Basic exercises for the back. Back exercises

13 Best Exercises to Build a Wavy V-Back

Many athletes focus on training the abdominal muscles and chest. However, the back of the body also needs training, and we're not just talking about the buttocks. The point is that you SHOULD NOT neglect back exercises.

And here it is not only about building well-developed muscles, V-shape and overall aesthetics, but also maintaining correct posture, muscle balance and a narrow waist. Pumped dominant muscles of the chest, abs and front delts (front of the shoulders) cause the body to lean forward, which leads to a stoop.

To you do not do it repeat these mistakes. Consistent work on the muscles of the back will keep the body in an optimal position.

Plus, a strong back is very functionally. The next time you row, climb a tree, lift furniture, or climb a fire escape, mentally thank me. Strong pectoral muscles not so good for life.

A little anatomy lesson. Numerous back muscles vary in size and position. Here are some of the main muscles:

• lats And trapezius muscles cover most of the back. They originate at the spine and lead to the side of the body. These muscles make up the bulk muscle mass back and generate the most force. The trapezius is not just a bump on the upper part of the shoulders, they also dominate the central part of the upper back;
• rhomboids, infraspinatus, teres minor and other smaller muscles diagonally cross upper part back. In terms of aesthetics, they create the main definition. They usually work in exercises on latissimus dorsi and trapezium (traction exercises);
• erector spinae muscle runs vertically along the spine and is the largest muscle in the lower back. It is a key component of core strength.

A well-designed workout evenly works out all the muscles of the back. We have selected the 13 best exercises aimed at complex training back, stimulation muscle growth, working out the latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscles and other muscle groups.

Include 4-6 of your favorite exercises in each back workout (for 3 sets of 12 reps) and alternate between them.

Exercise 1: deadlift

Main muscles: back (full)

1. Start each rep from a deep squat. Hold the bar with an overhand grip (A).
2. Push your hips back, push off your heels off the floor, and lift yourself out of the squat (B). Keep your core tight and keep your back straight throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly, with control, lower your hips down until the bar touches the floor (A).

Exercise 2: barbell pull to the belt

Major muscles: back

1. Hold the barbell in front of you with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. Tighten your core muscles, straighten your back, lean forward at an angle of 60 °.
3. Engaging your back muscles and biceps, pull the bar to your upper abdomen. Hold for 1 second and then straighten your arms. Repeat.

Exercise 3: Incline Dumbbell Row

Major muscles: back, obliques, round muscles, latissimus dorsi

1. Place your left knee and left hand on horizontal bench. Left hand should serve as support for the body.
2. Keep your core muscles tight and your back straight. Tighten your lats and biceps, and then slowly pull the dumbbell up to your torso.
3. Hold for 1 second. Slowly extending your arm, lower the dumbbell. You should feel a stretch in your upper back. Repeat.

Exercise 4: Dumbbell Row

Major muscles: back, core muscles, latissimus dorsi, round muscles.

1. Get into a push-up position with dumbbells in your hands (A).
2. Keep your core muscles tight and your back straight. Raise with a vigorous movement right hand to the body (B). Keep your body still.
3. Hold for 1 second, and then return to the previous position (A) and repeat the movement with the other hand.

Exercise 5: Pull-ups and pull-ups of the upper block to the chest

Main muscles: back, latissimus dorsi, round muscles

1. Hang on the horizontal bar with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders (a narrow grip is aimed at working out the latissimus dorsi and round muscles, and a wide grip is aimed at diamond-shaped and trapezoid).
2. Engage your lats and core, then pull yourself up to the bar to your upper chest.
3. Slowly lower yourself with your arms fully extended. Repeat.
4. If you still find it difficult to pull up, perform the pull of the upper block to the chest.

Pull-ups

Use for width training

Block pull to the chest

Exercise 6: Reverse pull-ups

Major muscles: back, biceps, latissimus dorsi, round muscles.

1. Hang on the bar, grasping the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing you) shoulder-width apart.
2. Tighten your biceps and pull yourself up to chest level.
3. Lower yourself with your arms fully extended. Repeat.

Exercise 7: T-Bar Row

Main muscles: back, rhomboids, biceps

1. Place a loaded bar between your legs. You can use the handle by placing it under the bar, or you can grab the bar directly.
2. Lean forward at a 45° angle, tighten your core muscles, and keep your back straight (1).
3. Engaging your lats and trapezius muscles, pull the bar toward your chest (2). Hold the tension for 1 second and then slowly lower the bar towards the floor (1). Repeat.

Exercise 8: Incline Dumbbell Row

Major muscles: back, latissimus dorsi, round muscles, rhomboids

1. Set the bench at a 45° angle and lie face down (A).
2. Grab 2 dumbbells in a regular grip (palms facing each other), contract your lats and biceps, and then pull the dumbbells up vigorously (B). Keep your core muscles in tension, and rest your chest on the bench throughout the exercise. Hold your shoulder blades together at the top of the exercise for 1 second.
3. Lower the weight by fully extending your arms. Repeat.

