Back help

[sensaispike]

What do you guys think are the best exercises for back width, besides the latpull down and wide grip pull ups???

[timtim]

those 2 are the best in my opinion. i would watch how wide you go on the chins though. shoulder width grip allows you to get a full range of motion. focus on lowering all the way and stretching at the bottom on every rep.

hit deads hard, seated close and wide grip rows, db pullovers, vary your lat pulldown grip, heavy db rows and t-bar rows.

remember to hit the weights on all rep levels. high reps - 15 rep sets, moderate reps - 8 to 12, low reps - 5 - 6, and power sets of 3 reps. vary these ranges every workout and you'll be set. good luck. take advantage of the low power reps and go really heavy.

[Superhuman]

oh man, don't get me started on back - my favorite bodypart by far.

for width, do all your normal exercise but use a very wide grip. the wider the grip you use, the thicker you look from the front and back - the narrower the grip you use, the thicker you look from the side.

I will rate my top 5 back exercises for width

1. Bent-over rows - but you have to use very good form.
2. T-Bar rows are amazing, you have to really squeeze your lats at the end of each rep though.
3. Deadlifts - great for overall mass
4. Lat Pulldowns
5. Low Rows

Remember, if you're going for width from the front or back, use a wider grip.

[S.P.G]

JMO.... whats best for back width????? Genetics.

Its like saying preacher curls add height to the bicep, you cant change the shape of a muscle or your genetics, but you can make the muscle bigger by using midrange movements like deads, pull-ups ,rows, ect, ect,

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...ighlight=S.P.G

[Superhuman]

that's not necessarily true, I have been changing the way I hit my biceps because they start far away from my elbow - after about 6 months of training differently they start closer and look more full.

[Doc.Sust]

rows and deadlifts are the 2 best hands down

[PeteyK]

oh man, don't get me started on back - my favorite bodypart by far.

for width, do all your normal exercise but use a very wide grip. the wider the grip you use, the thicker you look from the front and back - the narrower the grip you use, the thicker you look from the side.

I will rate my top 5 back exercises for width

1. Bent-over rows - but you have to use very good form.
2. T-Bar rows are amazing, you have to really squeeze your lats at the end of each rep though.
3. Deadlifts - great for overall mass
4. Lat Pulldowns
5. Low Rows

Remember, if you're going for width from the front or back, use a wider grip.

HELL YEAH BENT OVER ROWS ARE THE SH*T!

[sensaispike]

superhuman: how did you change your arm routine, i have good bi's but they start far from my elbow as well.....

[Superhuman]

superhuman: how did you change your arm routine, i have good bi's but they start far from my elbow as well.....

i'll give you 2 things to start with, but you may already do them:

1. On every rep for any type of curls you do, make sure you curl all the way up (without moving your elbow of course), but the important thing is - flex your triceps @ the end of each rep. This ensures that you get the full range of motion all the way - which will be especially helpful in your case since you are like me with non-full (I know there is a word for it) biceps.

2. At the top of each rep for biceps (and for any muscle, really) pause, squeeze, and flex for at least on full second. This will help alot.

You may need to start doing a lighter weight, but perfect form is really more important.

Oh, and one more thing you could start doing is instead of standing barbell curls, do standing dumbell curls. Not alternating like everybody else does, but at the same time and with palms up. This will really help bring the peak out and the full extension (flexing the tricep like I said above) will really help with the fullness.

I hope that helps - there's a lot more that I have learned in my quest for fuller biceps, so let me know if what i just explained is old news to you.

[sensaispike]

yea i knew about flexing at the top, but i did not know about flexing your tri at the bottom

[timtim]

sensai...

you ever try tempo training? really helps bring up weak areas.

it can be done dozens of ways but you can try like a 3 second concentric (curl up), pause and squeeze for 2 seconds, and lower for 3, stretch at the bottom, and continue.

[sensaispike]

so that is the basis of tempo training? and this is good for building mass>>>, i could probably benifit from this in my weak areas, like calves and so forth????

[timtim]

calves require different training for the different muscle heads. the soleus doesnt respond the same as the gatroc. one is super heavy, intense sets for 10 to 12 (standing calf raises) and the other (seated) are long holds and very long sets. charles poliguin has a great routine for calves.

tempo training is for every muscle group, chest is awesome for this.

but yeah, pick a tempo and that is your routine for the day. very difficult if done right.

[valcon]

heavy deads and wide grip chins

[sensaispike]

timtim: i tryed this on arms today, my god did they burn..... i am looking forward to trying it on chest....

[timtim]

nice. works for all body parts especially chest, shoulders, bis, and tris. back is alittle harder but great during chin ups. good luck with it.

[Superhuman]

tim is right, when you really focus and go nice and slow with it, 20lbs will feel like 60lbs!