Light and heavy back workout. Back workout or how to pump up a wide back

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Back training always stands apart in the program of any bodybuilder. After all, it is a huge layer of muscles and the central link involved in all exercises. A developed wide back is not only beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, since a strong and strong back will allow you to progress for a long time in almost all exercises.

Back training or how to pump up wide back

The topic of the article is how to pump up a wide back. It is from it that you will learn how to properly build your back workout, what exercises for the back muscles are effective, what to look for and how to protect yourself from injury.

Introduction: how to build back muscles

The back muscles are the largest group of muscles in the upper body (the second in the whole body, after the legs). Namely, because of their size and strength, the back muscles are capable of doing hard and big work, and they love it.

If you want to pump up your back muscles, then discard all sorts of things like pumping, drop sets and the like. Heavy with heavy working weights - that's what you need, and nothing more.

The rep range of a back mass workout should be basic movements 4-6. It is this range that will allow us to take big weights, and you will finally feel how your back muscles ache after a workout. If you add any simple single-joint exercises, do up to 8 repetitions, keeping the general principle - heavy working weight.

All this will not work if you do exercises in disgusting technique. Firstly, it is simply traumatic, and secondly, it is ineffective (the load, as a rule, is spread over the entire body, and you pull the weight only in order to stretch, and not to work out the muscle group - there will be no growth).

The extreme rep should be heavy, but in perfect technique. Weight does not go - drop it!

Stay true to the principle of load progression when training your back (about progression and other factors for successful muscle growth). Increase working weights, do 1-2 repetitions more than in last workout, rest less between sets, but increase the load from workout to workout.

Do not tear yourself one place. If the weight doesn't go, drop it. Once you injure your back, you will cross out all subsequent workouts while your injury is recovering. And it can be very long. Made only 3 repetitions today instead of 6, and okay. Do more next time. This approach is the least traumatic and will preserve the progression.

The back muscles are paired muscles that wrap around the back of our body. Conventionally, the muscles of the back can be divided into two groups:

Internal- diamond-shaped, large round, muscles adducting the shoulder blades and others. They are located deep under the outer ones and, when properly developed, push out the outer ones, creating thickness and depth of the back.

External- the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, serratus, extensor muscles of the back. These muscles are on the surface, which means that attention should be paid to them first of all.

When they talk about the development of the back muscles, firstly, they mean the development latissimus dorsi. These are the largest muscles in the back. They form the coveted V-shaped silhouette. Therefore, the priority in back training should be on exercises that develop the lats first.

For effective workout latissimus dorsi, it is necessary to understand the functions that they perform in our body. The main functions are to bring the upper limbs to the bottom of the body in front, top and side. In a simple way, it is a craving for yourself. It is traction that should become the basis of training the widest.

The most natural, functional and physiological, and also wildly effective exercise for training the muscles of the back and specifically the latissimus lats are pull-ups. Throw out the light pull-ups, the pullovers in the machines, and focus on heavy pull-ups.

Secondly, the trapezius muscle is responsible for the volume of the upper back. It is located in the middle. Due to the attachment points in the region of the neck and shoulder joints, the developed trapezium forms characteristic tubercles on the sides of the neck.

The function of the trapezius muscle is to bring the shoulder blades to each other, lifting them up and down. Indirectly, the trapezoid works in many back exercises, because. constantly there is a movement of the shoulder blades and their reduction. The most suitable exercise for the development of the trapezoid is shrugs (straight and oblique).

The two oblong muscles that run from the lower back to the top along the spine are the extensors of the back (long back muscles). Their function is simple and consists in bending and unbending the body forward and backward.

Do not forget about the extensors of the back. Developed extensors lay a powerful foundation for back stability in many exercises and allow you to progress for a long time.

The most effective exercise for back extensors is the deadlift. No question - this is the best exercise for working out the whole body, including legs, back, arms. You will wildly pump the thickness and depth of the back, strengthen the ligamentous apparatus, because the working weights are the largest in the deadlift. The only downside to the deadlift is that by doing it you won't make your back wide (for many, this will be a discovery).

And finally, the serratus muscles, which connect to the oblique muscles of the abdomen. With a small layer subcutaneous fat(), developed serratus muscles create an additional plus to the athletic appearance of a person.

The most effective for their training are varieties of pullovers and diagonal twists on the press. However, do not bother too much with their training. They will grow after the main array of the back.

Back exercises

Before you figure out which exercises for the back muscles are better and which are worse, determine your priority muscle groups. Almost no one does this. Decide what you want? A narrow waist and a wide upper back or a powerful, strong and deeply developed back. Based on this, you need to select the appropriate exercises.

The most effective exercises for the development of trapezius muscles: shrugs with dumbbells or with a barbell

The most effective exercises for the extensors of the back: deadlift - one and only. There is nothing better than her (no hyperextensions or tilts with a barbell on her shoulders will stand next to her).

An important point that is constantly repeated on the pages of this blog is that in any exercises on the back, the back should be straight, and the lower back bent. This position, with the pelvis retracted and the chest forward, ensures, firstly, the safety of the lower back, and secondly, in this position, the back muscles contract correctly and most fully.