Exercise 9: Narrow Grip Chest Rows

Major muscles: back, biceps, rhomboids, trapezius muscles

1. Sit on the bench of a weight-block machine and grasp the handle with a narrow grip. Bend your knees and lean back slightly (A).
2. Tighten your core and biceps, keeping your back straight. Pull the handle towards your chest (B). Do not sway or use momentum.
3. Hold for 1 second and then fully extend your arms (A). Repeat.

Exercise 10: Low bar pull-ups

Major muscles: back

1. Place the empty bar on the rack.
2. Lie under the bar and grab it with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. Lift your hips off the floor, straighten your body so that it is at a 45° angle to the floor. This initial position.
4. Tightening your back muscles, pull your chest up to the bar. Hold for 1 second and then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.

Exercise 11: Dumbbell Pullover

Target Muscles: latissimus dorsi

1. Lie down on a bench. Hold a dumbbell at arm's length above your chest (1) with your palms pressed against the upper disc.
2. Tighten your core muscles. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head to just below the bench (2).
3. Keeping your arms straight, tighten your lats and raise the dumbbell to the starting position (1). Repeat. You can also pullover on a ball, or sitting on a bench with your hips elevated (this makes the exercise more difficult and puts more strain on your core muscles).

Exercise 12: Superman

Target Muscles: muscles of the lower back

1. Lie on the floor, stretch your arms forward (1).
2. Lift your legs, chest and arms off the floor. Tighten the muscles in your lower back.
3. Hold the tension for 1 second and then return to the starting position.

Exercise 13: Hyperextension

Target Muscles: lower back muscles

1. Lie down on a hyperextension bench and cross your arms over your chest (1). You can also perform this exercise on a fitball.
2. Without rounding your back, slowly bend forward until your torso is at a 45° angle (2).
3. Tighten your lower back muscles and lift yourself back up to the starting position (1). Repeat.

Must be included in your training process, because the back acts as a support pillar, on which absolutely everything rests. Strong back allows you to work with big weights in other exercises, and also gives your figure a unique athlete's profile.

We offer you the top 10 exercises for the back, performing which you can build a massive and powerful back. Each exercise is selected on the basis of its accessibility, number of muscles involved, maximum efficiency and how unique each exercise is compared to others.

A back workout can include all ten exercises in one workout if your back is target muscle, or include one or more back exercises in a split workout.

The order of exercises on the back is built in order of effectiveness, in the first place the most effective and then in descending order:

Back Workout - Deadlift

The deadlift, also known as the deadlift, is one of the most effective back exercises. Lifting the bar affects all the muscles of the back, part of the legs and hips, arms and shoulders. There is no more effective exercise.

In addition to everything, dead cravings cause increased secretion of testosterone and growth hormone, which allows you to build muscle tissue more efficient and productive.

Do the deadlift at the beginning of your workout, as it correct execution requires maximum concentration of attention and strength from you. The optimal number of repetitions is 4-6.

Back Workout - Bent Over Row

The second most important and effective back exercise, affecting the large muscle groups of the back. Studies conducted by the magnetic resonance method have shown that the barbell row in an incline ideally evenly loads the muscles of the upper back, contributing to their harmonious growth.

Optimal quantity repetitions in this exercise from 8 to 10. It is also worth considering that it is better to do traction at the beginning of the workout, since tilting the torso and maintaining it in correct position will demand from you the maximum concentration of forces and attention. An alternative to the bent over row is the Smith machine.

Back Workout - Wide Grip Chin Up

Whatever one may say, but it is necessary. Few people like pulling up with a wide grip, as it already requires some degree physical training. Very often, the reason for refusing this exercise is a weak grip on the crossbar, constant slipping and, as a result, a flaw in the target muscle.

The way out of this situation can be carpal calipers or hooks, with which you can fix yourself on the crossbar and exclude thoughts about grip from your exercise. This will give you the opportunity to think only about the back and its quality study.

If your task broad back- without pull-ups with a wide grip, you will not achieve your goal. A feature of the exercise can be considered that the muscles at the moment of sagging are maximally stretched, at the moment of lifting and bringing the shoulder blades together, they are maximally reduced.

The optimal number of repetitions is 8-12. If you pull yourself up more, it makes sense to use a weighting suspension. Not suitable as a first exercise, but rather to be done in the middle of a workout when your shoulders have warmed up enough. Execution technique plays a key role - look at the photo.

Back Workout - T Bar Row

Back training is not possible without the T-bar, which has proven with best hand in building muscle forms. Working with the T-bar with a wider grip, you bombard the upper back with precision, while the neutral grip shifts the emphasis of the load to the middle of the back, visibly thickening the muscles and adding volume to them.

