This post starts a series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This first chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper upper back training.
The upper back is a complex body-part made up of several muscles. The largest visible muscle of the upper back is the latissimus dorsi (a.k.a. lats). Lats are very important, because they determine your upper body size, width, thickness, and V-shape. Lats are worked by every pulling movement that stays in one line with them, i.e. pulling front to back or downward. Another important muscle in the upper back is the trapezius. Since it is trained differently from lats, I will cover it in a future post. Finally, under the lats and the trapezius, there are some additional muscles (teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus and rhomboids) which contribute to upper back thickness. The same exercises used to train the lats hit these muscles too.
Training the back properly can be complicated. The main problem is that you cannot see your back while you are training it, and for this reason, you cannot see how you are performing, you cannot see the results. The key is to develop a mind-muscle connection. You must visualize the exercise, slowly execute the movement, and focus on the contraction, holding it for a second and feeling the burn in your back. In addition, you must always use weights that allow you maintaining proper form with a full range of motion. This is extremely important because bending your back when lifting heavy weights is one of the prime causes of injury. So be careful, and keep a straight back (slightly arched) during all back exercises.
For proper development of the upper back, you'll need at least 3 to 4 exercises. Your exercise selection must include adequate training for the two main features of the back: thickness and width. Thickness is developed with rowing exercises, such as barbell rows, one-arm dumbbell rows, T-bar rows or seated cable rows. Width is developed with exercises that pull downward, such as chin-ups/pull-ups or lat pull-downs. Chin-ups/pull-ups (especially when using wide-grip) are crucial for building a wide back. You can vary the grip and style of lift of your chin-ups/pull-ups for targeting different zones of the back.
Both width and thickness are essential for possessing a balanced back. If are lucky and your back is already balanced, then you can design 50/50 programs (50% exercises for width, 50% exercises for thickness) using some of the exercises introduced in the previous paragraph. You can also use 66/33 programs, but periodically switching the dominant feature between width and thickness. However, if you have one feature that is better than the other, your must design 66/33 programs that focus on the feature that is lagging behind.
If you need more information for designing your upper back workout, you can read the article “All Out Back Training” by John Giljum or the article “Training the Back!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.
The upper back is a complex body-part made up of several muscles. The largest visible muscle of the upper back is the latissimus dorsi (a.k.a. lats). Lats are very important, because they determine your upper body size, width, thickness, and V-shape. Lats are worked by every pulling movement that stays in one line with them, i.e. pulling front to back or downward. Another important muscle in the upper back is the trapezius. Since it is trained differently from lats, I will cover it in a future post. Finally, under the lats and the trapezius, there are some additional muscles (teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus and rhomboids) which contribute to upper back thickness. The same exercises used to train the lats hit these muscles too.
Training the back properly can be complicated. The main problem is that you cannot see your back while you are training it, and for this reason, you cannot see how you are performing, you cannot see the results. The key is to develop a mind-muscle connection. You must visualize the exercise, slowly execute the movement, and focus on the contraction, holding it for a second and feeling the burn in your back. In addition, you must always use weights that allow you maintaining proper form with a full range of motion. This is extremely important because bending your back when lifting heavy weights is one of the prime causes of injury. So be careful, and keep a straight back (slightly arched) during all back exercises.
For proper development of the upper back, you'll need at least 3 to 4 exercises. Your exercise selection must include adequate training for the two main features of the back: thickness and width. Thickness is developed with rowing exercises, such as barbell rows, one-arm dumbbell rows, T-bar rows or seated cable rows. Width is developed with exercises that pull downward, such as chin-ups/pull-ups or lat pull-downs. Chin-ups/pull-ups (especially when using wide-grip) are crucial for building a wide back. You can vary the grip and style of lift of your chin-ups/pull-ups for targeting different zones of the back.
Both width and thickness are essential for possessing a balanced back. If are lucky and your back is already balanced, then you can design 50/50 programs (50% exercises for width, 50% exercises for thickness) using some of the exercises introduced in the previous paragraph. You can also use 66/33 programs, but periodically switching the dominant feature between width and thickness. However, if you have one feature that is better than the other, your must design 66/33 programs that focus on the feature that is lagging behind.
If you need more information for designing your upper back workout, you can read the article “All Out Back Training” by John Giljum or the article “Training the Back!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.
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