It is worth saying that in all exercises on the back, the biceps work. If performed incorrectly, it takes most of the load, and since. is a small muscle compared to the back, it tires quickly, limiting your progress.

That is why the priority is the technique of performing exercises, during which they work to the maximum target muscles, and the biceps are off. This is achieved by correct movement mechanics, good brain-muscle connection, when you consciously know how to reduce what you need.

If after training your back, the biceps hurt the next day, then you still have room to grow technically. Improve your technique constantly, do not discard this matter, work out every little thing to such an extent that the body automatically performs necessary movements and abbreviations.

Learn the exercise technique at home without weight (or use improvised means that imitate a barbell or dumbbells), practice movements slowly and in full amplitude. This approach gives real results, because strengthens the neuromuscular connection.

Pull-ups

To analyze the best exercise for the latissimus dorsi (what can I say, the entire back, including its width and depth), I urge you to read the article "".

Briefly her findings:

• The grip is wide enough to turn off the biceps and get the lats working.
• The grip of the crossbar brushes is straight, with all five fingers on top.
• Pull up to the chest, so you load the entire triangle of the back.
• Do not think about the hands, your task is to take the elbows back behind the body.

This is a lightweight version of pull-ups (learn the technique of traction vertical block). If you are a beginner, then this is a worthy exercise option (because you can use less weight than your own), which will teach you how to right approach reduce necessary muscles and will give a good start to the future. However, if you can perform at least 5 technically correct pull-ups, then you do not need a vertical block pull-up.

The professional lifter can also benefit from the vertical pulldown. First, using this exercise in various super series or drop sets to increase the intensity of the training. Secondly, using the pull of the vertical block for a deep study of individual muscle segments. This exercise allows you to tilt the body back more than in pull-ups, which means the ability to work out the bottom of the widest above.

Pay attention to the technique of pulling the vertical block, because. There are several non-trivial moments that few people pay attention to.

• The cable of the projectile must move strictly vertically at any point in the amplitude.
• The cable should, as it were, enter the chest at the lowest point and descend along the spine.
• The points of the elbows and the cable must move in the same plane (down). It is unacceptable to take the elbows back or forward. The elbows are brought down behind the body, due to its deflection in the thoracic region.

Bent over row

Learn the technique of performing bent over rows. Pay attention to such trifles as the grip (its width and orientation are straight, reverse), the inclination of the body (the closer to the horizontal, the better the back muscles work, but the greater the negative load on the lower back), the trajectory of the bar (pull along the legs to the very bottom abdomen) and elbows (elbows wind up behind the body).

May be a more effective back exercise than bent over rows. The mechanics of the movement are preserved, however, the T bar deadlift simulator allows you to unload many stabilizer muscles, which means increasing working weights.

Only God forbid you to train on inclined or horizontal beds - the beds themselves, firstly, limit the range of motion, and secondly, it is very difficult to learn how to contract the back muscles in this position (due to the inability to arch your back). Conclusion: Bar T row should only be performed while standing!

One arm dumbbell row

Due to the fact that the exercise is one-sided, it is easier and easier to perform. In addition, the amplitude of execution also grows due to the lack of a bar in the middle of the body. It becomes possible to start the dumbbell far beyond the body at the top point and stretch the lats as much as possible at the bottom. For a technical understanding of how to do one-arm dumbbell rows, check out.

Horizontal block pull

The exercise affects the middle and lower back, if you pull the cable to the lower abdomen. However, if you take a wide handle and pull it towards your chest, the exercise will also stimulate the upper back. Read more.

• Choose the optimal cable extension length, because sitting far away, it will be difficult for you to maintain a straight back position.
• At the bottom point, stretch the back muscles by feeding the body forward.
• At the top, the back is perpendicular to the floor. It is unacceptable to tilt the body back.

Shrugi in English is a shrug of the shoulders. This is the exercise that makes our shoulder blades move. The trapezius muscles are precisely responsible for such movements, which means shrugs are a favorable exercise for developing trapezoid volumes.

Shrugs can be performed by working on the trapezoid in different ways for the most complete stimulation. You can pull the weight by lifting the shoulder blades up. Or perform shrugs in an incline, in which the shoulder blades will be reduced to each other.

This exercise can be done with dumbbells or a barbell. With a barbell it is more convenient to progress in the scales. Dumbbells are more comfortable to hold on the sides. An alternative would be a simulator that imitates the handles of dumbbells, on which you can increase the weight using pancakes.

Shrugs are an exercise for more experienced athletes. For beginners, pull-ups, deadlifts and various kinds horizontal rods, in all these exercises, the trapezoid also works great.

Don't make the stupid mistake of many gym goers who do shrugs by rolling their shoulders for some reason. This is a direct path to injury, because. the load on the shoulder joint increases, and the trapezoid is not anatomically adapted to perform such complex movements, and even with heavy weight.

Deadlift

Read other blog articles.

Exercising the back muscles contributes to the development of her famous V-shape, which makes the waist and hips visually narrower, thus the figure looks more aesthetically pleasing. The back muscles are large, which makes them highly visible and one of the main ones in bodybuilding. Performing exercises for the back muscles is a prerequisite in any sport, as they form the correct and good posture and also play leading role in stabilization of the spinal muscles.