A lot of weight is not applicable to the T-bar row, this is exactly the exercise where technique is important throughout the range of motion. You must keep your back still, achieving maximum contraction of the shoulder blades during the next lift. When lowering, it is recommended to stretch the muscles of the back.

The T-bar row is the best back exercise for the first half of your workout. Perfectly loads the rhomboid muscles, deltoids, large and small round muscles and of course the latissimus dorsi.

Back Workout - Sitting Block Row

Holding the handle with a wide grip will create a fairly powerful load on your upper back and your lats. In addition to everything, this exercise affects almost the entire shoulder girdle, so the benefit is obvious - instead of with your back, you grow your shoulders.

Keeping your back straight and not jerking, bringing your shoulder blades together and stretching your arms back as much as possible will achieve maximum contraction. muscle fibers. 12 repetitions can be considered ideal, but no more. It is best to perform at the end of the workout as a finishing exercise, after the base one.

Back Workout - Close Grip Barbell Row

The benefit of this exercise directly depends on whether you want to do it right or just rattle and forget. If everything is done correctly, then your rhomboid and round muscles of the back will simply explode from pumping, in addition, the latissimus dorsi will work out their own.

An unshakable fixation of your position is the key to success. You should press your elbows to the body and stretch them back so that the shoulder blades are squeezed together as much as possible.

You can experiment with different grips, but as practice shows, the reverse grip is considered the most optimal, when the back of the palms looks at the floor.

Back Workout - Close Grip Pulldown

Back training will be more effective if you include in its process the pull of the upper block with a narrow grip using a brace. If you want the most out of your lats, then there is no alternative. this exercise, it is like no other capable of stretching the muscles of the back

There are no tricks in the exercise except one, the height of the handle or brace should be such that sitting and stretching your arms up between your palms and the handle should be at least 15 cm. This is necessary so that at the moment of maximum stretching you do not put weight on place, but constantly kept it on weight, working with it.

Hold the brace neutral grip and pull it to the top of your chest. Pulling lower does not make sense, as the load will go from the back to the arms and shoulders. Also try to stretch yourself as much as possible by lowering the weight back. At the moment of pulling the brace to the chest, bring the shoulder blades together and linger for 1-2 seconds. The optimal number of repetitions is 8-12.

Back Workout - One Arm Dumbbell Row

The beauty of the exercise is that back training is possible unilaterally. In practice, this means that you pull the dumbbell with each hand specifically, thereby loading the back in turn and uniquely, because each side is developed in its own way.

In addition, you can tie yourself with straps to the handle of dumbbells and take heavy weights. The exercise works more with the lower back and is performed as a duplication and addition to the basic ones. In most cases, 10-12 repetitions are enough.

It is important not to bend your back and always look forward, and not under you. Do not throw your arm too far and keep your elbow close to the body.

Back Workout - Incline Pullover

A pullover on a bench, and even with a negative bias, will stretch your lats to the limit of their capabilities. Although this is considered a single-joint exercise, but believe me, it will work one hundred percent.

All you have to do is take a dumbbell, lie down with your head down, and stretching your back muscles, put the dumbbell behind your head, and then raise it to your stomach.

The load on the back will turn out longer than in other exercises, due to the greater trajectory of the dumbbell. Do 12-15 repetitions.

Back Workout - Smith Machine Single Arm Row

Back training can be both technical and cheating, but the Smith machine will not let you fake it. If you want to feel locked in a movement that is impossible to force, impossible to push the weight and impossible to outwit, pull the bar of the bar enclosed in the guides with one hand.

Stand sideways to the machine and grasp the bar, legs half-bent for balance. Stretch your hand as high as the naturalness of the amplitude allows you. Works great on the lower back. Do 8-10 reps for each set at the end of your back workout.

Do all these exercises as part of your back training program, try not to fake it and stick to the technique. When working with your back, remember that one wrong move and you can get injured so seriously that it puts an end to your future. sports career and this is no joke.

Back training should be carried out with a clear mind and after a quality rest, only in this way can positive results be achieved.

back muscles responsible for the movement of the spine, legs, arms and head. They can be divided into three groups - lower, upper and deep muscles.

lower back muscles ( lumbar) interact during flexion and extension lumbar spine, as well as moving the pelvis back and forth. This group of muscles takes part in the formation of the correct posture in humans and includes almost all movements of both the lower and upper parts of the body.

Upper back muscles ( latissimus dorsi, round and trapezius muscles) lower, raise and rotate the shoulder blades, as well as rotate, retract and adduce humerus. Basic exercises for these muscles are pull-ups on the crossbar and lower block pulls. The upper muscles are mainly responsible for pulling movements.

