Upper Back?

[worldknown]

Hey bros i have a question for you, can anyone reccomend a good excercise for the upper back, for some reason i have never gotten it sore, i guess i am doign the wrong excercises or the wrong form!! Anyone hve an suggestions for what i should do for my upper back? Img oing to try hte bent over barbell rows next time. Thanks guys

[Aboot]

Bent over barbell rows. The key is to pull to your sternum, not your waist. This will trigger your upper back, as opposed to your lats.

[Juice a go-go]

Agree with Aboot you will the burn doing this exercise not just the fatigue

[RoNNy THe BuLL]

Tonnes of exercises brotha.

Wide grip upright rows
Rope-Cable Pulls (sit like you're doing cable rows, but use the Rope extension instead and pull the cable apart as you pull it towards your chin)
Rack Deadlifts
Bent Over Rows
Machine Over-Hand Grip Rows
Behind The Neck Presses/Pull Downs
Straight Arm Chainsaw Rows
Incline Lateral Raises
Incline Chainsaw Rows

[worldknown]

hey some of these i really dont know what the hell they are so how would i get an idea of say what a chainsaw row is? Thanks im going to try out the rest that i know of. pz out

[Fame]

Hey bros i have a question for you, can anyone reccomend a good excercise for the upper back, for some reason i have never gotten it sore, i guess i am doign the wrong excercises or the wrong form!! Anyone hve an suggestions for what i should do for my upper back? Img oing to try hte bent over barbell rows next time. Thanks guys

soreness is not a sign of muscle growth...

Weighted Pullups/Chins
Bent over bbrows

as long as your diet is in check your back will grow, but dont go by 'soreness'

[kc]

Chainsaw row? Feels like something i do..can you explain what it is? I already do lawnmowers...hehe, i feel i should add chainsaws too

[singern]

hey some of these i really dont know what the hell they are so how would i get an idea of say what a chainsaw row is? Thanks im going to try out the rest that i know of. pz out

Follow the link to get a detailed graphic explanation of each exercise.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

[Warrior]

Ummmm... no personal stats - but if thats you in your avatar you don't look like you need a lot of complex supporting movements... especially from machines. IMHO - what you need more than anything is good heavy free weight movements. If you up your calories and work in a good routine of Deadlifts (get a good squeeze in the traps at the top range), Bent Barbell Rows and strict Dumbell Rows - the thickness will come...

But I know doing Deads with a good squeeze with the traps, in the top position tears the hell out of my upper back... as far as Bent Barbell Rows, make sure you are not standing up as the load gets more difficult to do (it's a natural tendency)... keep yourself bent over and pulling up to your abdomen...

[goodtobeapimp]

Ummmm... no personal stats - but if thats you in your avatar you don't look like you need a lot of complex supporting movements... especially from machines. IMHO - what you need more than anything is good heavy free weight movements. If you up your calories and work in a good routine of Deadlifts (get a good squeeze in the traps at the top range), Bent Barbell Rows and strict Dumbell Rows - the thickness will come...

But I know doing Deads with a good squeeze with the traps, in the top position tears the hell out of my upper back... as far as Bent Barbell Rows, make sure you are not standing up as the load gets more difficult to do (it's a natural tendency)... keep yourself bent over and pulling up to your abdomen...

Well said. May I also add that although it may seem totally off the wall,but most people I know that do a lot of heavy bench pressing seem to have very thick backs. Of course some of them that seems all they do but it seems to hold very true.

For mass i'd never stray away from barbells and dumbells. Machines are nice and look pretty but imo there is always a better option at least for mass.

[Fame]

Well said. May I also add that although it may seem totally off the wall,but most people I know that do a lot of heavy bench pressing seem to have very thick backs. Of course some of them that seems all they do but it seems to hold very true..

their backs are not a result of heavy bench pressing Its more likely that if they are doing heavy bench, then they were also doing heavy back workouts lol

[goodtobeapimp]

their backs are not a result of heavy bench pressing Its more likely that if they are doing heavy bench, then they were also doing heavy back workouts lol

Not at all... One of the most impresive natural backs ive ever seen was built without doing any type of back work other then lat pulldowns. I'm a big fan of those and barbell rows but not everyone uses them.You really dont think you use your back at all when you bench? I must say ive never seen someone with an impressive chest and not have at least a decent back.

Most powerlifters who are thick as hell concentrate on just the heavy basics..Some even more basic then others. Many only doing lat pulldowns for a back workout. After they have done either deadlifting or bench pressing. Mass is put on by heavy weights and diet, not by isolation. Thats just an opinion.

[Fame]

Not at all... One of the most impresive natural backs ive ever seen was built without doing any type of back work. You really dont think you use your back at all when you bench? I must say ive never seen someone with an impressive chest and not have at least a decent back.

Most powerlifters who are thick as hell concentrate on just the heavy basics..Some even more basic then others. Many only doing lat pulldowns for a back workout. After they have done either deadlifting or bench pressing. Mass is put on by heavy weights and diet, not by isolation. Thats just an opinion.

there is no denying that people that put up big weight on bench usually have big backs...but its NOT from benching. If they are 'big' and 'strong' one would hope they are intelligent enough to incorporate that intensity in all forms of their training. yes you can get some back exercise in on a bench, but not enough to get big. If your saying that they do 'pulldowns and deadlifts' and thats NOT whats building their back?? Deadlifting is a back workout, and MUCH more of a backworkout then benching. IF your arueging that you can get a massive chest, as well as back, only doing bench press, then you are sadly mistaken my friend.