The muscles of the back are located in several layers, so they are divided into deep and superficial, which, in turn, are also located in two layers. Here we consider only those muscles that determine the relief of the back.

1. Trapezoidal
2. diamond-shaped
3. lats

We discussed the detailed anatomy and features of back muscle training in detail earlier (link below).

Exercises for the trapezius muscles of the back

The trapezius muscle is a flat, triangular muscle that is located outside and down from the neck and down the center of the back between the shoulder blades. The more the trapezoid sticks out on the sides of the neck, the more powerful and spectacular the athlete's body will look. The construction of large trapeziums is necessary for the symmetrical development of the upper body. The exercises below will allow you to qualitatively work out all parts of the trapezius muscle.

This exercise is aimed at working out the upper and middle parts of the trapezoid.

Working muscles:

• 1. Upper and middle trapezoid
• 2. Deltoid
• 3. Raising the scapula

• 4. Spinal
• 5. Longissimus pectoralis muscle
• 6. Iliocostal muscle

Grab a barbell top grip, stand up straight and place your feet shoulder-width apart. As you exhale, raise your shoulders as high as you can. Pause, and as you inhale, slowly return to initial position.

Options:

You can do this exercise with the barbell behind your back.

Performing this exercise, you work out the upper and middle parts of the trapezoid.

Working muscles:

• 1. Upper and middle trapezoid
• 2. Deltoid
• 3. Raising the scapula

Muscles that straighten the spine:

• 4. Spinal
• 5. Longissimus pectoralis muscle
• 6. Iliocostal muscle

Exercise technique:

Take dumbbells. Stand up straight. Stretch your arms at the seams. Raise your shoulders as you exhale. Pull them as high as you can. Hold this position for a second and lower your shoulders.

Important nuances:

Choose the right weight of the projectile - too heavy weights will not allow you to contract and stretch your muscles as much as possible. Therefore, if you feel that the contraction is weak, then take dumbbells easier.

Working muscles:

• 1. Upper and middle trapezoid
• 2. Deltoid
• 3. Raising the scapula

Muscles that straighten the spine:

• 4. Spinal
• 5. Longissimus pectoralis muscle
• 6. Iliocostal muscle

Exercise technique:

Grab the bar with an overhand grip and stand straight. In the starting position, the arms are straightened at the elbows, the bar of the bar rests on the hips. Inhale and, holding your breath, pull your elbows vertically up lifting the bar to your chin. As you exhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Options:

This exercise can be performed by changing the width of the grip. The wider the grip, the greater the load on the trapezius muscle. The narrower the grip, the greater the load goes deltoid muscles. Also you can do this exercise in the Smith machine.

Another exercise to train the upper and middle part of the trapezius muscle.

Working muscles:

• 1. Upper and middle trapezoid
• 2. Deltoid
• 3. Raising the scapula
• 4. Supraspinatus

Muscles that straighten the spine:

• 5. Spinal
• 6. Longissimus pectoralis muscle
• 7. Iliocostal muscle

Exercise technique:

Go to the simulator and grab the bar with an overhand grip. In the starting position, the arms are straightened at the elbows. Inhale and, holding your breath, pull your elbows vertically up. As you exhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

Elbows when performing traction should look up and to the sides. No need to lean forward and lower your shoulders.

Exercises for the latissimus dorsi

The most basic muscles that take the lion's share of the formation of the back on themselves are the latissimus dorsi. With the help of these muscles, you can visually increase the back and shoulders and at the same time reduce the waist. It is they who play a big role in the formation of the "male" figure, the notorious V-shaped physique. Therefore, for the full development of an athlete, it is vital to qualitatively work out the latissimus dorsi to achieve a large and beautiful back. Below are the best exercises for increasing lat strength and mass.

This exercise will allow not only to increase the mass of the back muscles, but also to “draw” them.

Working muscles:

1. diamond-shaped
2. lats
3. Middle and lower trapezius
4. rear delta

Exercise technique:

Sit on the seat. Take the handle in your hands and rest your feet on the stops. The knees are slightly bent. The body is vertical. Deflection in the lower back. As you inhale, lean slightly forward with your lower back arched. As you exhale, pull the handle to the lower abdomen, returning the torso to a vertical position.

Important nuances:

During the exercise, you should make active movements with your shoulders back and bring your shoulder blades together as much as possible. At the same time, the elbows go along the sides along the body. It is with this technique that the muscles of the upper and lower back will work as much as possible.

This exercise imitates pull-ups on the horizontal bar and will allow you to work out the latissimus dorsi muscle in a quality manner.

Working muscles:

1. Inferior trapezoid
2. rear delta
3. Rhomboid
4. broadest

Exercise technique:

Take the handle of the simulator straight wide grip and sit on the seat. As you exhale, pull the handle to your upper chest, slightly tilting your torso back. On an inhale, return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

While pulling, push your chest to meet the movement of the handle. The shoulders should move back and down, the shoulder blades should be brought together. Watch the technique very carefully so that exactly the muscles that should work, namely the latissimus dorsi, work.

In this exercise, in addition to the latissimus dorsi, the biceps also work.