Deep paravertebral muscles ( vertebral-sacral) form the so-called " muscle corset”, which serves to maintain the normal position and bends of the spine, the position and movement of individual vertebrae relative to each other, are involved in maintaining stability.

In our life there is not a single movement in which we would not take part back muscles- hence the importance of their strengthening and development, as well as the correct understanding of their inclusion in physical work body.

Exercises for the latissimus dorsi

Back Width

• This exercise requires physical strength and is great for developing the latissimus dorsi, teres major, and, at the moment of bringing the shoulder blades together at the end of the pull-up, the rhomboids.

• This movement develops the latissimus dorsi and the large round muscle of the back. His efforts also extend to the biceps and shoulder muscles.

• This exercise builds back width, involves the trapezius muscle, rhomboid muscles, biceps and shoulder muscles.

• This exercise perfectly develops the width of the back, its upper and lower bundles, as well as the large round muscles.

• This is an excellent exercise for full development. latissimus dorsi muscle and teres major muscle. When reducing the shoulder blades, the rhomboid and trapezius muscles, as well as the back parts of the deltoid muscle, are involved.

• Exercise for working out the muscles of the back. It perfectly loads the latissimus dorsi, includes the lower part of the trapezius muscles, uses the round and rhomboid muscles of the back, as well as the back delta, biceps and forearms.

• can be divided into three groups: exercises for the long muscles of the back, exercises for the width of the back and exercises for the thickness of the back. In bodybuilding, the last two groups are effective exercises for the back, since it makes no sense to work out the accentuated long back muscle in practice. The bottom line is that long muscles do not form the width of the back and visually increase the volume of the waist, so the training of this muscle should have a su-gu-bo fa-cult-ta-tive character. Nevertheless, if we are talking about powerlifting, or about working on strength indicators, then in this case, the training of the long back muscle is already becoming-o-ri-tet-nym. This, of course, is about such a well-known exercise as a hundred-new thrust, as for training the long muscles of the back during mass gain or “drying”, there is such a wonderful exercise for this as hyper-ex- s-ten-zia.

  Recommended materials: how to pump up your back; back specialization; back exercises;

  Exercises for the back must be grouped because you cannot use them all at the same time. The fact is that, having trained well the long muscles of the back, you will no longer be able to train the latissimus dorsi, therefore, in fact, it is not recommended for bodybuilders to train the long muscles of the back. The effectiveness of exercises for the latissimus dorsi muscles also decreases with each subsequent exercise, as the athlete loses strength. Accordingly, if you have trained well for the thickness of the back, then you simply will not be able to work out the width in a quality manner. That is why experienced athletes, using periodization, alternate the load from training to training: on one they train hard for width and light for thickness, and on the second it's the other way around.

  The effectiveness of exercises for the back also strongly depends on the correct technique of performing the exercises, since almost all of them involve many muscle groups, and therefore, it becomes necessary to deliberately concentrate the entire load in the target muscle group. The main problem is the inclusion of the biceps, this is especially true in exercises for the width of the back, where the biceps often steals the lion's share of the load. This can be avoided with the help of a developed neuromuscular connection and various tricks, which are called " correct technique". It should be noted that the bone and muscle constitution is different for everyone, so with experience you will learn to individualize the technique for yourself, but novice athletes should strictly adhere to all recommendations.

  Effective Exercises for back width

  Wide grip pull-ups - this is the best exercise for working out the width of the latissimus dorsi, a basic exercise, so if you know how to pull up, pull yourself up, if you don’t know how, learn! key point in this exercise is the concentration of the load in the muscles of the back, so if you have a genetically developed biceps, you should use an open grip or a parallel bar. If it is difficult for you to keep your body on the horizontal bar, then use the straps.

  Top block pull is a basic block exercise for building up the mass of the latissimus dorsi. Many consider this exercise to be identical to the pu-gi-wa-ni-yam pull-up, but this is not the case, this effective back exercise plays its in-di-vi-du-al-n role in the training and can be use with pull-ups. The bottom line is that during the pull of the block, your muscles contract in a different way, that is, the load is ak-tsen-ti-ru-et-xia on different parts of the latissimus dorsi, and this is exactly what we need!

  dumbbell row represents basic exercise to work out the width of the back, it is also suitable for increasing the strength of the athlete. A large number of working joints and muscle groups allows you to effectively progress the load in the exercise, so it can be used both during muscle building, and during the development of strength indicators, and even during "drying". If you want to build yourself a wide back - use the dumbbell row in an incline!

  Effective Exercises for back thickness

  Bent over row - this is the best exercise for building back thickness, since the exercise is not only effective, but also basic, so that the athlete can progress the load without hindrance. You probably already know that load progression is the key muscle hypertrophy, therefore, during a set of muscle mass, it is necessary to use exactly the basic exercises, which also stimulate the secretion of growth hormone and other stress hormones.

