Basic exercises for the back muscles. Back training: an effective complex

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Back training always stands out in any bodybuilder's program. After all, it is a huge layer of muscles and the central link involved in all exercises. A developed wide back is not only beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, since a strong and strong back will allow you to progress for a long time in almost all exercises.

Back training or how to pump up wide back

The topic of the article is how to pump up a wide back. It is from it that you will learn how to properly build your back workout, which exercises for the back muscles are effective, what to pay attention to and how to protect yourself from injuries.

Introduction: how to pump up your back muscles

The back muscles are the largest muscle group in the upper body (second in the entire body, after the legs). Precisely, because of their size and strength, the back muscles are capable of performing heavy and large work, and they love it.

If you want to pump up your back muscles, then discard all sorts of things like pumping, drop sets and the like. Heavy with heavy working weights - that's what you need, and nothing more.

The range of repetitions in back training for mass should be 4-6 in basic movements. It is this range that will allow you to lift heavy weights, and you will finally feel how your back muscles ache after training. If you add any simple single-joint exercises, perform up to 8 repetitions, maintaining general principle– heavy working weight.

All this will not work if you perform exercises with disgusting technique. Firstly, it is simply traumatic, and secondly, it is ineffective (the load is usually spread over the entire body, and you pull the weight just for the sake of stretching, and not in order to work out the muscle group - there will be no growth).

The extreme repetition should be hard, but with perfect form. The weight doesn't work - quit!

Stay true to the principle of load progression when training your back (about progression and other factors for successful muscle growth). Increase the working weights, do 1-2 repetitions more than in the previous workout, rest less between sets, but increase the load from workout to workout.

Don't tear yourself apart in one place. If the weight doesn't work, quit. Once you injure your back, you will cancel out all subsequent workouts while your injury is recovering. And this can be a very long time. We only did 3 reps today instead of 6, and that’s fine. Next time you will do more. This approach is the least traumatic and will preserve progression.

The back muscles are paired muscles that wrap around the back of our body. Conventionally, the back muscles can be divided into two groups:

Domestic– rhomboid, teres major, adductor scapula muscles and others. They are located deep under the outer ones and, with proper development, push out the outer ones, creating thickness and depth of the back.

External– latissimus muscles, trapezius muscle, serratus muscles, back extensor muscles. These muscles are on the surface, which means you should pay attention to them first.

When they talk about the development of the back muscles, firstly, they mean the development of the latissimus muscles. These are the largest muscles on the back. They form the desired V-shaped silhouette. Therefore, priority in back training should be on exercises that primarily develop the lats.

For effective training latissimus muscles, it is necessary to understand the functions they perform in our body. The main functions are to bring upper limbs to the bottom of the case from the front, top and side. To put it simply, it’s a craving for oneself. It is the deadlifts that should become the basis of lat training.

The most natural, functional and physiological, and also wildly effective exercise for training the back muscles and specifically the latissimus are pull-ups. Throw away light pull-ups and pullovers on machines and focus on heavy pull-ups.

Secondly, the trapezius muscle is responsible for the volume of the upper back. It is located in the middle part. Due to the attachment points in the neck and shoulder joints the developed trapezium forms characteristic tubercles on the sides of the neck.

The function of the trapezius muscle is to bring the shoulder blades towards each other, lifting them up and down. Indirectly, the trapezius works in many back exercises, because... There is constant movement of the shoulder blades and their reduction. The most suitable exercise for developing the trapezius is shrugs (straight and inclined).

Two oblong muscles that stretch from the bottom of the back to the top along the spine are the extensors of the back (long muscles of the back). Their function is simple and consists of bending and unbending the body forward and backward.

Don't forget about your back extensors. Developed extensors lay the most powerful basis for back stability in many exercises and allow long-term progress.

The most effective exercise for back extensors is deadlift. Without question, this is the best exercise for working out the entire body, including legs, back, and arms. You will wildly pump up the thickness and depth of your back, strengthen the ligamentous apparatus, because the working weights are the heaviest in the deadlift. The only disadvantage of deadlifts is that by doing them you will not make your back wide (for many this will be a revelation).

And finally, the serratus muscles, which connect to the oblique abdominal muscles. Thanks to the small layer subcutaneous fat(), developed serratus muscles create an additional plus for a person’s athletic appearance.

The most effective for training them are varieties of pullovers and diagonal abdominal crunches. However, you shouldn’t worry too much about training them. They will grow following the main mass of the back.

Exercises for back muscles

Before you figure out which exercises for the back muscles are better and which are worse, determine your priority muscle groups. Almost no one does this. Decide what you want? A narrow waist and wide upper back or a powerful, strong and deeply worked back. Based on this, you need to select appropriate exercises.