Working muscles:

1. Biceps
2. rear delta
3. Inferior trapezoid
4. broadest

Exercise technique:

Take the handle of the simulator reverse grip and sit on the seat. As you exhale, pull the handle to your upper chest, slightly tilting your torso back. On an inhale, return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

Do not slouch while pulling and do not lean too far back.

4. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a direct wide grip

An excellent exercise for training the latissimus dorsi on any sports ground.

Working muscles:

1. rear delta
2. diamond-shaped
3. Inferior trapezoid
4. broadest

Exercise technique:

Grasp the bar with a straight grip, much wider than your shoulders. Without straining your biceps and bringing your shoulder blades together, pull yourself up, trying to touch the bar with the top of your chest. Pause a little at the top and return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

When pulling up, bend in the back and look straight up.

One of the most effective exercises for pumping the latissimus dorsi.

Working muscles:

1. Trapezoidal
2. Rhomboid
3. broadest
4. rear delta

Exercise technique:

Take the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than your shoulders. Bend your legs slightly and lean your torso forward. The slope should be significant, the body is almost parallel to the floor. Hands are straight. Deflection in the lower back. Inhale, and as you exhale, powerfully, remaining in an inclination, pull the bar until it touches the lower abdomen. On an inhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

At the top of the movement, pull your elbows and shoulders as far back as possible and bring your shoulder blades together.

Options:

The T-bar row is almost identical to the bent-over barbell row, except that one end of the bar is attached to the floor or machine frame. As a result, it is possible to achieve a smaller amount of harmful stress in the lower region of the spine.

An excellent basic exercise for the development of the central and upper back.

Working muscles:

1. broadest
2. Rhomboid
3. Trapezoidal
4. rear delta
5. Biceps

Exercise technique:

Place your left knee on the bench. Then bend down and rest your hand on it. The body is almost parallel to the floor. Deflection in the lower back. Right leg stands on the floor. Right hand hold dumbbell neutral grip. As you exhale, pull the dumbbell to the lower abdomen, by contracting the back muscles. On an inhale, slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.

Important nuances:

Try to perform the movement precisely due to the muscles of the back, and not the arms. To do this, raise your elbow high and do not take it too far to the side. Keep your back horizontal and don't round it. Do not rotate at the waist. It is in this position of the body that the back muscles are most involved.

7. Traction to the stomach while sitting on the simulator

Traction to the stomach on the simulator combines well power load with training safety.

Working muscles:

1. rear delta
2. Trapezoidal
3. Rhomboid
4. broadest

Exercise technique:

Sit on the seat of the simulator and rest your feet on the stops. As you exhale, pull the handles of the simulator to your stomach, straightening your chest and pulling your elbows back. On an inhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Important nuances:

Don't use momentum. Movements should be slow and controlled.

Exercises for the rhomboid muscles of the back

There are about 650 muscles in our body, but for some reason we do not train all 650, but only the most important ones, those that form the basis and in the process of which the whole body is transformed. Rhomboids are just one of those muscles that do not need to be purposefully trained, since they develop passively when performing exercises on the back. Almost every exercise involves these muscles, and therefore you should not worry about their development - they are somewhat independent. We discussed the anatomy and features of training the rhomboid muscles of the back in detail earlier (link below).

Lower back exercises

In addition to appearance, strengthening the muscles of the lower back is good for health, as it is one of the weakest points of the bodybuilder. By strengthening the lumbar muscles, the risk of spinal diseases is reduced: osteochondrosis, displacement of the vertebrae and infringement of the nerves, since the muscular frame of the lower back provides reliable support for the vertebrae. Below are the best exercises to strengthen your lower back.

1. Hyperextensions on the simulator

Exercise for the development of rectifiers of the back (lower back), as well as gluteal muscles and hip flexors.

Working muscles:

1. Semimembranosus
2. Semitendon
3. Biceps femoris
4. Gluteus maximus
5. Iliocostal muscle of the lower back
6. longissimus muscle
7. spinous muscle

Exercise technique:

Lie down in the simulator on your stomach and bring your heels under a special roller. Slowly, as you exhale, tilt down. As you inhale, slowly return to a position in which the body will represent a straight line.

Important nuances:

Avoid overextension in the lower back.

Options:

You can use weights in the form of a pancake, which is held with crossed arms on the chest.

Deadlift - is the basic and one of the most necessary exercises in bodybuilding and powerlifting.

Working muscles:

1. Gluteus maximus
2. Finger flexors
3. wrist flexors
4. spinous muscle
5. longissimus muscle
6. Semitendon
7. Semimembranosus

Exercise technique:

Come close to the bar, place your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. Squat down and grab the bar with a straight grip, the grip is slightly wider than your shoulders. The arms are vertical, the shoulders are directly above the bar of the bar. The gaze is directed forward. Inhale deeply and as you exhale begin to pull the barbell. After the barbell passes the knees, fully straighten up and bring the shoulder blades together as much as possible. Begin the downward movement by pulling the pelvis back. The loin is bent, the shoulder blades remain flattened. Having passed your knees, sit down and touch the pancakes to the floor.

