead lifting sessions in one week. Fill one with Good mornings.


OR.. This might work well depending on your diet and recovery:

Upper back day Rack pulls (Bar at knee level) 2x20

Lower Back Regular deadlifts or SUMO style, 4x5.

The lower day will build some solid power, the upper day will get you the thickness and scary trap look everyone wants ;)

EDIT: For lats conventional lat pull downs, seated row focusing on pulling near your crotch area.

Dumbbell rows or Kroc rows work the lats good too. :thumbsup:

[Redlined_8000]

OP
You should get that DL number up.
Strength is the potential for size and size is the potential for strength - get stronger and size will come if your eating enough.

4 day split seems a bit to much for someone your strength level. Try a 2 day/week - hit each muscle once a week.

Day 1: Legs/back/bi

Regular deads 2x6
Squats 1x10
Curls 2x8
Row 3x10
Lat pull 3x10

Day 2: Chest/Sho/Tri/abs

Bench press or dips 2x5
Lateral raises 3x10
Skull crushers or pulldown 2x8
Abs - do some leg raises lying down on a decline bench and alternate with weighted situps every other workout. 2x10

Eat 1-1.5g of protein per pound of body weight.

Do this routine untill you stall. dont add anything and dont take anything out, unless you cant do the exercise.

use this site if you dont know about a exercise http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html


See how it goes.

[Darkane]

Hey Oz,

Whats up dude. Redlined_8000 is one of Wes' client as well :)

[b_t]

Originally posted by Oz-


Don't you weigh like 180 or so? That is surprising that your deadlift is so low.


No I am 170ish right now. I just started doing straight deadlifts again too, so with any luck it should go up very fast for the next few weeks.

redline_8000 I already have stalled and changed to this.. but I had a terrible foundation, crap genetics and years of doing nothing before I got serious, so yeah the strength is not really there yet.

And I'm not saying crappy genetics as an excuse or anything - its true. Last weekend I was visiting with my grandparents and looking through the family history, all the guys in the paternal line at my age weighed 140 or something at 6 feet tall. Not a naturally well built family by any means :rofl:

thanks for the pointers Oz, darkane, redline

[Oz-]

Originally posted by Darkane
Hey Oz,

Whats up dude. Redlined_8000 is one of Wes' client as well :)

PR's incoming.

If he doesn't hit any within 3-6 months I will be very surprised.