  T-bar pull is also a basic exercise, but not as effective as the barbell row in an incline. Yes, the T-bar row allows you to load the middle of the back more qualitatively, but the working weights in this exercise are less, the stress is also less, respectively, the anabolic response is worse. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't use the T bar row in your training program, it's a very effective back exercise, just not as effective as the bent over row.

  Horizontal block pull - this is one of the best block exercises for working out the thickness of the back, in addition, the exercise allows you to stretch the muscles well, so it is recommended to perform it at the end of the workout. In general, the exercises are arranged in the order in which they make sense to use during training, although, of course, novice athletes should not use them all in one workout. Beginners can use 3-4 exercises per workout, and more advanced athletes up to 8.

  Effective Exercises for long back muscles

  Deadlift - this is a basic exercise for working out the long muscles of the back, the exercise is strength, competitive in powerlifting, but, as noted above, it is useless in bodybuilding. For its purposes, the deadlift is a very effective exercise, but bodybuilding does not set the athletes the tasks that it is designed to solve. deadlift. If you still want to use this exercise, then it is best to perform it at the end of the workout with a small weight.

  hyperextension is excellent and very effective exercise for working out the long muscles of the back and buttocks, which is recommended for athletes of any level of training and gender. The bottom line is that although the long back muscles do not deserve specialization during muscle building, nevertheless, they need to be trained, since they stabilize and relieve the spine in other basic exercises and in Everyday life, so be sure to include this exercise in your training split!

  Perhaps we should start with the anatomy of the back muscles. I have dealt with this issue in great detail in my . Read. She is not big.

  By the way, I remembered how I just started going to the gym, or rather, it was one of the attempts to start training.

  One girl once told me at that time (I was 18 years old) that it would not be bad for me to pump up “wings”. Speaking humanly, then the latissimus dorsi.

  I always dreamed about the press. And although at that moment I once again failed to start training normally (I started walking regularly from the third year of Univer, from about 20 years old), I listened.

  "Those. do girls like wide backs? – I thought then. Why not the press, why not the arms, why the back?

  I even asked a local jock from my dorm to teach me how to train my back, but because he absolutely did not understand “knew everything about the right training”, especially for a beginner, after a couple of such workouts, I again gave up training.

  Now I have no problems with my back, it is wide enough, it responds well to the load, in general, it does not lag behind muscle group, in my case.

  

  I have tried many various exercises and training programs with a specialization on the back, so I have some idea of ​​​​effective training.

  I will not pull the cat by the tail for a long time and I suggest that you immediately start the best exercises for the back muscles.

  The best back exercises

  As we already understood from anatomy, the back is not one muscle, but a whole group consisting of different muscles. Some muscles are bigger, some are smaller. This is some difficulty, because if we develop large muscles as much as possible, then they will “steal” the load from small ones, and this will not allow us to achieve maximum results.

  I will talk about this in more detail, but a little later. And now I want to note which back muscles have a particularly strong influence on our athletic appearance.

  1. The latissimus dorsi ("wings").
  2. Trapezius muscle ("trapezium").
  3. Back extensors.
  4. Dentate muscles.

  So, I put the muscles "in order of importance" from top to bottom. The extensors will not be able to change very seriously our appearance, so they are in the penultimate place, and the serratus muscles look very nice, but are very small, so they are at the end. The two most powerful muscles are the lats and trapezius. It is on them that we will focus.

  Now it will be very easy for us to choose exercises for training the muscles of the back, because. we know which muscles are most important to us. So let's consider best exercises for back development.

  The latissimus dorsi ("wings")

  • Pull-ups (all their varieties);
  • Tilt dumbbell row (with hand support);
  • Lever pull in Hummer;

  Trapezius back muscle

  • Shrugs with dumbbells (or with kettlebells);
  • Shrugs with a barbell (or in Smith);

  Back extensors

  • Deadlift;

  Serratus back muscles

  • Diagonal twists;

  Proper exercise technique

  The back belongs to the “pulling” muscle groups, so when working on it, muscle groups such as biceps, middle and rear deltas, and even hamstrings can “steal” part of the load, so you need to learn how to FEEL YOUR MUSCLES. I have already said this repeatedly in many articles.

  I have reviewed this in great detail. . Do not be lazy and study this question.

  Exercises for the latissimus dorsi

  Exactly this cool exercise for the development of the latissimus dorsi, which many do not do different reasons, but in vain.

  This is an extremely physiological exercise for you and me, because. our ancestors were forced to spend a lot of time in the trees. However, if you believe that man appeared on Earth as a result of other circumstances, then I cannot convince you of this. But I think it's pointless to argue that the crossbar appeared on Earth much earlier than deadlifts and dumbbells, this is understandable

  

  Pull-ups develop precisely the WIDTH of the “wings”, and horizontal rods(any) develop THICKNESS (the edge of the widest thickens).

