How to make my back GROW

[Lestat]

Ok so everyone who sees this pic says my lats are lagging.

Right now I do HST training, for back I do deadlifts, wide grip pull down, and seated rows.

I haven't been doing pull ups, but I can start, I have no way to weight them and I am close to 200lbs so adding weight will drop my reps to 5 or less!

What can I do to make my lats GROW! I need some size.

Here is the pic

 

[Devastation]

if you want bro, pm me and i'll help you out

 

[Tacosupreme]

eat more

 

[string_bean00]

imo drop the seated rows...bb rows or dumbbell rows are better

 

[Peaked]

Ok so everyone who sees this pic says my lats are lagging.

Right now I do HST training, for back I do deadlifts, wide grip pull down, and seated rows.

I haven't been doing pull ups, but I can start, I have no way to weight them and I am close to 200lbs so adding weight will drop my reps to 5 or less!

What can I do to make my lats GROW! I need some size.

Here is the pic

I would add Bent-Over Rows to the routine.

Make sure you add weight to each set in the gym. Do some Rest-Pause sets and make sure you squeeze your shoulder blades together during the rep.

 

[BOOEY]

imo drop the seated rows...bb rows or dumbbell rows are better

Yup.

Plus, drop the pulldowns for real pullups. Switch the grip up ever few workouts - palms facing each other, underhand, close grip, etc.

 

[Madcow2]

Basically what everyone else said. Get the machines out - so pullups and barbell rows. Get stronger in these movements and your dead. Make sure there is caloric surplus in your diet - if there isn't, you can't put on muscle. HST is a decent program so providing all this is in place you should make progress.

 

[Tweakle]

damn bro your back needs some loving.. pullups, bent rows and deadlifts are the answer

 

[Lestat]

Ok so drop pulldowns, add pull ups. I'll do that, but I'm not sure how to incorporate that into my HST routine as I can't really weight them well and even if I could, if I add any weight I wont be able to do many.

So no more seated rows on the machine... barbel rows instead... can somenoe explain how those are done?

I've done one arm bent over dumbell rows, but since you do that with each arm separately it puts a big drain on my CNS and wipes me out. I like compound barbell exercises whenever possible.

 

[H_T_]

lol, oh boy, you're going to be soooooooooo fucking sore..........

 

[jnevin]

Bent over barbell rows are great. You can switch grips over tends to get the center of my backand lats, under gets mid traps and oddly lower traps. Keep your core tight and head looking straight, not up at your reflection. Grab the barbell and bend to an angle you're comfortable with where you don't feel your lower back straining. (No where near 90 deg.) Leading with your elbows, row the weight back to your diaphragm, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Release, rinse, repeat.

Do hang cleans too.

 

[jdynasty]

for the pullups, dont be concern with adding weight at first, when you can do 3 solid sets of 10 reps, then think about adding the weight, and make sure you are pulling with your lats

 

[Guinness5.0]

For bb rows you'll want your back to be as close to parallel with the ground as possible. As long as you don't round you'll be fine. There's a link or two on the first page of the big 5x5 thread with pics/descriptions that will make it clear how to properly perform bb rows.

 

[jnevin]

With rows and pull ups, always try to imagine pulling with your elbows and get that squeeze in your shoulders. You'll see the difference so much faster if you do that with less weight and work up instead of heavier weight and poor form.

 

[H_T_]

yeah, do whatever you can to make your sets last longer than 10 seconds on the rows.

 

[jnevin]

And lose the leotard with matching braided head and wrist bands.

 

[the good thief]

Ok so everyone who sees this pic says my lats are lagging.

Right now I do HST training, for back I do deadlifts, wide grip pull down, and seated rows.

I haven't been doing pull ups, but I can start, I have no way to weight them and I am close to 200lbs so adding weight will drop my reps to 5 or less!

What can I do to make my lats GROW! I need some size.

Here is the pic

Ever try the assisted pull up machine? I know it's but it allows you to touch your chest to the bar on every rep. I read this in a Vince Gironda book. I lead w/this exercise on my back day, 5x10, for six months, increasing when I could. Made the largest difference in my width appearance from the front, followed assisted pull ups w/bb rows...

 

[Lestat]

thanks for all the advice.

there is no assisted pull up machine at my gym.

I will incorporate bent over barbell rows and pull ups.

Thanks again.

 

[Silvertide]

I agree with what everyone said. Make sure you're hitting your BB rows as close to parallel as possible, and also make sure you're using the full range of motion of your pullups. Specifically, your clavicle or chest should touch the bar on every rep, and you should lower yourself in a slow, controlled manner. I see a lot of people cheating on these.