The most effective exercises for the development of trapezius muscles: shrugs with dumbbells or with a barbell

The most effective exercises for back extensors: deadlift is the one and only one. There is nothing better than it (no amount of hyperextension or bending over with a barbell on your shoulders will come close).

An important point that is constantly repeated on the pages of this blog is that in any In back exercises, your back should be straight, and the lower back bent. This position, with the pelvis abducted and the chest pushed forward, ensures, firstly, the safety of the lower back, and secondly, in this position the back muscles contract correctly and most fully.

It is worth saying that in all back exercises the biceps work. If not correct execution, it takes up most of the load, and since is a small muscle compared to the back, it fatigues quickly, limiting your progress.

That is why the priority becomes the technique of performing exercises, during which they work to the maximum target muscles, and biceps is off. This is achieved by correct movement mechanics, a good brain-muscle connection, when you consciously know how to cut what is needed.

If after training your back, your biceps hurt the next day, then you still have room to grow technically. Improve your technique constantly, don’t throw it away, work on every little detail to such an extent that the body automatically performs necessary movements and reductions.

Learn the exercise technique at home without weights (or use improvised means that imitate a barbell or dumbbells), practice the movements slowly and at full amplitude. This approach gives real results, because strengthens the neuromuscular connection.

Pull-ups

To analyze the best exercise for the latissimus dorsi (what can I say, the entire back, including its width and depth), I urge you to read the article “”.

Briefly her conclusions:

• The grip is wide enough to turn off the biceps and force the lats to work.
• Grip the bar straight with all five fingers on top.
• Pull yourself up to your chest, so you load the entire triangle of your back.
• Don't think about your arms, your task is to move your elbows back behind your body.

This is a lightweight version of pull-ups (learn the vertical block row technique). If you are a beginner, then this is a worthy exercise option (since you can take a weight less than your own), which will teach you, with the right approach, to contract the necessary muscles and provide a good foundation for the future. However, if you can perform at least 5 technically correct pull-ups, then you do not need the vertical pull-down.

A professional athlete can also benefit from the vertical pull-down. First, use this exercise in various super series or drop sets to increase the intensity of the training. Secondly, using vertical block rows to deeply work individual muscle segments. This exercise allows you to tilt your body back more than in pull-ups, which means you can work your lower lats higher.

Pay attention to the technique of pulling the vertical block, because... There are several non-trivial points that few people pay attention to.

• The projectile cable must move strictly vertically at any point in the amplitude.
• The cable should seem to enter the chest at the lowest point and descend along the spine.
• The elbow points and the cable should move in the same plane (down). It is unacceptable to move your elbows back or forward. The elbows are brought down behind the body, due to its deflection in the thoracic region.

Bent-over barbell row

Learn the technique of performing bent-over barbell rows. Pay attention to such little things as the grip (its width and orientation - forward, reverse), the tilt of the body (the closer to the horizontal, the better the back muscles work, but the greater the negative load on the lower back), the trajectory of the barbell (pull along the legs to the very bottom abdomen) and elbows (elbows are placed behind the body).

May be a more effective exercise for the back muscles than bent over rows. The mechanics of the movement are preserved, however, the T-bar rowing machine allows you to unload many stabilizer muscles, which means increasing the working weights.

Just God forbid that you train on inclined or horizontal sunbeds - the sunbeds themselves, firstly, limit the amplitude of movement, and secondly, learning to contract the back muscles in this position is very difficult (due to the inability to arch your back). Conclusion: perform T bar rows only while standing!

Bent-over one-arm dumbbell row

Due to the fact that the exercise is one-sided, it is simpler and easier to perform. In addition, the amplitude of execution also increases due to the absence of a barbell in the middle of the body. It becomes possible to bring the dumbbell far behind the body at the top point and stretch the lats as much as possible at the bottom. For a technical understanding of how to perform a one-arm bent over dumbbell row, check out.

Horizontal block thrust

The exercise targets the middle and lower back by pulling the cable toward the lower abdomen. However, if you take a wide handle and pull it towards your chest, the exercise will stimulate and top part backs. Read more.

• Select the optimal cable extension length, because... If you sit far away, it will be difficult for you to maintain a straight back position.
• At the lowest point, stretch your back muscles by moving your body forward.
• At the top point, the back is perpendicular to the floor. It is unacceptable to tilt the body back.

Shrug translated from English is a shrug of the shoulders. This is the exercise that makes our shoulder blades move. The trapezius muscle is precisely responsible for such movements, which means shrugs are a favorable exercise for developing the volume of the trapezius.