Important nuances:

Be extremely careful during the deadlift. Watch your lower back, it should always be bent. And of course, keep the movement smooth, both when raising the bar and when lowering it. Do not try to pull the bar off the floor. Inhale slowly down, exhale, powerfully up.

3. Forward bends with a barbell (Good Morning)

Exercise aimed at training the lower back. Also in this exercise, the muscles of the legs, gluteal and biceps are involved.

Working muscles:

1. Gluteus maximus
2. Biceps femoris (biceps femoris)
3. Semitendon
4. Semimembranosus
5. spinous muscle
6. longissimus muscle
7. Iliocostal muscle of the lumbar
8. Quadriceps femoris (quadriceps)

Exercise technique:

Place the barbell on the back of your shoulders. The back is stiff, the shoulder blades are together. The knees are slightly bent. Inhale, lean forward until the torso is parallel to the floor, keeping your back straight. Slowly return to starting position, exhale.

Important nuances:

Master the slopes only with an empty neck and at a slow pace. Add weight only when you feel that the lower back has become stronger.

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

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

Upper and middle back ( latissimus, round and trapezoid) 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 bar and rowing from the lower block. Top part The back is mainly responsible for pulling movements.

Video: Back workout with dumbbells. 5 exercises

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 corset- hence the importance of their strengthening and development, as well as the correct understanding of their inclusion in physical work body.

Latissimus dorsi training

Download the width

Pull-ups require a certain physical strength and are great for developing the teres major and latissimus dorsi, and, at the time of bringing the shoulder blades together at the end of the pull-up, the diamond-shaped ones.

This movement develops the latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles. His efforts also extend to the biceps and shoulders.

This exercise increases the width of the body, involves the trapezius, rhomboids, biceps and shoulder deltas.

This exercise perfectly develops a wide back, its upper and lower bundles, as well as large round muscles.

This is an excellent exercise for the full development of the large round and latissimus dorsi muscle. When bringing the shoulder blades together, the rhomboid and trapezium, as well as the back parts of the shoulder deltas, are involved.

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

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Back training is a fundamental factor in the further and development of the growth of the athlete's muscles. The back corset is involved in almost all basic exercises, and in terms of size, this muscle group takes second place, second only to the legs. How to train and what exercises for the back to choose? Let's consider further.

General anatomy

Before choosing exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back, let's look at the anatomy of this part of the body. As in the case of the chest, the back is not one muscle, but a group of different muscles that are responsible for different joints. Most of them are the deep muscles of the back, responsible for fine motor skills torso. It is pointless to download them separately, since they are already involved in almost all exercises to strengthen the back.

If you do not take into account the deep muscles, then all the muscles of the back can be divided into several groups:

1. The latissimus dorsi muscles are responsible for bringing the arms together. They consist of two bundles: the middle one (responsible for the thickness of the back) and the lateral one, located next to the serratus muscles (responsible for the appearance of the so-called "wings" of the athlete).
2. The rhomboid muscles of the back are located in the upper layer and lie along the entire back. Responsible for retracting the scapula. They consist of three different beams, each of which works with any movement.
3. Trapezius muscles of the back. Responsible for rotation shoulder joint. They consist of three bundles: middle, upper and lower.
4. Lumbar muscles. Despite the fact that they cannot be called the largest, they are responsible for stabilizing the hull and require a separate deep study, because. form a muscular corset that holds the human body in a straight position. Participate in almost all exercises as a fixing body stabilizer.
5. The extensor muscles of the body are thin muscles that run along the entire spine. Correct posture and keep the body in a straight position. Participate in all types of drafts with an inclination of the body.

To work out all these muscle groups, you need an integrated approach. At the same time, it is desirable to work out each muscle group from different angles, which will ensure local growth. muscle group.

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The general principles of pumping the back are very specific and require the strict and strict implementation of certain rules.

1. Do not use basic exercises in the first months of training. The reason is that under large muscle groups lies a huge number of small muscles that are easy to injure if the muscle corset is not sufficiently developed. That is why any trainer will advise using back exercises with dumbbells or exercises on a block simulator in the first month in the gym. Isolation load allows you to use fewer small muscle groups and has a fixed amplitude, which is safe when working with small weights. Only when you prepare your muscle corset for serious loads, you can proceed to the classics in the form of a deadlift and traction in an incline.
2. If you want to increase the result of the deadlift, do not use the deadlift. As strange as it may sound, the most powerful exercise for the back muscles - deadlift - does not allow for a constant progression of loads. This is due to the fact that the psoas and accessory muscles get tired faster than the rhomboids. Therefore, if you rested against, it is worth working out all the auxiliary exercises on the back in gym and only then return to the station.
3. Strict technique. Unlike stretching the muscles of the arms or legs, sprains and microdislocations of the back are fraught with a hernia or problems with the spine in the future. It is better not to chase the scales and do not perform exercises in the border technique: this is dangerous for health.
4. Large muscles respond well to heavy weights. Even if constant growth is not your goal, remember that a large number of reps with low weight will not help in training the back.
5. Do not use a safety belt. Although it is an important part of safety in training, the belt restricts movement in the lumbar region, due to which lumbar muscles and the extensor muscles of the back cease to participate in the exercise. It is better to use lighter weights and choose a smoother progression of loads.
6. Base + isolation. Like any other large muscle group, the back is trained in 2 stages. First, basic prefatigue with extremely heavy weights, then targeted finishing of the muscle group in the simulator. This provides a large load, and therefore a large one.
7. Do not use two basic exercises on the same day. Try not to mix deadlift and bent-over deadlifts, as well as deadlifts and sumo deadlifts.