 

[H_T_]

hit those single arm db rows, too.

 

[artrius]

I haven't been doing pull ups, but I can start, I have no way to weight them and I am close to 200lbs so adding weight will drop my reps to 5 or less!

What can I do to make my lats GROW! I need some size.

Do your pullups!!!! DO THEM NOW!!!!

Seriously, I wasn't growing for shit with my lats until I started doing them. Ditch the pulldowns (or at least make them a secondary exercise) and do 'em!!!

 

[Madcow2]

I'll also add that rowing should be done dynamically which means the bar should be accelerated into the body. This doesn't mean jerking it from the starting position (whether that be from the floor for each rep is up to you), this means a smooth acceleration curve where maximal force is being applied. Force is not maximized if you maintain a constant pace. Think about a rower and an oar in the water, he puts the oar in the water than then pulls back smoothly accelerating the oar, he does not just get it moving and then limit his output to keep it moving at a constant rate. Obviously this has applications to many lifts and power output for athletics but the back seems to respond to dynamic pulling like nothing else.

 

[seizer]

If you do the pullups and rows as everyone has suggested you will see some good results within a month if you start increasing calories. Dont be afraid to gain a little fat...I know how hard you've worked for those abs, but trust me, I nice big back is gonna make those abs look even better in the long run (so dont skimp out on food).

 

[Lestat]

If you do the pullups and rows as everyone has suggested you will see some good results within a month if you start increasing calories. Dont be afraid to gain a little fat...I know how hard you've worked for those abs, but trust me, I nice big back is gonna make those abs look even better in the long run (so dont skimp out on food).

thanks man

and thanks EVERYONE.

I did 3 sets of pull ups tonight.. 8-10 reps each.

did bent over bb rows too, but only with 115lbs

 

[Ozz2001]

Do your pullups!!!! DO THEM NOW!!!!

Seriously, I wasn't growing for shit with my lats until I started doing them. Ditch the pulldowns (or at least make them a secondary exercise) and do 'em!!!

Pull ups are king if your looking to get a wide V back...The wider you put your hands out the better...Add dumbell rows for mass! But the pullups when you get were you can do like sets of 8 or 10 you will see be walking around with your arms on your side anymore..Just make sure you do them at least 3 days after you do bicepts or you will wish you didnt! GL

 

[thelion2005]

Sent you a PM.
Basics, basics.

 

[Lestat]

thanks thelion for the PM

thanks for the advice ozz

 

[ass_face]

Your Back will not grow if you are doing pussy ass cable shit or smith machine shit.

Here is a full Proof Back Routine:

4 Sets of weighted Chin Ups. I used 40-60 pounds
4 sets of weighted wide pull-ups... 30-40 pounds
4 sets of Bent Rows
4 sets of Deadlifts

Compound Movements and movements where your body travels through space are the key to all muscle growth.

 

[Lestat]

Your Back will not grow if you are doing pussy ass cable shit or smith machine shit.

Here is a full Proof Back Routine:

4 Sets of weighted Chin Ups. I used 40-60 pounds
4 sets of weighted wide pull-ups... 30-40 pounds
4 sets of Bent Rows
4 sets of Deadlifts

Compound Movements and movements where your body travels through space are the key to all muscle growth.

I'll be doing all of these shortly

 

[Mandinka2]

I do not know why exactly it is but my back responds best to heavy cable rows (currently 105kg single arm - no dbs that high in my gym) and weighted pullups - at the moment this is exactly what Im using on 5 x 5 version and they are growing like they have not in quite a while.

 

[ass_face]

I do not know why exactly it is but my back responds best to heavy cable rows (currently 105kg single arm - no dbs that high in my gym) and weighted pullups - at the moment this is exactly what Im using on 5 x 5 version and they are growing like they have not in quite a while.

I like these too as a finisher. I like getting a nice stretch on the eccentric and then a sick as flex on the concentric. I really don't load the weight on these... it is more for the stretch and flex aspect.

 

[JKurz1]

deads or not???

 

[Island Son]

I'd stick to rows and pullups on different days if you can, watch for overtraining cause the recovery time will be longer than you imagine. Practice stretching the hamstrings daily until you can hit parallel and don't worry about the weight, start light and check the form. Speaking from recent experience, after a month of acclimatization the weight you can do will jump from week to week. Final effectiveness.... I'll let you know in another month.
and I feel ya on the single-arm rows, they're very fatiguing for the return you get. For me, anyway. And I did them regularly for a couple of years.