  Learn to DISABLE BICEPS from work during pull-ups (due to the “muscle feeling”) so that the biceps do not steal the load from the latissimus dorsi. At each point in the pull-up movement, THINK LADS, how they contract at each point in the movement.

  If you have no problems with this, and you definitely “bomb” your lats in pull-ups, then it’s time to decide on the following points:

  Grip:

  • Narrow;
  • Average;
  • Wide;

  Brush position:

  • Directly;
  • To yourself (reverse grip);
  • Parallel;
  • Your weight;
  • With weight;
  • Standing on a support (in the simulator or from the hands of a partner);

  The choice, as we see it, is very healthy. So, in general terms, then:

  The wider the grip= more work WID + WORK LESS.

  Than already grip= work more BICEPS (less back) + WORK MORE.

  WIDE OR NARROW GRIP? The narrower the grip, the greater the amplitude of movement is created, but the biceps will work harder. If you have learned to feel your lats well and turn off your biceps at the same time, then you can pull yourself up with a narrow grip, because. work in this case will be stronger (greater amplitude of movement). But if you feel that during the pull-ups, your hands are “clogged”, then take it wider. Also, try using an "open grip" (this is when your thumb does not wrap around the bar), this will reduce the load on the forearms.

  In general, try to pull yourself up with a “medium grip”, because. in this case, it will be easier to feel the widest and turn off the biceps.

  WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE BRUSHES? The more the hand is turned (supinated towards itself, as with a reverse grip), the less the load on the forearms, but wide reverse grip we won’t be able to take it because of our anatomy, and the more we take it, the more the biceps work. The way out is a PARALLEL GRIP (on a horizontal ladder, for example). So the brush will be supinated and you can take it wider.

  PUSH TO THE CHEST OR BY THE HEAD? If you pull up behind your head, then you work less back muscles than when you pull up to the chest. But the advantage of pull-ups is that you get more work done this way. upper muscles back. In short, pull-ups to the chest involve more muscle into work (a more basic exercise), and behind the head it accentuates the upper back muscles (more insulating). At the initial stage, I would not bother with this issue and would pull myself up to my chest.

  TO ADD WEIGHTS OR NOT? In order for muscles to grow, PROGRESSION OF LOADS is needed. If the load does not increase, then it makes no sense for the muscles to increase, because. it is a very energy intensive process. There are a couple of clarifications. First, you should add weights when your technique has become perfect (you feel great in the latissimus dorsi). And secondly, you should work in the 6-12 rep range (approximately), so when you can already pull up with perfect form more than 12-15 times, then it is worth increasing the weight.

  

  These are, one might say, "lightweight pull-ups." Everything that I said about grips, hand position, load, etc. All of this applies to this exercise as well. For beginners, this exercise is BETTER than pull-ups, because, as a rule, they can not pull up properly yet. Moreover, with this exercise it is easier to control the load and contraction of the lats. If you are an advanced athlete, then you should definitely include this exercise in your arsenal AFTER pull-ups to further tire the lats.

  This exercise belongs to the "horizontal pulls", i.e. builds the latissimus dorsi muscles IN THICKNESS. The main thing in absolutely all deadlifts is a straight back! This will save you from injury, and will also allow you to work out your latissimus muscles more accentuated.

  

  Pretty much everything I said about pull-ups about grips applies to bent-over rows as well, but there is one BUT. If you take a reverse grip on the bar and pull, you will notice that your elbows do not spread out to the sides, but move in parallel, respectively, the latissimus dorsi can be felt better, but the biceps also work harder. When we take with a direct grip, the elbows are bred more (especially with a narrow grip), so the trapezoid and the back delta are more involved in the work. So it goes.

  Now for the slope:

  • Stronger slope= BACK works more;
  • Less slope= TRAPEZE works more;

  In my opinion, and in my experience, it's best to grab with a MEDIUM STRAIGHT GRIP and about 20-30 degrees from horizontal (i.e. ALMOST parallel to the floor). The back MUST be straight and the bar moves parallel to the bent hips.

  

  Pretty much the same as the bent over row. But here a deeper study of the inner part of the back (between the shoulder blades) is given. In fact, this is just a more convenient option for tilting the barbell.

  There are a lot of different T-bar pulls. The main ones are in the STANDING and LYING positions. When you perform the exercise while standing, it is almost the same as the barbell row in an incline, just more convenient, and LAYING, a number of inconveniences already begin here, because. for a competent reduction of the widest, you NEED A BENDING IN THE BACK (in the scapular region), and lying down is difficult to do.

  In general, if you have a standing T-bar, you can choose it as an alternative to rowing, and if you are a lounger, then it’s better not to do it, especially at the initial stage.