Shrugs can be performed by affecting the trapezius in different ways to fully stimulate it. You can pull the weight by lifting your shoulder blades up. Or perform bent over shrugs, in which the shoulder blades will be brought together.

This exercise can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell. With a barbell it is more convenient to progress in weights. It is more convenient to hold dumbbells on the sides. An alternative could be a simulator that imitates the handles of dumbbells, on which you can increase the weights using plates.

Shrugs are an exercise for more experienced athletes. For beginners, pull-ups, deadlifts and various types horizontal rods, in all these exercises the trapezoid also works great.

Don’t make the stupid mistake of many gym goers who perform shrugs by rotating their shoulders for some reason. This is a direct path to injury, because... the load on the shoulder joint increases, and the trapezius is anatomically not adapted to perform such complex movements, and even with heavy weight.

Deadlift

Read other blog articles.

Among all the variety of splits, training the back and shoulders on the same day is the best way to show that the athlete has long ceased to be an inexperienced beginner. Only advanced athletes generally think about such combinations for splits, although pros have been using this combination in their training for a long time. And the most important thing is that you do not shift the focus to any one muscle group, since in all exercises they work separately (for comparison, for example, in an arms + shoulders split, there is a high probability that you will hammer the arm muscles while already training the deltoids , and you won’t be able to do your best in specialized exercises).

If you've started to hit a plateau, are no longer seeing impressive and consistent growth, and want to change something in your program, training your back and shoulders on the same day is something that is guaranteed to blast both muscle groups. It remains to consider how to do this as correctly as possible, and this is what this article will be devoted to.

Is it effective to train your back and shoulders in one day?

Any mediocre trainer will immediately tell you that training the back and shoulders is incompatible and these muscle groups need to be worked on different days. And after that it will immediately become clear that this is an ordinary amateur who is unlikely to have sufficient knowledge. Moreover, professional athletes will laugh at such statements.

Therefore, the answer is clear - with the right approach, this combination can give many advantages even to those who have been training in the gym for years. It is important to understand that the “right approach” is a key term, so in the following sections we will look at it in as much detail as possible. The combination of working out the back and shoulders is based on two principles:

• Alternations;
• Consolidation of stress.

The first point is more difficult and for proper training You will need to think through microcycles wisely. It is most often used in cases where one muscle group is trained in a normal mode (mainly the back), and the other in a static-dynamic mode. This training is aimed at developing different types of muscle fibers. It is practiced only by professional and advanced athletes who at least understand the basics of physiology.

The second principle involves combining shoulder training with back muscles to achieve an effect called stress consolidation. In fact, this is the reverse analogue of the usual training of antagonist muscles. With this type of training, the rear and middle deltas are usually included in the “back day,” and the anterior delta is worked together with the chest. Such a split has its advantages, but they appear only in cases of competent organization of recovery. This is the main requirement for this scheme to work.

In general, no one said that chest/back training is more effective than back/shoulders or other types of similar splits. The only difference is that the first option is more widespread, and they use it not because it is the best, but because it is popular.

It is not always necessary to accept all the advice of the pros 100%; their training is a completely different universe, which not every amateur can “try on.” However, if you want to pump up your back and pump it up on the same day as your shoulders, maximizing the impact of training, then you can’t do without advice from a pro. What do athletes who have enviable champion shoulders advise?

It is quite obvious that the main resource - energy - will not be enough to work all the muscles during training, so you have to correctly weigh priorities and build a work order in the gym. If your training program includes your back and shoulders on the same day, then try to do no more than 1-2 basic exercises for the deltoids, as well as one isolating movement for each beam. The back can be trained as usual, but without hardcore, by doing the most basic “basic”.

After Professor Seluyanov popularized static dynamics, and a number of professional athletes proved its effectiveness in practice, the technique began to be used everywhere. Moreover, it is ideal for the shoulders, providing incredible results with almost zero risk of injury. Professionals recommend combining static-dynamic training for the shoulders and classic back training in this split.

Even when pros train and combine back and shoulder splits, their training technique is far from ideal. What then can we expect from ordinary gym goers, for whom professional athletes are an example? As a result, the concept correct technique distorted according to the “damaged phone” principle. And if the pros hardly suffer from this, then for amateurs it can be disastrous. At a minimum, the most popular consequence is lack of growth. Therefore, try to treat the technique as delicately as possible and put it several steps higher on the scale of priorities than any other criteria (weight, number of repetitions, approaches, etc.), especially when working on the shoulders.

If for back exercises the question of amplitude is absolute and there is only one option (full amplitude), then with the shoulders everything is not so simple. Modern programs, especially in splits where shoulders and back are worked, most often include only static-dynamic work in an incomplete amplitude.

