First Thread I Need Help!

[VonHolt13]

Hey everyone, as a former religious Weight Lifter/ MMA Amateur I have a pretty good grasp on how to train for whatever it is I am trying to accomplish, Be it Mass or Fat Loss. I've been out of the game for a while and I'm trying really hard to stay positive through the horror that is returning to gym as a big fat guy, but there is one body part I have never been able to work properly: My back. that's not to say I cant do cobras and get a good lower back workout, or do highpulls and work my traps just fine. What I'm talking about is mostly the lats and rhomboid areas, and sometimes my rear delt can lag behind as well, but not always. I've tried every trick in the book, using a false grip, using straps, pulling my shoulder blades together, holding the weight, slowly lowering the weight, taking the weight out to a nice seafood dinner, but I never get a consistent pump in my lats. Recently I was doing lat pulldowns and was able to get full on pump in my lats and I was very careful to note exactly how I managed it, but the next time I worked back and biceps it was no such luck, I got maybe 3 reps in of solid lat activation before my forearms start to get pumped and I couldn't hang on to the bar anymore. I've taken the weight down to try and take the stress off my forearms but I cant feel it in my back. I honestly don't know what to do lat pulldown and any form of row just seem to be forearm workouts for me and it stresses me out because I know that they are the best workouts for building a great back, ive looked at this website for as long as I can remember but ive never signed up until now, please help with anything you can, thank you.

[GeneralSerpant]

First off, congratulations for this being your first thread that you need help with.


You shouldn't really be feeling it in your forearms if you do supinated pull-ups, or at least you'll feel it least on that grip.

There are a lot of muscles in the back, and you pretty much have to be doing a workout that will eventually work most of it.

Erector Spinae,
Rhomboids,
Teres Major,
Lats,
Upper/Middle/Lower Traps
Obliques/hips will also help 'back development'.

[VonHolt13]

First off, congratulations for this being your first thread that you need help with.


You shouldn't really be feeling it in your forearms if you do supinated pull-ups, or at least you'll feel it least on that grip.

There are a lot of muscles in the back, and you pretty much have to be doing a workout that will eventually work most of it.

Erector Spinae,
Rhomboids,
Teres Major,
Lats,
Upper/Middle/Lower Traps
Obliques/hips will also help 'back development'.

well thank you, I meant it was my first post ever!

[Omnis Potens]

Welcome.

You shouldn't use DOMS as an indicator of muscle activation. For, the most part, lats are used for arm adduction and extension. The overhead pulling works. If anything, adding a lat exercise at the end of a chest/tri or leg day has no downside to any of your gains.

Also, give these a shot...

Use wide grip though...

[oldballs]

Are you not happy with your results? Your goal is bodybuilding right? I wouldn't worry much about a pump if you are achieving your goals. BTW I can't say I have ever felt a pump in my rhomboids.

[VonHolt13]

Welcome.

You shouldn't use DOMS as an indicator of muscle activation. For, the most part, lats are used for arm adduction and extension. The overhead pulling works. If anything, adding a lat exercise at the end of a chest/tri or leg day has no downside to any of your gains.

Also, give these a shot...

Use wide grip though...

thank you for responding im going to give that chin up grip pulldown a try now that I have a better grasp on lat activation

[VonHolt13]

Are you not happy with your results? Your goal is bodybuilding right? I wouldn't worry much about a pump if you are achieving your goals. BTW I can't say I have ever felt a pump in my rhomboids.

I am not happy with my results ive never had a wide back even at my fittest, "going through the motions" of the back exercises never helped