Got Back?
As I've mentioned before, the back, due to the fact that it is seldom in full view, is often an easily overlooked part of the physique (unlike chest or arms). This makes it hard and even less favourable to train, but ask anyone who's ever done any form of strength training, and they will tell you just how important the back is. So here are some of my favourite back training tips: 1. Don't just lift the weights for the sake of lifting them.
Sure it feels great deadlifting loads of weight and it's an awesome way to build back strength and mass, however make sure you feel the muscle contractions with each rep to get the full effect of the exercise. The same goes for any form of rows be it barbell, dumbbell, cable or even t-bar. Make sure you the control the weight as much as you can throughout the entire exercise. 2. Work on your grip strength.
Chin ups and pull ups are great exercises to build the lats and get that much needed back width, however the problem I've seen many people face is that their grip simply isn't strong enough to pull their bodyweight. This can lead to poor form and eventually injury. Try doing heavy shrugs or farmers walks to work on this. I will share more about my favourite tips in improving grip strength in future posts. The form and contractions of your rows will improve as well. 3. Know which part of your back you are targeting with each exercise.
I personally like to start my back routine with my lats (chin-ups, lat pulldowns...), slowly work into mid and lower back (rows, deadlifts..) And finish off with my traps or even rear delts (shrugs, upright rows, bent over lateral raises...) Whatever exercises you choose to do, make sure it is part of a complete workout to target the entire back.
