Deadlift for back development? Want thickness

[WannaBPowerful]

When deadlifting for back development, should my back be crunched, spread, or it doesnt matter? I been deadlifting heavy last few days, and i feel all the soreness in the upper middle back. Im tryin to target thickness in my OUTER lats, but cant seem to do it. Any advice?

 

[bignate73]

chins......

when talking about training for back thickness you are looking at mid lower traps, teres, AND lats. you wont isolate with deads.

 

[coolcolj]

Top secret exercise -

70 degree bent over rows with a narrow grip - about 6 inches ala close grip bench press - use overhand grip however, and pull it to your stomach

Damn this one cooks my entire back, especially the lats, tried it a few days, and this narrow grip is the secret! Chins and deadlifts don't even come close!
Don't even bother with dumbells

 

[gymtime]

chins......

when talking about training for back thickness you are looking at mid lower traps, teres, AND lats. you wont isolate with deads.

Wide-grip, overhand or close-grip underhand?

 

[bignate73]

Wide-grip, overhand or close-grip underhand?

yes.



actually it depends how you want to overload. most people are stronger with underhand grips so they can actually get more reps, use weight etc. the wider grip may be tough for some but is very good. i like em in the smith machine with the big cambered type cross beam. puts a working on my forearms and my back. its easier to think of my hands like hooks and drive my elbows back to my sides.

 

[Lift Chief]

I thought deadlift was one of the best exercises for overall back thickness? Am i wrong on this?

 

[supersizeme]

deads are mainly going to thicken up your traps and make them crawl further up your neck, along with building up your spinal erectors. they give you that powerful look of someone with thick ass upper traps and neck. increasing the width of your lats and getting good upper back development comes from rowing motions and pullups. there's no rowing involved in a deadlift, your simply pulling something up. most of the strength that is used comes from keeping your arms from being pulled out of their sockets, which is traps. deads will thicken your back in the same sense that squats will increase the thickness of your arms. it's an exercise that releases a ton of GH which leads to development everywhere.

 

[the People's Champ]

Top secret exercise -

70 degree bent over rows with a narrow grip - about 6 inches ala close grip bench press - use overhand grip however, and pull it to your stomach

Damn this one cooks my entire back, especially the lats, tried it a few days, and this narrow grip is the secret! Chins and deadlifts don't even come close!
Don't even bother with dumbells

true dat. love this exercise. what are you pulling nowadays?

 

[coolcolj]

true dat. love this exercise. what are you pulling nowadays?

I did 230lbsx5 last week - felt frigging heavy though

I've dropped back to 205lbs 3x6 with the closer 6 inch grip this week.

 

[WannaBPowerful]

deads are mainly going to thicken up your traps and make them crawl further up your neck, along with building up your spinal erectors. they give you that powerful look of someone with thick ass upper traps and neck. increasing the width of your lats and getting good upper back development comes from rowing motions and pullups. there's no rowing involved in a deadlift, your simply pulling something up. most of the strength that is used comes from keeping your arms from being pulled out of their sockets, which is traps. traps will thicken your back in the same sense that squats will increase the thickness of your arms. it's an exercise that releases a ton of GH which leads to development everywhere.

That explains a lot. I did a ton of deadlifts yesterday, and my traps are killing me. I think im gonna throw deads in once a month, with bent barball rows replacing them in the reast of my workouts alternating grips. Does that sound fine for thickness, along with a ton of pullups?

 

[supersizeme]

That explains a lot. I did a ton of deadlifts yesterday, and my traps are killing me. I think im gonna throw deads in once a month, with bent barball rows replacing them in the reast of my workouts alternating grips. Does that sound fine for thickness, along with a ton of pullups?

I made a typo in my post that said "traps will thicken your back in the same sense that squats..."

I meant to say "deads will thicken..."

I would do them more often than once a month. Do them every other week at least. It's one of the big three compound exercises that is going to yield you the most growth. I alternate weekly doing light and heavy deads. Leaving out deads would be akin to leaving squats out of your routine except for every other week or once a month. Unless you've got some injury that keeps you from doing them, why would you want to cut out a exercise that is so beneficial to muscle growth? Still do them on your back day along with your pullups and rows. I have a traps/hams day where I do stiff legged deads, so that on back day I can focus my effort on pullups and rowing.

 

[WannaBPowerful]

I want to cut them out because my traps dominate my back by a TON. My traps are thick as hell and stirated, but the outer lats have no thickness to them. Im into bodybuilding so i need to catch up my lats before i go on developing my traps again.