Time to ditch the gimmicks. Simplify
your back training program to get
growing again.
BACK TRAINING IS like the tax code of physique building.
The methodology is as diverse as it is mystifying, and as complex as it is confounding, but in the end your goal is simple: You just want to get as much back as possible.
You experiment with new workouts and flirt with multiple angles, all with the hope of adding a little swole to your rearview.
If this sounds like you, breathe deep and let this simple strategy wash over you: Pull heavy stuff. Rest. Repeat.
You experiment with new workouts and flirt with multiple angles, all with the hope of adding a little swole to your rearview.
If this sounds like you, breathe deep and let this simple strategy wash over you: Pull heavy stuff. Rest. Repeat.
Unless you’re considering donning a set of posing trunks and getting onstage, the diversity of your angle work is a bit inconsequential. As with other muscle groups, using progressively heavier weight is the STRAIGHT UP BACK most direct route to new strength and size. While pulling through multiple angles will help you target different parts of your back, the benefits are not so specific as to warrant the additional fuss. With a few vertical and horizontal pulls in your plan, you’ll add ample depth and width to your back.
STRAIGHTARM LAT PULLDOWN
Keep your elbows straight and initiate the move from your shoulders. After multijoint moves (the T-bar row and lat pulldown), the straight-arm pulldown provides great isolation for the upper lats to help burn them out.
The back extension may be the last
exercise of your workout, but it’s far from a throwaway. At this point in your workout, your upper back has been your focus, but your erector spinae have also been worked isometrically withthe T-bar rows. You can hold a light
plate behind your head or across your chest to finish these postural muscles with authority.
Work these with a superwide, overhand grip that shifts the emphasis to your upper lats while reducing the contribution from your biceps.
In all pulling moves, think of a crane: the lats are the motor, and your arms are just cables.
T-bar rows allow you to closely mimic barbell rows while still creating a hefty hypertrophy stimulus with a smooth, slightly arced pull. Unsupported T-bar rows are ideal, but you can always go chest to pad as an alternative if the safety of your lower back is an issue. Adding a dropset to failure on the last set of these helps you to flush the muscles with a final surge of nutrient-rich blood.