Exercises

A set of exercises for the back traditionally consists of basic exercises, although most trainers do not recommend starting with a basic one due to the reasons described above. Consider the full range of exercises for the gym and at home.

Exercise	Main muscle group	Auxiliary muscle group	Type of exercise	Home / for the hall
	broadest	Trapeze bottom + rear surface hips	Basic	For home
	diamond-shaped	lats	Basic	For the hall
	diamond-shaped	Lat + trapezium + hamstring	Basic	For the hall
	lats	Rhomboid + trapezoid + back of the thigh	Basic	For the hall
	diamond-shaped	Trapeze bottom + lats	Basic	For the hall
	Back straighteners		Basic	For the hall
Neck pull with narrow setting hands	lats	Traps + back straighteners + hamstrings	Basic	For the hall
	Middle bunch of diamond-shaped	Lat + bottom of the trapezium + back of the thigh	Basic	For the hall
	Back straighteners	Trapeze + rhomboid + lats	Basic lever	For home and hall
	diamond-shaped	Trapeze + diamond-shaped + widest + back of the thigh	Basic lever	For home and hall
	Spinal extensors	—	insulating	For the hall
	Spinal extensors	Deltas + triceps + hamstrings	insulating	For the hall
Pumping biceps with cheating	lats	—	insulating	For the hall
	Trapeze bottom	Top of the trapezium + upper deltas	insulating	For the hall
Vertical block pull	lats	diamond-shaped	insulating	For the hall
lats	Traps + biceps	insulating	For the hall
Horizontal block pull	diamond-shaped	lats	insulating	For the hall
	Back straighteners	Rhomboids + lats + hamstrings	insulating	For the hall
	Trapeze top	—	insulating	For the hall
Barbell shrugs behind	Trapeze bottom	Trapeze top	insulating	For the hall
	Trapeze top with accent	Middle of the trapezium	insulating	For the hall
	Spine stabilizers	Whole body	Comprehensive	For home
	Spine stabilizers	Whole body	Comprehensive	For home
Incline Dumbbell Raise	Trapeze bottom	Rear bundle of deltas	Comprehensive	For the hall
	lats	Trapeze + diamond-shaped + back of the thigh	Comprehensive	For the hall

Basic

To work out the back, four basic exercises are traditionally used in a complex way.

• Deadlift. The main exercise in and crossfit. It engages all major muscle groups with a strong focus on the rhomboid muscles of the back. First of all, this exercise develops the thickness of the back.
  

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• Pull-ups. Home version of the barbell row in the slope. It has a low injury risk and a fixed body weight, which allows you to work out your back in multi-rep sets. For the progression of loads, weighting agents are used. The main focus of this exercise is on the latissimus dorsi.
  
  
• Bent over barbell. A heavier version of pull-ups, which is distinguished by strict execution technique and large weights. The main load falls on the widest; depending on the angle of inclination and the width of the grip, you can work out both the thickness and the width of the back. Works great on the bottom!
  
• Pull bar to the chin. The only basic exercise with an emphasis on trapezoid exercises.
  
  

  insulating

  But the number of exercises for the isolated study of the back is much larger. This includes working with simulators (block pull), and types of shrugs, and even a cheating version of pumping the biceps, which was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

  The main task of isolating exercises is not only to give a suitable load to the target muscle group, but also to work out small deep muscles that are not involved in basic exercises due to a different amplitude.

  Traditionally, there are 3 main isolating exercises in the gym for the back.

  • Vertical block pull with a wide grip. Preparatory exercise for pulling the rod in an incline.
    

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  • Thrust of the horizontal block to the belt. A good alternative to the deadlift.
    

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  • An exercise that works the top of the trapezoid.
    
    

    Exercise at home

    Pumping your back at home is not easy. It has to do with the anatomy of the movements. It is not possible to repeat them without weighting or special cargo. And those exercises that allow you to load your back with the help of own body without special equipment - they are ineffective, if we talk about serious loads. Consider the basic exercises for the back at home.

    • Pull-ups. serious complex exercise, which can be performed even without a horizontal bar. It is enough to have a strong door that can support your weight. You can also use any other similar devices.
      
      
    • Boat. good exercise, which develops the rhomboid and latissimus dorsi muscles. The technique is extremely simple: lie on the floor, slightly raise outstretched arms and legs.
      
      
    • Bridge. Static exercise With own weight, which perfectly develops the extensors of the back without injury. Suitable for recovery training or maintenance. It is recommended to perform for everyone who seeks to develop not only strength, but also the flexibility of the spinal muscles.
      

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    • Farmer's walk. This exercise is in the home category because it can be performed with any home weight. It is enough to take 2 tight bags, evenly fill them with books and proceed. Develops all muscle groups with an emphasis on the trapezius muscles. There are options in the form of lunges, which additionally load the muscles of the legs.
      
