Upper-middle back...help

[halfaclue]

I'm going to make some adjustments in my HST routine..right now here is how it starts:
squats X 2
SLDL X 2
Pull ups X2
Bent Over row should width grip, over hand grip X1


I'm going to switch from pull ups to lat pulls this time around and I want to add an excercise that will help develop the lower traps and back btween the should blades. The width in my back and come up nicely but I'm still lacking size in the middle. Suggestions for excercises that will isolate that?

 

[casualbb]

Rows...? Try a row that comes down slightly from horizontal, so that you're pulling slightly from up to down as well as towards your body. Like 90% row, 10% pullup

 

[halfaclue]

Rows...? Try a row that comes down slightly from horizontal, so that you're pulling slightly from up to down as well as towards your body. Like 90% row, 10% pullup

Maybe use the seated row bar on the lat pull down and lean back so I'm almost lying down but not quite and pull in that way???

 

[casualbb]

Yeah, that might be good. Do a pulldown, but lean back to like 45 degrees

 

[wnt2bBeast]

deadlifts then more deadlifts followed by more deadlifts
personally i think pullups/chins are a better exercise than lat pulls..and yes i do lat pulls

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I agree that pullups/chinups are superior to pulldowns, but I can't get my back to contract while doing them, so I do pulldowns instead. Part of this is I'm not strong enough at my bodyweight to do 6-10 pullups, but it's also that they just don't seem to hit my back as well as pulldowns. Weird, but it works for me.

Oh ya, the upper middle back is also comprised of the trapezius too. Dumbell shrugs leaning over about 30 degrees will hit that area nicely too.

 

[bignate73]

row, row, row....to get your mid lower traps to grow, grow grow! just dont sacrafice shoulder blade movement for weight. many times it becomes a rounded back pull to the stomach...all arm, no back.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Ya, I've been working on the arch on my rows alot. I used to do them round back with one knee on the bench and wondered why I couldn't get them to contract the way I wanted to. Then instead of keeping my palm flat on the bench I raised up my hand onto the fingertips sorta and make sure to keep my ass down, chest and shoulders back. Now they cramp pretty good.

 

[halfaclue]

I'm almost 270lbs so I can not do many pull-ups so for the 15's and 10's of HST I have to do weight assisted and I think it is hindering my gains because of the way the weight moves..it almost excelerates towards the peak of contraction where that is where I want to be doing the most work. That is why I was going to switch to lat pulls...at least for a 6-8 weeks and then maybe i'll switch back. I try working in some row movements to help the middle back. Thanks guys.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

I'm almost 270lbs so I can not do many pull-ups so for the 15's and 10's of HST I have to do weight assisted and I think it is hindering my gains because of the way the weight moves..it almost excelerates towards the peak of contraction where that is where I want to be doing the most work. That is why I was going to switch to lat pulls...at least for a 6-8 weeks and then maybe i'll switch back. I try working in some row movements to help the middle back. Thanks guys.

dont let that stop you..nothing wrong with doing assisted pull/chins..unfortunately doing sets of 15 will do nothing to increase lat strength..i worked them low reps (5-6) on the assist until i could get to bw..treat it like anything else keep bumping the weight up each week..

like i said i dont think there is anything wrong with lat pulls (i do them myself) but if your limited with the number of exercises you can do i would rather do chins/pulls than lat pulls..just my 02..

 

[halfaclue]

I hear ya, its just the way our machine works, it seems to acclerate when you pull up. After my second HST routine I will be lighter from cutting a little with DNP so then when i go back to Pull ups I should be better off with my own weight.

 

[JKurz1]

deadlifts then more deadlifts followed by more deadlifts
personally i think pullups/chins are a better exercise than lat pulls..and yes i do lat pulls

Bro - we could ask you how to make your ears grow and you'd say deads and squats..............lol...................

 

[halfaclue]

Bro - we could ask you how to make your ears grow and you'd say deads and squats..............lol...................

That blows, no wonder I look like dumbo

 

[wnt2bBeast]

Bro - we could ask you how to make your ears grow and you'd say deads and squats..............lol...................

ive added a lot of mass to my ears lately..
but its true..weve already had this debate about how to get big arms and im not looking to rehash it but bottom line if your not quatting or pulling your limiting your overall growth..

 

[JKurz1]

ive added a lot of mass to my ears lately..
but its true..weve already had this debate about how to get big arms and im not looking to rehash it but bottom line if your not quatting or pulling your limiting your overall growth..

 

[halfaclue]

Rows...? Try a row that comes down slightly from horizontal, so that you're pulling slightly from up to down as well as towards your body. Like 90% row, 10% pullup

Thanks for the idea bro..this kicked ass..my back the next day felt like I found new muscles to rip open. I use the close grip seated row handle on the lat pull downs and leaned back like I was sitting on an incline bench..I felt it squeeze right between the shoulder blades where i needed it.

 

[Synpax]

Hiya,

Looks like you already got what you needed here, but my "advices" are different so I'll toss them in.

It sounds like you are looking for depth of lats. You are already doing deadlifts, but I don't see any shrugs. You may want to throw in a shrug after each DL, or do them seperatly like I do. I use DBs and do 2x10.

My entire back workout looks like this:
5x5 deads
3x5 weighted pullups (very wide overhand grip)
2x10 lat pull downs wide grip (behind head carefully)
2x10 cable rows (using the wide grip on the wide bar from the back lat)
2x10 db shrugs.

I also use my db shrugs in part as a static hold exercise although I could shrug more by using straps. You may want to use straps to shrug more without being bottle-necked by your grip strength.

Also, if you sort of crunch forward on lat pulldowns and pull it behind your head it will add thickness to your (inner) lats (in front of head adds width to your lats).

 

[JKurz1]

3x5 weighted pullups (very wide overhand grip)
2x10 lat pull downs wide grip (behind head carefully

My delt joints used to be incredibly strong before I started doing these.....never again.......chins, yeah, but my grip in much narrower........

 

[Synpax]

My delt joints used to be incredibly strong before I started doing these.....never again.......chins, yeah, but my grip in much narrower........

I think the problem happens when people lean too far forward that it puts the delts at an awkward angle. Most folks don't do them right anyway and my motion looks just like it's coming down in front but I crunch in and lower my head.