Tip #5 – exclude the use of back muscles when training your shoulders

It is important to understand that if you have fully trained your back, when subsequently working on your deltoids you need to eliminate it as much as possible. To do this, try to use exercises where you can fix the body and avoid movements where you need to maintain balance yourself. For example, when doing bent-over dumbbell raises on the rear delts, it is better to stand not on the floor, but to sit in a machine or on a bench, limiting the work of the back and inertia. The same applies to lifting dumbbells in front of you.

Difficult is not always good, and shoulder training clearly confirms this principle. Look at professional athletes, they don't use fancy exercises that 1 in 10 people can do correctly. For the back, most often there are rows (inclined, horizontal, vertical, with a barbell, with dumbbells, etc.) and strict pull-ups. For the shoulders - swings (to the sides, in front of you, in a tilt on the deltoids), as well as presses with dumbbells or in a machine.

In general, such a split with the right approach will have some advantages. Muscle growth is greater, the load on the spine is less (considering that the shoulders swing in a static-dynamic mode). All that remains is to properly organize your rest and nutrition in order to observe incredible muscle growth.

When you combine back and shoulder exercises in one workout, it is very important to choose the right ratio. Otherwise, one muscle group will always lag behind. When planning each workout in a cycle, you need to take into account the athlete's experience and ability to focus the load on specific muscles when performing exercises.

It is also worth considering that for beginners and experienced athletes the number of approaches and repetitions performed will be different. When pumping up your back, you can use serious weights, but it is important to remember that in many deadlifts the rear deltoids take an active part and to properly work out this head, it will be enough to do one exercise. Now let's look at the most popular examples that will be an excellent starting program for athletes.

For newbies

If your coach says that static dynamics is a method for advanced athletes that is not suitable for beginners, then you can safely look for another, more experienced trainer. If the back requires a powerful “base” in full amplitude, then the shoulders require the opposite. Stato-dynamic exercises for the shoulders, after training the back, do not have a harmful effect on the shoulder joints. You can use them to their full potential without risk of injury.

It is important to consider that if you compare the programs of pros and beginners, the difference will be in the number of workouts per week. While pros can easily do 2 sessions a week, working on their shoulders and back in one day, beginners will always have -1 workout. Firstly, this is the only way to invest in a three-day weekly split, and secondly, such a regime will protect against overtraining.

If we consider a specific example for beginners, we can highlight one of the split options.

For the latissimus muscles:

• Upper pulley to chest – 3*12, 10, 8;
• Bent-over barbell/dumbbell row – 3*12, 10, 8;
• Lever rod – 3*12, 10, 8;
• Horizontal block thrust – 3*12, 10, 8.

If you are given pull-ups on a bar, you can alternate them with vertical block traction by week.

For the lower back:

• Hyperextension – 3*15, 12, 10.

Shoulders (all in partial range) – each exercise is performed in a session of 3 sets of 40-45 seconds under load (rest 35-45 seconds).

• Seated dumbbell press (or in a machine);
• Raising arms to the sides in the simulator;
• Swing dumbbells in front of you.

It is important to note that given the abundance of pulling movements, in this split average delta is worked out before the back and front beams.

For professionals

For advanced athletes and pros, one workout per week will no longer be enough. Firstly, it will be difficult to work out all the muscles in one workout, and secondly, if this is possible, it will only be due to overtraining, which will not be beneficial. Therefore, it is best to train your shoulders and back in one day, using a program for two sessions per week. This will allow you to either combine stato-dynamic work on the shoulders with classical training of fast muscle fibers, or intelligently divide the load on each delta bundle.

If we take an example of a program that combines effective exercises for the back and static-dynamics for the shoulders, we can highlight the following complex.

• Pull-ups with extra weight (alternate with Gironda pull-ups) – 4*12, 10, 8, 6;
• Wide grip lat pull-down – 4*12, 10, 8, 8;
• Bent-over barbell/dumbbell row – 4*12, 10, 8, 6;
• T-bar row - 4*10, 10, 8, 8;
• Good Morning – 3*10, 8, 6;
• Hyperextension or reverse hyperextension 4*15, 12, 10, 8.

Shoulders (stato-dynamics, in each exercise a session of 4 approaches is performed for 40-45 seconds of load, followed by 30-40 seconds of rest):

• Shoulder press in the simulator;
• Bent over arms extension (with the chest resting on the back on the bench);
• Lifting a dumbbell in front of you while sitting;
• Swing to the sides while standing (in incomplete amplitude).

It is very important to ensure that the swing technique is correct. Every centimeter of movement must be controlled. Stato-dynamics does not tolerate any inertia; the main task is not only to work in partial amplitude, but also to constantly focus the load on the working muscle. According to this principle, it is necessary to perform all exercises on the shoulders when creating a split with the back.