      

      Exercises in the gym

      For the development of the back in the hall there is a huge complex various exercises as with free weights, and with specialized equipment or simulators. Consider the main training exercises that develop the back:

      • A safe analogue of full-fledged pull-ups. It has a more isolated load due to the shutdown of the muscles of the press and legs.
        

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      • The pull of the upper block with a reverse grip.
        
        

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      • . An excellent basic exercise that engages all muscle groups with a serious emphasis on diamond-shaped. It has no analogues for home use or with free weights. Considered the most natural exercise to work out the back with the least trauma.
        
        
      • Crossover pull. It is performed similarly to traction in a block simulator. The key difference lies in the freer amplitude. Thanks to the adjustment, the widest and diamond-shaped ones are worked out at a more difficult angle. Ideal for those who do not perform basic exercises for one reason or another.
        
        
      • Lower crossover link.
        
        
      • Hyperextension. The only isolating serious exercise in the gym, which will strengthen the lower back and reduce the risk of injury in the future.
        

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        Complexes for the development of the back

        Consider the main training complexes for the development of the back in the gym and at home.

        Note: there are no circuit workouts in the table, because. their main task is not to use the back muscles, but to give a powerful hormonal anabolic boost for further body formation.

        Complex	Exercises	Task
        Split at the lats	Cheating lift for biceps - light weight.	The main task is to focus on the lagging lats. It helps to increase the number of pull-ups and the width of the back by developing the wings. The bicep curl is used to increase arm flexor strength to remove weight restriction.
        Split into diamond-shaped	Warm-up deadlift - 20 times empty bar. Block pull to the belt 5*20 Pure lifting for biceps on the Scott bench 3 * 8	A good complex for working out the thickness of the back, more difficult, but giving a serious base for further training in any sport. Biceps training allows you to increase working weights in the future.
        Profiled Workout	Warm-up deadlift - 20 times empty bar. Deadlift 5 * 8 (70% of the repeated maximum). Block pull to the belt 5*20 Bent over row 5*8 (70% of rep max). T-bar row 5 * 5 (60% of the maximum) Thrust of the upper block behind the head 5 * 20. Pulling the bar to the chin 5 * 5 Shrugs with dumbbells 3 * 3 (max possible weight) Hyperextension max*max	Suitable for athletes who can afford a full day of back training. Best Option for professionals.
        Preparatory	Pull-ups or pull-ups 3*12 Horizontal block pull 3*12 Hyperextension max*max	It is used in the first month of training, since the muscle corset is not yet ready for profile circuit training. Optimizes the tone of small muscle groups.
        Restorative	Bridge 5 - for a while Farmer's Walk 100 Steps with Light Weight Hyperextension max*max Negative pull-ups on the simulator with a counterweight 5 * 3 Tilts of the body in different directions Hanging on the horizontal bar for a while	Suitable for recovery muscle tone after a long break or after an injury. All weights and number of repetitions individually. After the completion of the recovery course, it is recommended to engage in a preparatory complex for another month.
        Home	Pull-ups Breeding hands with a chest expander Traction of its own weight with a rubber band. Horizontal pull-ups with harness farmer's walk Basket Shrugs with any available weight Pull any available weight	Everything that can be squeezed out for the back at home in order to somehow seriously load it.

        Exercises with non-standard equipment

        If you have a chest expander, fitball or rubber band () at hand, choose the appropriate one from the exercises presented. They will noticeably diversify your load and allow you to work out the muscles at a more natural angle. Suitable for both home and gym.

        1. Reduction of the shoulder blades with a chest expander. Unique exercise, which simultaneously works out the rhomboid and latissimus dorsi muscles. It is considered one of the most difficult. It has the most natural amplitude for a person.
           

           Results

           And finally, I would like to debunk one popular female myth that exercises for losing weight on the back do not exist. The back can lose weight, that is, it can atrophy under specific drying loads and when adjusting the diet. For example, if you use training in multi-repetition mode. But the back itself does not lose weight, just the muscles acquire tone and look toned. Concerning local fat burning, then it also does not exist. Therefore, instead of torturing yourself with ineffective exercises, it is better to delve into nutrition and try to combine serious basic complexes with a calorie deficit.

Back muscle training is very important and challenging task especially when the back is lagging behind. In general, the larger the muscle group, the more difficult it is to specialize in it, since a lot of resources are spent on training and recovery. This training program involves four classes per week, of which two are designed to work out the muscles of the back. Back training is recommended to be broken down by goals, and not only in this case. The bottom line is that the back consists of a whole complex of muscles, most often, deadlifts are considered the basic exercise for the back, but this exercise only involves the long muscles of the back, while training the legs perfectly. If you want a wide back, then attention should be paid to the latissimus dorsi and round muscle of the back.

Back training, in this case, will work out either the thickness of the back or its width. Training for the width of the back will be heavy, and for the width it will be easier, although this division, of course, is very conditional. To work out the width of the back, the athlete should use the horizontal pull options, and to work out the width, the vertical ones. During a hard workout, the rep range ranges from 6 to 10, and during an easy workout, from 10 to 15. It's not about using different types of muscle fibers , as time under load is not the only factor that determines which fibers and method of power supply will be used. The bottom line is that such microperiodization will unload the central nervous system, and will also allow you to get the most out of the exercises, since horizontal rods work better in the low rep range, and the vertical ones in the high rep range.

