Back training advice

[jbw5555]

I'm 42, been training most of my life, but took the last 6 yrs off and I'm back I the gym since last may.

During all my workouts I notice I am sore the next day, a good indication that I'm hitting the right area. However my back never gets sore. Recently, I was pretty tired after work so I decided to hit the gym but do a lighter workout, happened to be a back day. Man was I sore the next day.

So my thought was that I may be hitting too heavy a weight during back workouts, perhaps heavy enough that im not getting a good squeeze in my back and my biceps might be doing most of the work.

So, thoughts about this? Should I keep the weights lower, while I keep feeling soreness the next day? I'm almost thinking I need to retrain the muscles in my back with lighter weights before moving them up again.

 

[moya]

personally i dont think so... the back is designed for dynamic lifting...
i have built a pretty respectable back doing very little besides heavy deadlifting...

http://www.efbodybuildinggallery.com/data/558/medium/moya6_095.JPG

http://www.efbodybuildinggallery.com/data/558/medium/102_3921_0173.jpg

 

[Cutiebolic]

I'm 42, been training most of my life, but took the last 6 yrs off and I'm back I the gym since last may.

During all my workouts I notice I am sore the next day, a good indication that I'm hitting the right area. However my back never gets sore. Recently, I was pretty tired after work so I decided to hit the gym but do a lighter workout, happened to be a back day. Man was I sore the next day.

So my thought was that I may be hitting too heavy a weight during back workouts, perhaps heavy enough that im not getting a good squeeze in my back and my biceps might be doing most of the work.

So, thoughts about this? Should I keep the weights lower, while I keep feeling soreness the next day? I'm almost thinking I need to retrain the muscles in my back with lighter weights before moving them up again.

Well... Is the weight so heavy that your form is off? What exercises are
you doing? Are you overcompensating with excessive rest time between sets. How many reps were you doing before? Sets? These could all be factors.

 

[Mad_Max21]

IMO I hit every muscle twice a week. And for me it works and works very well! My first routine is low volume very heavy strict form. I change up lifts every week but do mass movements my first workout but go no higher then 8 reps. Four to five days later depending on muscle soreness I do all my key shaping lifts no less then 20 reps with TOTAL mind muscle link/failure w/forced reps and drop sets. THIS WORKS AMAZING FOR ME! But u have to find what works for u! If u try this let me know how u like it!

 

[jbw5555]

Well... Is the weight so heavy that your form is off? What exercises are
you doing? Are you overcompensating with excessive rest time between sets. How many reps were you doing before? Sets? These could all be factors.

I guess the answer to the first question is... I didnt think so. But feeling the soreness the next day with a lower weight, makes me think that my form was off the whole time.

My back workouts are typically 4 exercises, 3-4 sets per and reps in the 8-12 range. I usually rotate in a different exercise every 4 weeks, to keep things varied. I also change which exercise I go first with every week. I typically hit a body part every 5/6 days.

Currently I'm doing:
Hammer strength machine rows (these are free weights)
Lat pull downs to the front... I can't do pull downs behind my neck due to shoulder injury
Cable narrow grip rows... Stacked weights
One arm dumbbell rows

I'm currently rotating in bent over barbell rows, and out with the cable rows... I haven't done the bent over rows because I threw my back out 3 months ago, and I'm just scared that'll happen again with that exercise. So I'm doing light weight, strict form, back straight, etc

Sad to say, regarding form, that even after spending over half my life in the gym, I could use a refresher course on exercises, form, etc.

 

[moya]

a hammer strength machine row is NOT a freeweight exercise... it is plate loaded, but it follows a fixed path = not free...
at least you are going to be incorporating barbell rows...
you should also swap out the pulldowns for pullups...

i dont think its form... form can be off, and if you still have a good mind-muscle connection you will work the part youre focusing on, you just may get injured with poor form...
i would say ive noticed that back is a bodypart that quite a few do have trouble establishing a good connecion with for some reason...

 

[jcmbbfuture]

This might sound a bit weird but the best way to get the most out of a back workout is to learn your basic back poses. Front double biceps is pretty much a pulldown. When u pull your arms back before a lat spread u are essentially doing a row. The better u get at controlling your back muscles without weight, the better connection you will have with them. I know posing has worked wonders for me.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using EliteFitness

 

[ishaq]

i used to have the same problem, and i believed for me that i was concentrating on weight rather then form and mind muscle connection, now i have a terrifcly thick back, id defo throw in pull ups wide grip they helped transformed my back like no other and dead lifts, slow down the reps and the weights concentrate on form and build the weights back up you'll be amazed

 

[jbw5555]

i used to have the same problem, and i believed for me that i was concentrating on weight rather then form and mind muscle connection, now i have a terrifcly thick back, id defo throw in pull ups wide grip they helped transformed my back like no other and dead lifts, slow down the reps and the weights concentrate on form and build the weights back up you'll be amazed

I like this idea, and I think this will be my strategy moving forward. I just feel with a little lower weight I can fully finish the exercise, like for rowing type exercises I'll be able to fully squeeze/contract my shoulder blades and hold it for a good rep, while I feel at the higher weight I don't accomplish this. I'm not a big fan of pull ups, never have been, but I'll start incorporating them in too and see how I respond.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[thecompound]

pendalay rows, Rack chins, pull ups, deadlift. Try those out especially pendalay rows