Back Width

[Budk024]

Just like the title says Im having a lot of trouble adding width to my back. If anyone has some good back workouts please let me know.

[audis4]

weighted pull ups

rows

deadlifts, my fav. exercise ever!

[taiboxa]

weighted pull ups

Best ever for width

[STRONGMAN91]

To increase upper Lat width, should i just do heavy Lat Pulldowns and rows??? thats what i've been doing but is it the right thing to do?

[audis4]

yes, and weighted pull ups

[STRONGMAN91]

alright, thanks for that

[HolyBlade]

you can do Rack Chins too ,those are great
also ,T bar rows did wonders for me
there are some great hammer strength machines for rows ,but nothing beats the old school bent over rows and pull ups.

[Budk024]

Thanks I appreciate all the input. One other question, what is the optimal range for weighted pull ups. My back is not that strong so would it be better to stick with a little higher reps w/o weight or just go low reps w/ light weight?

[GCgainer]

When i do my weighted pullups i will do my first set with body weight(not to failure) then I go up in weight till I can only do about six reps. This makes me stronger and seems to help my width....ya and bent rows and deads are a must

[TCEL300]

i did weighted dips for a while...i did some rack chins...those r serious,...i am on the DC program right now...rack chins had me sore like never before

[Sir Lifts-a-lot]

I think chins are a lot better for your back development then pull downs. Personally the yeild a lot better results.

I am interested in rack chins but not 100% clear on what they are. Are those when you set your feet on a bench and are on an angle type thingy-ma-bober?

[Budk024]

Hey thanks for all the input. I did some deadlift drop sets a friend told me to try and I can barely move today but its a good feeling.

[TCEL300]

rack chins http://youtube.com/watch?v=vM-b4qOOWsE

[BuiltForThis]

Wow! Never seen that done before. Looks like it will work great and if done with a wide grip should contribute toward building a wide back.

[MFT81]

Wow! Never seen that done before. Looks like it will work great and if done with a wide grip should contribute toward building a wide back.

A wide grip dose not constitute a wide back. Lets try this experement right now. Put your arms up over your head with a "wide" grip and do a pulldown. Make a mental note of when you feel a contraction. For most people thats at about the mid point of the pulldown. Now lets do a pulldown with a rev grip and arms straight over head. (Notice how your lats already feel stretched out.) Pulldown and notice how its a full contraction from start to finish and the contraction continues all the way from the back of your arms/armpit area to the lower back.

Now all the ideas mentioned above were great ideas for Lat width. But more importantly if we dont feel the back working width and depth will never happen. So dont get the cart before the horse. Feel the back working first THEN take those princepals and find which exercises work for you.

[green22]

deads and rows work good for me. Im not much for pull-ups but they are a good movement too.

[Sir Lifts-a-lot]

rack chins http://youtube.com/watch?v=vM-b4qOOWsE

Thanks! I remember now. I did those when I tried the DC Method in 2003 I think.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Medium grip pull ups are the best for building back width. Second would be close grip pull-ups/pulldowns with palms facing one another. Bent arm pullovers would be third on my list..

[Sir Lifts-a-lot]

So on Saturday I did the rack chins and I haven't had lats this sore in years!!!

They feel great and I can't wait to add weight next time I hit them.

See that, even after four years and hundreds of posts you learn something new, or atleast remembered something.