The club of athletes who sweat in the gym but don't think about muscle growth outside the training room is growing every year. Its members can be easily identified by their almost complete lack of progress. Nevertheless, avoiding such a fate is quite simple; the main thing is to understand that progress is three components, not one. Beginners focus on one component and get a well-deserved 33% of the result. About what components we're talking about? The answer is obvious:

• Workout;
• Nutrition;
• Rest and recovery.

Remove one item and your progression is guaranteed to decrease; remove two – it will hardly be noticeable, no matter how hard you try. What can help you go beyond the standard 100% by improving every aspect? And again the answer is obvious - sports nutrition. Supplements are not a substitute, they are not even necessary, but they will significantly improve the results of your efforts and multiply them.

If we talk about the main supplements that need to be provided first, it is worth highlighting:

• Protein;
• Creatine;
• Vitamin and mineral complexes.

BCAA can also be partly included in the list if you care about the quality of your muscles and do cardio/morning jogging.

To maximize productivity in the gym, you should choose a training complex. This is a proven and effective way to get the most out of every trip to the gym. You can also consider taking beta-alanine separately; in complex supplements, its dosage is always below the required level. This will help you train even longer and stronger by buffering lactic acid (which is especially important during static-dynamic training).

The so-called “sleep supplements” (GABA and others) are ideal for recovery - supplements that improve sleep and speed up recovery. By supplementing them with omega-3 fatty acids, you can maximize physical and mental recovery.

Summary

You can see what you can expect from a set of exercises that simultaneously works the deltoids and back in 3-5 weeks. Even if the reflection in the mirror does not amaze you with huge peak deltoids and bulging lats, then at least you will be able to see progress in increasing strength and endurance. When working in static-dynamic mode, your shoulders will burn with fire even with light weights, which will certainly very quickly affect the total renewal of your entire wardrobe - your deltoids will be very cramped in old clothes. But all this will be subject to proper training and compliance with all recommendations.

Training the back muscles is extremely important for the formation of an athletic figure, since the back muscles are the largest muscle group in the body. In fact, it is the developed latissimus muscles that make the athlete’s physique powerful and courageous, while pumped-up trapezius gives the body a massive and V-shaped body.

Back training program

The program below strength training for developing the back muscles is based on combining exercises to develop both the latissimus and trapezius muscles, as well as performing exercises to strengthen the lower back. However, it is important to remember that it is recommended to train your back no more than twice a week (otherwise you risk overtraining).

1. Barbell row OR dumbbell row - 2 sets of 5-7 reps
2. Shrugs with dumbbells or with a barbell - 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions
3. Lat rows OR pull-ups - 2 sets of 5-7 reps
4. Reverse flyes on the block - 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions
5. Hyperextensions OR “Flying Superman” - 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

The best back exercises

The exercise is one of the five basic exercises for gaining muscle mass. During execution, the body is tilted at 45 degrees to the horizontal, the back is straight, the abs are tense, the knees are slightly bent. At the top of the movement, the elbows should go as high as possible.
. Beginners are recommended to start doing pull-ups with a variation that involves a narrow position of the arms and parallel placement of the palms - this will simplify and facilitate the exercise by shifting part of the load from the latissimus muscles to the biceps and triceps muscles.
Reverse dilutions on the block. This exercise will not only warm up the back muscles and prepare them for work, but also improve the connection between the muscles and the brain. The weight should be average, the execution speed should be slow. When moving the blocks apart, the shoulder blades are brought together as much as possible.
It is important to remember what causes more harm than good. The weight in the exercise should be average, the range of motion should be maximum. Additional movements of the shoulders (abductions and others) are not recommended.
Hyperextension. Exercising on a fit ball will allow you to focus on the isolated involvement of the extensor muscles in the work, and will also prevent unnatural arching of the back - typical mistake new to a regular hyperextension machine.
"Flying Superman" Along with is the most important static exercise. Develops the internal stabilizing muscles of the spine and strengthens the lower back, which is important when performing deadlifts and other basic exercises.

How to train your back correctly?

To train your back for mass, you must follow the basic rules. First of all, it is important to learn how to do two or three correctly basic exercises on your back, and then increase the weight on these exercises weekly, performing low repetitions and paying increased attention to proper form.

The greatest effect for increasing back muscle mass will be achieved by integrating the above training program into the exercise program, performed twice a week - that is, joint training back muscles with shoulder and chest muscles. On “back day,” advanced athletes are allowed to train their biceps and triceps.

Secrets of training your back muscles

Separately, it is necessary to mention that the greater the amplitude of movement of the shoulder blades and the more strongly they move and move apart in different planes during the exercise, the more effect it will give, ensuring maximum involvement of the back muscles in the work. The width of the grip, although important, is entirely secondary.