I'd hope that people wouldnt only have a massive chest and no back...that would mean they only train chest...but if someone has a strong chest, and putting up mass weight, they are most likely training back as well..

I cant really go into your powerlifting arguement, but if you want to say that the staples of strength/mass training are Squats Deadlifts Pullups and Bench, i'd agree, but i'd also say that Squats and Deadlifts are going to have more inpact on overall growth than bench pressing....

[goodtobeapimp]

[QUOTE=Fame] there is no denying that people that put up big weight on bench usually have big backs...but its NOT from benching. If they are 'big' and 'strong' one would hope they are intelligent enough to incorporate that intensity in all forms of their training. yes you can get some back exercise in on a bench, but not enough to get big. If your saying that they do 'pulldowns and deadlifts' and thats NOT whats building their back?? Deadlifting is a back workout, and MUCH more of a backworkout then benching. IF your arueging that you can get a massive chest, as well as back, only doing bench press, then you are sadly mistaken my friend.

QUOTE]

I'll be more then happy to post the pics when i get them...Bench only ...if you read my post about 2 months ago about a guy that bench presses only and has unreal upper body,then i will show you.. There is no arguement as far as no it doesnt build ur back like specifically targeted exercises. Yes MOST powerlifters use all three lifts,but there are quite a few people that fall in love with the bench press and never leave it. I agree it is stupid to only train one exercise,but you would be amazed at what it can do to some people.

In all honesty if i was going to pick one exericse to gain overall it would have to be the deadlift,but how many people have you seen only do deadlifts compared to only bench pressing? Grant it the guys i know that have huge upper bodies and do no back work whatsoever nor do they train legs have 400+bench presses,but that still is only that single lift in itself. Ive seen their workouts.. Set after set after set...more then what normal people do...

[brian11]

haha, 400lbs and dont workout their legs. So they look like a brick walking around on pine straw? I love seeing those guys at the gym..haha

-B-

[Warrior]

An antagonist will get some of the load... but a lot is determined on tempo IMO. Other than Chest/Back... think Bicep/Tricep or Quad/Ham... they all work together in some way... but each needs it's own designated movements. But as far as the antagonist sharing the load... when you do a bicep curl your tricep lengthens... then when you do a controlled return to the starting point... the tricep contracts... right? As long as the tempo is controlled/slow - the antagonist will come into play as the body is going to work at its greatest effeciency this way. But if you just drop the weight, then the antagonist doesn't really have the opportunity to hold the load... but it will contract when you stop and reverse the direction...

I know Charles Poliquin is written on this and sets up his German Volume Training using antagonistic bodyparts... I'll see if I can find more...

[Warrior]

Bryan Haycock: Carolan (Carolan, 1992) showed a decrease in antagonist co-activation of the lex extensors with training. On the other hand, increases in co-activation have been seen in longitudinal studies comparing explosive trained athletes to non-explosive trained athletes (Osternig 1986, Barrata 1988). These somewhat contradictory results may reflect the possibility that co-activation alterations are very specific in nature and depend on things such as contraction velocity, range of motion, and training specific effects.<-- Basically how much the antagonist is recruited depends on the tempo...

[Hypertrophy]

The antagonist will be somewhat activated depending on the factors Warrior listed, but I do not beleive it will provide the stimilus for growth to occur.

[Hypertrophy]

Worldknown, I would suggest to you a good book. "Strength Training Anatomy"
I think this would help you understand some basics and things.
Check it out, might be on the web

[needmorestrength]

Hey bud something I found was the bent over rows with a palms up grip really hits the upper part of the back.. and you can get a good squeeze.. But palms down is great too.. Also you can use dumbells , I have found they are great from mid-to upper with a nice squeeze.. they are ackward at first but great once you get them dialed in....Another thing I like as a nice shock is super setting Hammer strength close grip pulldowns with t-bar rows.. what ever you do .. do it hard and intense.. no more then 40 seconds rest and remember that mind to muscle connection for back.. pull with your elbows and always squeeze...

[Quake]

Palms up grip bent over rows was supposedly one of Dorian Yates' secrets for his back, and we all know about Dorians back!

[Warrior]

Personally - palms up recruit too much on the biceps... almost strictly a bicep movement in my book... you are basically just doing a curl... I like elbows out and palms down...

[MrDezel]

Tbar rows work great for me bent overs too.

Tbars are great to me since I have been doing them for **** near four years and I have one of the thickest backs around.

[MrDezel]

I dont mean thickest back here (I wish) I meant thickest back out of all the dudes I work out with.

[Warrior]

Tbar rows work great for me bent overs too.

Tbars are great to me since I have been doing them for **** near four years and I have one of the thickest backs around.

T-Bar rows are great... if you don't have the equipment you can make your own with a Barbell and a sturdy foot. Pivet one end of the barbell in a corner, load plates on the opposite end, use the Close-Grip (the one typically used on machine pulls) to strattle the bar, and then have a buddy keep a foot on the other end while you pull. Making sure someone is holding down the other end is mandatory - espeically when going over 3-4 plates... gettin' wacked in the nuts by the other end coming out of the corner can put you out for awhile...

[DBarcelo]

T-Bar rows.
Bent over dumbell rows.
Chin-ups (palms out, wide grip).
Lat pull-downs.