Causes of lagging back muscles

In order to draw up a training program for the back, you need to understand what is the reason for the back lag. As a rule, the back lags behind in people with well-developed biceps brachii, since the muscles of the back and biceps perform related tasks, respectively, the biceps simply steals the load. That is, in this case, the reason is poor neuromuscular communication and exercise technique. Another common reason is that the athlete prefers working out the long back muscle, after which he is no longer able to give sufficient load to the widest ones, and since the muscles do not receive stress, then they do not need to hypertrophy. Remember, muscle growth is only the visible part of the process of adapting to an ever-increasing load!

Simulation exercises - this is very important element not only back training, but also training any lagging body part. The bottom line is that such exercises work out the neuromuscular connection, which allows the muscles to contract more correctly. We can say that the quality of the neuromuscular connection determines how accurately the muscles will perform the tasks that the brain sets for them. On practice , simulating exercises are performed daily before bedtime, as well as before training. There is nothing easier! You don't need dumbbells, barbells, or machines, the exercises are performed without additional weight. You simply stand in the pose of one or another exercise and perform, concentrating on the work of the target muscle group, 30-40 repetitions of 3-4 sets of the desired basic exercise. In the case of the back, this can be a barbell row in an incline and a vertical block row.

Tendon strengthening is also a way to improve neuromuscular communication, which is achieved through static training of the back muscles. For this purpose, the “asterisk” exercise is used, when the athlete lies face down and bends in the lower back, tearing off all parts of the body from the floor, while holding on to the stomach. In this position, you need to arrive for 60-90 seconds. Most likely, you will be able to hold out for 10 seconds, but this will pass with time. But, having trained your back in this way, strengthening the tendons, you will begin to feel it in a completely new way and, perhaps, you will not even need to train with specialization.

Technical aspects is a way to more purposefully load the trained muscle group, in this case, the back. Actually, in bodybuilding, all exercises must be performed due to the work of the muscle being trained, this is the main difference between bodybuilding and powerlifting. If during strength training of the back, the technique is aimed at including in the work as much as possible more muscles, then while working out the back for mass correct technique excludes the work of the muscles of the satellites. On practice , You must use a straight grip, be sure to use straps, keep your back arched, and press your elbows to the body. Dorian Yates methods are not for you! They are very effective, but only for those muscle groups that do not lag behind.

Supercompensation - This required condition to implement the progression of loads, since at the moment of supercompensation the muscles become larger and stronger than they were before, but this moment does not last forever, so you need to be able to catch supercompensation. We have already written about this in detail in the article, which was called « supercompensation » . essence lies in the fact that you need to choose, based on your individual recovery capabilities, optimal time for rest of the trained muscle group. In this regard, during the back muscle training program, we recommend, if necessary, to alternate workouts not only within the split, but also by week. In practice, it looks like an alternation of light and hard weeks, but you should alternate workouts like this: 1 week - heavy thickness training and light width training, 2 weeks - light thickness training and heavy thickness training.

Types of back training

According to their tasks, back training can vary, respectively, the methods and principles of training also differ. Firstly, power training involves the development long muscle back, and mass-gathering - the latissimus dorsi, secondly, athletes train different muscle fibers, different ways energy supply, in general, these workouts are strikingly different from each other. In this article, we are talking about training for muscle hypertrophy, but it will also be useful to consider the basic principles of strength training in order to avoid possible mistakes.

Back strength training

When working on force, you must observe following rules: workout duration – no more than 60 minutes, muscle time under load – 10-20 seconds, number of repetitions - up to 6 in the approach, rest between sets – from 3 to 5 minutes, number of exercises per workout – 2-3, pace of exercise - fast, technique - helps to include accessory muscles, microperiodization - must be present basic exercise - deadlift.

The bottom line is that strength training involves the development of high-threshold fast muscle fibers, glycolytic muscle fibers and providing muscles with energy due to the breakdown of creatine phosphate. The purpose of such training is to develop strength indicators in a single single repetition of the deadlift. Such training involves the use of specific variations of the basic basic exercise, the use of techniques for leveling the influence of the Golgi tendon organ, and much more, which we will discuss in more detail in the corresponding article.

Latissimus dorsi training

During such training, the following rules should be observed: workout duration – up to 60 minutes, muscle time under load – 30-50 seconds, reps per set – from 6 to 15, rest between sets – 30-60 seconds, number of work sets per workout – from 9 to 25, pace of exercise - slow or medium technique - allows you to purposefully load the trained muscle, microperiodization – not required at the initial stage, basic exercises - barbell pull to the belt and pull-ups with a wide grip.

Training the latissimus dorsi involves the development of slow muscle fibers, oxidative muscle fibers and fast muscle fibers, although the latter, as you already know, are best developed from strength training. Energy supply is carried out due to glycolysis, therefore, you should rest in the range of 30-60 seconds, and train relatively often, and therefore, at advanced stages, there is a need for microperiodization, since energy is restored faster than contractile proteins. The main goal of training is muscle hypertrophy.