Remember also that you must first learn to feel (this will allow you to perform strength exercises precisely due to the muscles of the back, and not the arms), and only then increase the working weight of the training. Excessive use heavy weight prevents beginners from learning to feel their back and prevents it from growing properly.

Lower back exercises

Another problem of back training is strengthening the lower back muscles, which most trainees do not pay due attention to. However, a weak lower back will not only prevent you from performing correct barbell rows, but will also cause chronic pain in various parts of the spine and lower back.

Flying Superman and hyperextensions exercises should definitely be part of your back training program, entering the final cool-down block. These exercises, just like the exercise, are aimed at developing the static internal muscles of the core. But remember, when doing similar exercises technique is much more important than the number of repetitions.

***

The back muscles are the largest muscle group in the body, responsible for the formation of an athletic silhouette. With proper training, the back is one of the most responsive muscle groups to growth. The best exercises for the back muscles are rows in various variations. Pull-ups and lat pull-downs develop the upper back, while barbell rows develop the middle.

While studying in gym, men pay special attention to back training, since a harmonious athlete’s silhouette is impossible without well-developed latissimus muscles. If girls primarily train their leg muscles, and this is logical, then a man’s priority should be training the latissimus dorsi muscle. A wide back helps hide body imperfections. Such as wide waist, narrow Men are always attracted to back training. Every beginner wants to know how to build a wide back.

The structure of the back muscles

To understand how a weight training program for the back is designed, you need to understand the structure of its muscles and their functions. divided into deep and superficial.

The first type includes:

• transverse spinalis muscles, the function of which is to stabilize the spine, they consist of the rotator muscles, multifidus and semispinalis;
• extensor muscles perform the function of moving the spine; consist of the iliocostal, longissimus and spinous;
• diamond-shaped, trapezoidal and, contribute to the movement of the shoulder girdle.

The second type includes:

• the latissimus muscle, the function of which is to stretch the arm back and down;
• square, responsible for lateral bending.

Which muscles should you pay attention to?

For beginners, it's the upper body workout that worries them. Everyone wants to know how to build a wide back.

The shape of this part of the body, its width can be changed by pumping the latissimus muscles, or, as athletes say, the wings. Enlarging this area creates the V-shaped figure that athletes strive for.

Also, a beautiful torso is formed due to This muscle group is divided into 3 regions: top, middle and bottom. Particular attention is paid to the top - the area between the shoulders and neck.

Training the back extensors allows you to create a hollow spine, and this creates the effect of a muscular back. In addition, extensors help you lift heavier weights while pumping up other parts of your body.

• Pull-ups.

By changing the grip width, you can work different areas of the back. The wider the grip, the more the lats are activated. When performing exercises, you need to pull with your back and turn off your biceps, and do not pull your shoulders towards your ears.

If you have little weight and it’s easy for you to pull yourself up, then you need to use additional weight - a belt with weights or dumbbells, you can also use weights with sand.

If, on the contrary, you cannot pull up your own weight, then you can perform the exercise on the “Graviton” simulator, where a load is placed that serves as a counterweight.

• Deadlift.

To perform this exercise, you need to have pumped up abs and back extensors, which will help avoid injuries.

To begin the exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and slowly lower the barbell down in one line without leaning your body forward. The bar should slide along the knees along the same path.

• Bent-over barbell row.

Position - feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent at an angle of 45 degrees, spine in a straight line. The barbell should be pulled towards the stomach so that it slides over the thighs.

Technique for performing isolated exercises

Isolation exercises help strengthen muscles at the end of the workout and engage fibers that are not affected by basic exercises.

• One-arm dumbbell row.

Rest your left leg and left hand on the bench, your back parallel to the floor, in right hand take a dumbbell and begin to pull with your back, bending your elbow. There is no need to turn your back at the top point.

• T-machine rows.

The principle of execution is the same as in the barbell row. This exercise includes back mass training if there are any injuries.

• Pull from the upper block.

A good alternative to pull-ups. Sit on a bench, grab the handle with a wide grip and pull down with your back, your arms should be relaxed.

• Pull from the lower block.

Sit on a bench, keep your back straight and begin to pull the machine, bringing your shoulder blades together.

• Hyperextension.

We lie down on a bench, the pelvis is on the pillow, lower the body down without rounding the back, raise the top until the back is in line with the legs.

Back muscle training program for mass

Depending on the training goals, a specific program is selected. By including/excluding certain exercises, you can change the load on the muscles.

All men are interested in how to pump up their back. The training program is varied.

This complex will help pump up all parts of the back and consists of 4 training options that will need to be alternated.