  Bent over dumbbell row (with arm rest)

  The technique for performing the exercise should be as follows:

  1. Lean forward and take the dumbbell in your right hand, with your left hand and left leg bent at the knee, you need to lean on the bench, and right leg is pushed back.
  2. The movement of the hand must be STRICTLY VERTICAL, and the movement must be carried out PARALLEL TO THE BODY (the hand does not move to the side).
  3. The body does not change position! THE BACK IS ALWAYS STRAIGHT (bent in the opposite direction!).

  

  There is a wider range of motion than the tilt bar pull, because. the bar does not interfere with raising the elbow above the waist. More work and muscle contraction. The emphasis on the knee and hand allows you to unload the spine. And also, because the exercise is performed with one hand, then you can better feel your muscles.

  Lever pull in a Hummer

  Hammer-type exercise machines appeared not so long ago, but they have successfully entered all modern fitness centers. This is a great exercise and a variant of the "horizontal pull". The exercise is similar to the dumbbell row with one arm, but because your body is vertical, it is easier to perform, and therefore the weight can be taken heavier.

  
  

  It is believed that this exercise accentuates the bottom of the latissimus dorsi, but this is very conditional, because. the emphasis of the load will depend on where you pull the handle.

  • Pull to the navel\u003d working LOW LATS;
  • Pull to chest= TOP LATS works;

  But the easiest way is to pull it to the navel, so such a statement.

  A few more tips on how to do this exercise. I very often see exactly how this exercise is performed, I don’t understand how at all!

  My variation is this: Sit with your back straight (slightly arched back at your shoulder blades), lean forward to stretch your lats. Now pull the handle towards you while returning the body to a vertical position. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Pull should be EXACTLY THE WIDE, NOT THE BODY! Those. it is not necessary to pull the handle towards yourself with the whole body, and then, by inertia, bring it to you with your hands. The movement begins with DRIVING THE SHOULDERS BACK, then we pull the handle towards us, feeling the widest at each point, and return the body to a vertical position.

  Exercises for the trapezius muscle of the back

  I have already discussed this issue in great detail in an article about . But repetition, as they say, is the mother of learning.

  Shrugs with dumbbells (or with weights) or with a barbell (or in Smith)

  

  Shrugs from English. shrug - "shrugs". This exercise really looks like a shrug. We must move the shoulder blades vertically upwards. This is the main function of the trapezius muscle. So, the more you lean forward, the more load will go from above to its middle parts (between the shoulder blades). For beginners, this exercise DOES NOT NEED AT ALL, because. so far, at the beginning, it makes no sense to “steam” about relatively small muscles.

  It is better to focus on the lats, chest, for example, and legs. The most important thing when performing shrags is NOT TO ROTATING YOUR SHOULDERS!!! The movement must be strictly up and down. Our shoulders are poorly adapted to rotational movements, so it is very easy to get injured. And in general, there is no point in rotation, because. this does not accelerate the growth of the trapezium in any way. Take dumbbells in your hands or a barbell in front of you and perform movements as if you were shrugging your shoulders, moving them strictly UP and DOWN, so you will feel how your trapezoid is contracting.

  Back extensor exercises

  Deadlift

  An exercise that is highly overrated for building back muscles. It has a concentrated effect on the extensors of the back, which are not so large compared to the latissimus dorsi and the trapezoid.

  It affects a lot of muscles, quadriceps, buttocks, back extensors, etc. But for the growth of the back in general - this exercise is at the end of my list. I think it should be done at the end of a workout.

  The back is always straight. The bar should move strictly along the legs. Grip straight at shoulder width or slightly wider than shoulder width. Be sure to use a weightlifting belt and traction, so as not to earn a hernia. Look ahead, butt down, knees bent. At the same time we straighten the legs, back and raise the bar along the legs.

  This exercise works pretty well on the extensors of the spine, but I put it at the very end, because. you should not overdo it with it, you can injure your lower back very well, just pulling the body up a little at the bottom point, so you need to progress the weight very carefully.

  

  There are many variations of this exercise, but I will talk about the one that I think is the best when you lie face down with your feet fixed on the rollers.

  The back is straight, go down and, feeling tension in the lumbar region, go up, reducing the extensors of the spine.

  This exercise is best done additional exercise for training the press, because the spinal extensors are antagonists of the abdominal muscles, which means the press will receive a better recovery.

  OK. As you can see, there are plenty of exercises. But how to build back muscles if we are talking about a specific workout?

  How to pump up your back. back workout program

  

  How do you understand training program- a very individual thing, especially when we talk about how to build back muscles, because. it is a very large muscle group. More than half of the questions that come to my email and in the comments are questions related to the training program.

  I considered in great detail the issue of choosing a training program .

