Getting stacked with a well-rounded muscular back can be
brutal! For many gym rats out there tackling the traps, lats, delts, and
rhomboids doesn’t come as naturally as leg or chest workouts. In this
article
More Pull-up/Chin-up Tips
Tip for Deadlifts
Like the rest of the body, to see the intricate muscles of the back you need to really trip down. But bulking the upper/middle back is always possible through increasing the weight, specific targeting and upping the intensity!
#1: The Almighty Pull-up
Hoisting your free floating body weight up using nothing but your arms and back is pretty much where it’s at. In fact, once the average person can hop up and rock out a set of 20-25 without stopping they’ll be sporting a muscular and strong back. To really add mass you can weigh down the legs or perhaps wear a weight vest/dip belt.More Pull-up/Chin-up Tips
- Make sure you charge up your grip from set to set, especially over/underhand.
- Go from the bar to using towels! Small towels that you drape down each side, then grab one with each hand and try the pull-ups like that. It works the forearms like crazy.
- Once you get comfortable, begin adding movements like holding or doing compound leg lift into chip-up exercises.
#2: Big Weight Deadlifts
Once you begin to see the musculature as a seamless system of interconnected groups, you realize that when you move big weight with your legs it translates into mass in your back, chest and core. Deadlifts are one way to move a lot a weight, just make sure you progress slowly and put extreme focus on your form!Tip for Deadlifts
- The conventional stance is dependable but there’s many others like Sumo, rack pulls, deficits, etc. to draw from.
- You can mix things up with dumbbells and shorter barbells as well. Longer barbells make heavier weights safer though.
#3: Transform into a Row Machine
Rowing, in any way is going to target the back. Here’s a thought: on back day choose the rower for your source of cardio. Do 3 sets of high weight/low rep on both the seated row, and doing bent over rows as well. You can also do dumbbell rows, EZ-bar rows, upright rows, cable rows, etc. Make sure to change them up and employ a healthy mix of lower and higher weight sets for both strength and muscular endurance.#4: Lower-back Extensions
Always keep in mind that when you do lower-back exercises or extensions you’re working much smaller muscle fibers. It’s easy to overload the lower back so take it easy and there’s no reason to go heavy. Start with just body weight and then slowly add in extra weight.#5: Targeting the Supportive Tissue
Along with the trap, rhomboids, delts and lats you need to work the smaller muscle tissue so that when you get to the lower ranges of body fat your back will look like a work of art. This means doing lots of lighter cable work, single-arm exercises that target the back, face-pulls with the ropes, using the bands, etc.Like the rest of the body, to see the intricate muscles of the back you need to really trip down. But bulking the upper/middle back is always possible through increasing the weight, specific targeting and upping the intensity!