It's important to do 5 minutes of cardio before starting your warm-up exercises, and also do a couple of warm-up sets without weights.

Back workout

exercise	approaches	repetitions
first, fifth weeks
pull-ups	4	max
superset: rows from the upper and lower blocks	4	10
Bent-over barbell row	4	10
second, sixth weeks
superset: lat pulldown + pull-ups	4	10 and 15
pull from the lower block	3	max
reverse thrust	4	10, 10, 8, 6
one-arm lat pulldown	3	10
third, seventh weeks
pull-ups	4	max, 10, 8.8
traction from the upper block	3	10
Bent-over barbell row	4	8, 6, 6, 5
pull down from the lower block with hands alternately	4	15
fourth, eighth week
triset: pull-ups + rows from the upper + lower blocks	3	10 each
traction from the upper block	3	12
reverse thrust	3	max

Sports nutrition for training

Training for back mass is quite labor-intensive and requires significant energy expenditure, so it is rational to use supplements to increase endurance and the speed of recovery of the body.

To grow muscle mass, you can use gainer, protein and creatine, for recovery - glutamine, to protect muscles from breakdown - BCAA. All this will contribute to the speedy achievement of the goal.

Our consultants will tell you which sports nutrition company is best to choose. Today there are a lot of manufacturers, each of which adds some zest to their product.

Particular attention should be paid to nutrition, since a lack of nutrients will not allow your muscles to grow. You need to eat the required amount of protein and carbohydrates per kg of body daily. If you create a deficiency of any component, but train hard, you will not achieve results. Muscles grow with the proper amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Protein is the main source of food for muscles; it is found in chicken breasts, eggs, and cottage cheese.

We'll talk about which back exercises in the gym are the most effective! And so often, gym goers have the habit of working out only those areas that are visible in the mirror. As a rule, these are breast and shoulder muscles, biceps, abs.

But paying attention to your back is essential, not only to ensure symmetry between the front and back of your body, but also to improve your overall health.

A weak muscle corset can lead to poor posture and also provoke acute pain, especially with increasing loads on the upper shoulder girdle.

Every person should know their correct weight! Therefore, we have created a special calculator that shows what weight a person is considered normal and what is considered excessive. .

What back muscles need to be worked regularly? The best back exercises in the gym

Doing back exercises in the gym is essential for developing a perfect V-shaped torso. After all, the signs of an ideal male figure are broad shoulders, a sculpted chest and a narrow waist. In order to achieve this effect, it is recommended to regularly work out the following spinal muscles:

• lats;
• diamond-shaped;
• trapezoidal;
• straightening the spine;
• oblique.

The exercises below can be combined into a single training complex, to which you need to devote at least two sessions per month. But it makes more sense to add one exercise at a time to your regular training plans.

Deadlift

It's technical difficult exercise will help work the entire posterior muscle group (from the calves to the shoulders). The effectiveness of the workout is determined by the fact that when performed correctly, 75% of the muscle mass is involved, including the latissimus and trapezius muscles backs.

It is very important to monitor the technique, because any mistakes can lead to serious complications, including hernia and pinched spinal nerves.

It is necessary to start working with a barbell with a minimum weight, not forgetting about weightlifting belt. For one workout, it will be enough to perform 3 sets of 6 repetitions. After several sessions, you can increase the weight, but the number of approaches should remain the same.

Bent-over barbell row (forward and reverse grip)

When done correctly, Weight Limit it will be possible to take it much faster, without fear of development large quantity health complications. Depending on the initial physical training, you can lift the barbell:

• direct grip (in this case, the trapezius muscles are mainly loaded);
• reverse grip (the bar is picked up from underneath, as a result of which the latissimus muscles are worked).

Attention! Lifting a barbell on an incline puts a lot of stress on the lower back, so it’s best to do the exercise at the very beginning of your workout. It is not recommended to perform bent-over barbell lifts in combination with classic deadlifts.

Wide grip pull-ups

Many athletes have heard that pull-ups directly affect the development of the back. Indeed, pull-ups are one of the the best ways develop the upper shoulder girdle and back in general.

But only pull-ups performed with a wide grip will allow you to maximally work the latissimus muscles. Pull-ups are suitable even for beginners, because it is quite difficult to make mistakes in doing them. In very rare cases, pain in the shoulder joints may occur.

But ultimately, you need to learn how to perform 82 pull-ups for 5 repetitions. There is no point in increasing the load further, as this will lead to wear and tear on the shoulder joints. If the standard number of pull-ups has been mastered, then you can add weights, but do not increase the number of approaches.

Before each approach to the horizontal bar, it is necessary to warm up the shoulder joints. And pull-ups themselves are an excellent warm-up before performing deadlifts.