  I want you to understand that almost any program will work at a certain time and on a certain person. I can only give a training program that will suit the MOST.

  Rules for compiling a training program for the back:

  1. Mainly BASIC EXERCISES.
  2. TOP + LOWER links (to develop muscles in width and thickness).
  3. HEAVY WEIGHTS(for 6-12 repetitions + progression of the load).

  So, the very first complex for a beginner will look like this ( COMPLEX №1):

  All? Yes all. These two exercises will be enough to not overtrain and cause a cool response from your latissimus dorsi. These exercises can be performed for six months or a year and not worry. There will be great growth.

  The next option for a beginner ( COMPLEX №2):

  The deadlift will stimulate the growth of your back extensors, as well as the growth of the body as a whole, since. it increases blood circulation in the lower body, which contributes to increased testosterone production. The trapezoid is also strongly involved in the work, which will also contribute to its excellent growth.

  Another option for the intermediate level:

  Well, the third option for the intermediate level:

  So, I would like to point out important point! You should not go to the use of 3 or 4 exercises if you are making great progress on two exercises! You don't have to change what works great.

  Now several ADVANCED COMPLEXES for people using a very deep split (body splitting for 4 or 5 training days), COMPLEX №4:

  Another option for an advanced athlete:

  Or the third, also a cool option for an advanced athlete:

  There are a lot of advanced complexes, but I brought closer to ordinary people, i.e. those who are already well trained, but do not use steroids (on steroids, the volume training load can be safely multiplied by two).

  Many professional athletes divide their back into two training days. On the first day, they do vertical pulls, pull-ups, etc., i.e. exercises that grow the back in width, and on the second day, various horizontal tractions that grow the muscles of the back in width, but, as you understand, this is not necessary for the average person.

  How to build back muscles. About combining back training with other muscles

  The question is very important, because directly affects your progress. Many people train 2-3 times a week, which simply does not allow for a separate day for the back. Although the back deserves a separate day for training, because. it is the LARGEST MUSCLE GROUP of the TOP of our body, and the second largest in our body (after the legs). That is why I decided to consider this issue in detail.

  

  So, how to combine back training with other muscles?

  I would combine like this:

  • BACK + DELTA(do not interfere with each other, because the shoulders are pushing, and the back is pulling);
  • BACK + CHEST(antagonists, work great in conjunction, Arnold's method);
  • BACK + BICEPS(classic push-pull split, both pull groups);
  • BACK + REAR DELTA(the method of professionals, then they train CHEST + FRONT DELTA);

  BACK + ARMS - this is not very good, because. most likely you are undertraining one of these muscle groups, I would better then connect the back with the shoulders (deltas). In general, try to set aside a separate day for your back if your fitness is already high enough.

  Some important questions worth highlighting

  At this point, the topic of back training is practically disclosed, but I feel that some questions may still arise. I decided to collect all the questions that I was once asked about back training and highlight them below:

  “If after I trained my back for the next few days it doesn’t hurt, does it mean that I didn’t get the necessary microtraumas for growth?”

  Indeed, the pain next days in a previously trained muscle group, it speaks of microtraumas that will lead to growth, but this is NOT A MANDATORY SIGN OF GROWTH! The better you are trained, the less pain you will feel. A sign of growth is an increase in load! If the load is constantly growing, then you are growing.

  “Should I stretch my back between sets?”

  Yes. This works great because thus, the muscle fascia of the back muscles is additionally stretched, better blood supply, and, accordingly, better growth.

  “What do you think is the best exercise for developing your back if you can only do one exercise per back?”

  Definitely pull-ups. They perfectly grow the latissimus dorsi in width.

  “Which exercise is better to choose for the growth of the widest in thickness: a barbell row in an incline or a dumbbell row in an incline?”

  Better, in my opinion, is the traction of the bar in the slope, because. it is easier to progress the load there.

  “If you have to combine your back with another muscle group, which one?”

  with deltas. Either with biceps (NOT WITH HANDS). This is perhaps the most popular combination.

  “What to do if your wrists hurt a lot in pull-ups and pull-ups of a vertical block?”

  Experiment with grips, reverse or forward. Also, parallel grip easily solves this problem. Well, traction (straps) should help a lot.

  “Should I use a belt in barbell and dumbbell rows?”

  I use the belt in almost every exercise where I feel tension in the abdominal cavity (except for training the press, of course). This avoids intervertebral hernia and waist enlargement. Why do you have a big belly?

  conclusions

  Hmm, well, that's it, friends. Today we looked at how to pump up your back in great detail.

  If something was not clear to you or you have any questions, then ask them in the comments.

  The back is that muscle group, the emphasis on which should definitely be done, because. it gives our figure an impressive look. Have a good workout!

  P.S. Subscribe to blog updates. It will only get worse from there.

  With respect and best wishes, !