Back sucks!

[CNovaJason]

Hey guys, need serious help for my back. I need thickness, and width. I typically do deadlifts(high lbs. low reps), either bent over rows dumbell or bent over rows barbell, lat pulldowns, and seated rows. I also tried that exercise where you slide the barbell up against the wall with no plates on one side, and however many you can do on the other and do like a bent over row type motion with your hands near the plates.....you've seen it, on jay's and ronnie's and I'm sure many others' workout videos. Anyway, my back's biggest problem is the thickness I'm lacking. My shoulder blades stick out and it's ugly even though I'm 6'2", 207/210lbs fluctuating. Any ideas?? Thx bros

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Back friggin rules once you learn to like training it.

I would hit back about 3x a week if you really want to build it up. Volume is great for building mass when cycled properly.

I would go:

day 1-power cleans or hang cleans, 5 warmup sets that increase in weight each set and then 5x5 with same weight.

Day 2- Barbell Deadlift-same thing, Pullups-bodyweight only, 50 total reps however you can get em, or 5x5 with weight

day3-Barbell row-5 warmup sets and then 5x5 same weight

Eat ALOT, sleep as best you can and do this for 4-6 weeks, then take an easy week, then go another 4-6 weeks using 3x3 for your real work sets instead of 5x5 and get the weight up.

This is basically taking the back portion out of the popular Glenn Pendlay DF 5x5 program that Madcow2 introduced to the board. Better yet DO that program. My back was the thickest and strongest it has been so far by the end of the program. In fact I was the biggest and strongest I've been.

Give it a whirl. There's a main thread here.

I'm only suggesting because it will thicken your back up for sure inconjunction with hard work and FOOD.

day3-

 

[musketeer]

Overhead work and oly lifts really got my traps thick. The traps stretch from the middle of the back right through to the shoulders and up to the neck, covering about 50% of the back, so they are very important to back thickness. (if you didn't know!)

 

[cubuff27]

Drop any dumbell work for back. It takes twice as long and you can only use half the weight as a good old fashioned barbell row. So workout smarter. If you can't grow off 90 degrees rows and deadlifts and heavy pullups you just aint going to grow.

 

[Madcow2]

Your exercise choices are fine (dead, barbell rows at 90 or as close to as possible, pullups). What you need to do is spend time working at systematically getting better at them (obviously while eating enough to put on muscle). It's not so much doing the exercises, it's getting better at those exercises and increasing your capacity over time that will result in more muscle. That's kind of the difference between a real program and just going into the gym working hard and hoping to get stronger for your effort. Program vs. routine.

 

[NorgePrecision]

I used to deadlift a lot and slack on bent over bb rows. Now, I don't deadlift as much and do more bb rows and my overall back thickness has improved. For me deadlifts in moderation and bb rows all out give me the best results. Of course I'm including pull ups and t-bar rows into that equation also.

 

[b fold the truth]

The weekly back work that I do is the following:

Tuesday: 1 set of chins...6-10 reps (wide grip)
Wednesday: 2 sets of one arm rows with a 100 pound dbell

Everything else comes from Strongman Events, OHP, Box Squats, and Deadlifts.


I think that back thickness either comes from TIME or lots and lots of gear use. I've been training my back hard for over 12 years...

B True

 

[blut wump]

Great gym, BFold.

 

[thelion2005]

Sounds like you are or have done all the basic exercises and still lagging. I have the following suggestions:

(1) Change your hand spacing. Sometimes wide works against building. Come in tighter.
Stand in front of a mirror, raise your arms and bend at the elbow for 90 degrees. That is your chin or pull down spacing. This is usually around 36 inches.

For rows ... let your arms hang to sides and touch side of hand (thumb) to thighs. This is your row spacing.

(2) Simplify
Do nothing but front chins and rows, each 4 x 8-6-4-2, ascending weight.

(3) Do rear delt extensions after ... 3 x 8 laying face down on a box on a bench. This positon hits delts and the "wings".

 

[H_T_]

wow, i need to pop in here more often. great advice guys.

 

[vin01]

Gotta give props to the hand spacing advice.

My back had hit a roadblock at a certain point.. figures I was going too wide in an effort to widen the back. brought my hands to approximately 30", and my back started to flare out again.

Try it, cuz it works. Going too wide involved too much rear delt

 

[CNovaJason]

Man this site rules. Thanks to all who responded. Will be handing out K later to all of you....thx again!