Exercise: T-Bar Row

Pulling the T-bar to your chest is one of the classical exercises, which is great for those who can’t take heavy weight while lifting the barbell in an inclined position.

Due to the fact that the machine allows you to focus on your stomach and hips, the spine is not loaded. This means that the athlete will be able to do more repetitions and lift more weight. You can lift the T-bar:

• neutral grip (palms facing each other);
• narrow grip (palms brought together as much as possible);
• wide grip (handles spread to the sides, palms “looking” down).

The wider the grip, the better the muscle corset will be worked out. With a neutral grip, maximum attention is paid to rhomboid muscles, and with a narrow one, the biceps are additionally pumped.

The exercise is performed at the end of the workout, according to the system of “failure” repetitions. This means that you need to lift the T-bar as many times as you can, and after characteristic symptoms appear, add 2-3 more repetitions.

If there is no special simulator in the gym, then you can lift a regular fixed barbell, with a counterweight on the working side. In this case, it is important to ensure that your legs are bent at the knees and your abs are as tense as possible. Otherwise, you will do squats and bends with weights, which will not affect the development of your back in any way.

Lower block rows with direct and reverse grip

This exercise will allow you to pump up even the most small muscles backs. The advantage of the lower pull-down is that even women, as well as people with a minimal level of physical fitness, can perform it. The load is adjusted by increasing the weight, as well as changing the grip width of the simulator lever.

With classic traction of the lower block (straight neutral grip) the latissimus muscles are worked. If you perform the exercise with a wide handle, the load will be transferred to rather specific areas of the trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

It is better to perform the lat pulldown immediately after the deadlift. It is enough to perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions. It is very important to control the pace and spend at least four seconds holding the handle of the machine to your chest, and the same amount resting between repetitions.

If the exercise seems too easy, then it is recommended to complicate it not only by increasing the weight, but also by changing the grip. By performing lat pulldowns with a reverse grip, you can work almost all areas of the back and biceps. TO reverse grip often athletes who have already “taken” the maximum weight when performing classical traction lower block.

Upper block pull

The lat pulldown is also considered one of the easiest and relatively safest workouts for back development. The simulator will be a solution for those people who have not yet mastered wide-grip pull-ups.

Due to the possibility of increasing the load, lat pulldowns are also suitable for those who have already achieved the standard 82 repetitions and want to develop further.

A narrow and neutral grip activates the biceps and groups of muscle fibers that are located closer to the center of the back. And here wide grip will allow you to work all areas of the latissimus muscles. Work with top block Great for building muscle mass.

This exercise is an excellent warm-up for the shoulder joints. It is enough to perform three sets of 12 repetitions. But if an athlete uses maximum weight, then it is better to work with the simulator after pre-warming the muscles and doing classic pull-ups.

One-arm dumbbell row

This exercise allows you to work both sides of your back while controlling the weight on your working and non-working arm. The range of motion also increases significantly. If, when performing a deadlift, the bar rises only to the level of the abs, then when working with dumbbells, you can bring your elbow beyond shoulder level.

In this case, almost all the muscles of the upper back are involved. By resting your non-working hand on the bench, the risk of incorrect work with dumbbells is significantly reduced. The torso is easy to control and fatigue does not set in as quickly, allowing you to perform more repetitions.

One-arm dumbbell lifts are usually done mid-workout. It is enough to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Hyperextension

Hyperextension refers to very light exercise, therefore suitable for women and beginners. It is quite difficult to make lifting the body more difficult, so the number of approaches can be determined using the “to failure” method. Athletes often perform hyperextensions during breaks between basic sets. The technique is quite simple:

1. Fix your legs so that your hips lie completely on the bench with an inclination angle of 45 degrees;
2. Cross your arms over your chest;
3. Raise your back completely straight until your body is perpendicular to the floor;
4. Slowly take the starting position.

You can also perform hyperextension from a classic bench or on a Roman chair.

Back recovery after training

If the entire training was devoted to the development of the back, you need to pay attention to the high-quality restoration of the body.

Firstly, it is necessary to avoid any load on the latissimus muscles, otherwise the risk of injury will increase several times. Secondly, it is advisable to visit a massage therapist who will help prevent the development of painful symptoms.

You can also drink potassium and do a few back stretching exercises (for example, pull your knees to your chest, or try to reach your feet with your palms from a sitting position).

We recommend reading an article on the topic - how to pump up your back muscles. In it you will find additional exercises and a completely different approach to pumping up your back muscles, as well as various tips for strengthening your back.

So, did you like this article? We will be very glad to hear your opinion in the comments! Well, see you soon in new releases.