Best Exercises for Back and Shoulders...

[aaronmartell]

Im going to the gym in about an hour...What are you best/favorite exercises for back and shoulders?
Also, i NEED to start working on my traps- they r horrible and dont compliment my growing chest and shoulders...what are THE best exercises for this?
Aaron
PS...im overdoing chest and am starting to slouch forward...what are some back "straightening" exercises to pull my shoulders back so im not slouched?

[zackmurphy]

Just DOING back work will help the slouching issue, as would properly stretching the delts and pecs, serratus anterior.

"What exercises do you do" just gets you a jumble of 800 different routines that aren't necessarily worth a damn for you.

What do you do now? What do YOU do for back and delts?

[$AJ]

Just DOING back work will help the slouching issue, as would properly stretching the delts and pecs, serratus anterior.

"What exercises do you do" just gets you a jumble of 800 different routines that aren't necessarily worth a damn for you.

What do you do now? What do YOU do for back and delts?

^^^

[IronMike]

Just DOING back work will help the slouching issue, as would properly stretching the delts and pecs, serratus anterior.

"What exercises do you do" just gets you a jumble of 800 different routines that aren't necessarily worth a damn for you.

What do you do now? What do YOU do for back and delts?

^^^

[$AJ]

^^^

exxxcelent

[IronMike]

exxxcelent

^^^

[$AJ]

^^^

^^^
www.canadianwhey.com
hehehe

[aaronmartell]

SHoulders:
1) warm up with weighted jump rope and elastic bands
2) Middle Delts: "shoulder flies" i guess you call them (on the machine)...i do about 5-6 sets with increasing weight (for each one i go until i cant do another rep)
3) Rear Delts: either bent over shoulder flies or stand up shoulder flies (parallel to the ground- same as bent over but upright i guess)
4) front delts: military press
5) another exercise to hit the middle delts

**transitition into back workout**
6) machine lat pull down with elbows out (to hit rear delts/upper back)
7) lat pulldown (straight down)
8) seated row

[IronMike]

^^^
www.canadianwhey.com
hehehe

BAN!

[$AJ]

problems

-doing laterals and whatnot before heavy backwork

-doing pulldowns instead of rack chins, chins/pullups

-cable rows instead of bent over barbell rows

-no 'pulling' motion like deadlift or rack pulls.

[aaronmartell]

wtf is up with ^^^ and ban??
get to the questions already

[$AJ]

BAN!

lol

[deowal]

Bent rows
Deads
Cleans
anything overhead


and barrel/sandbag shouldering if you're into something a bit more rugged

[aaronmartell]

what do you mean problems...thats what i SHOULD be doing or SHOULDNT be doing?

[zackmurphy]

SHoulders:
1) warm up with weighted jump rope and elastic bands
2) Middle Delts: "shoulder flies" i guess you call them (on the machine)...i do about 5-6 sets with increasing weight (for each one i go until i cant do another rep)
3) Rear Delts: either bent over shoulder flies or stand up shoulder flies (parallel to the ground- same as bent over but upright i guess)
4) front delts: military press
5) another exercise to hit the middle delts

**transitition into back workout**
6) machine lat pull down with elbows out (to hit rear delts/upper back)
7) lat pulldown (straight down)
8) seated row

1) if it's a warm up, then whatever. Doesn't matter what your warm up is. Mnay guys like to warm up with an actual move, just lighter weight, but up to you.
2) Lateral raises on a machine? Fine if you like them, but don't go to failure every time, let alone on your first exercise of the day. Go near failure, not TO it.
3) rear raises are fine
4) fine
5) if you feel you need it, sure, but you already have 3 good movements. Make those count and do them well, and you don't need #5
6) if #7 is also a pull down, then #6 doesn't need to be. How about bent over BB rows or pull UPS or something more free weight.
7) fine
8) fine

What kind of reps/sets on all those? Not all to failure, I hope.

[$AJ]

btw, this is what i'd do

-put militiary pressing and latearls w/ chest/tricep day

-on back stick w/ back work like


3set chin
2set rack pull
2set bent over bb row
2set rack chins

or something similar.

[Stagger]

Deadlifts and bent-over rows will take care of your posture muscles.

Although the real key to good posture isn't any exercise or anything, it's just forcing yourself to have good posture. You can work your back all you want, but if you want good posture just stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, and keep your head high.

[SavesTheMuscle]

I do back on Pull day, and Shoulders on Push day.

For Back I do something like..

Deadlifts 4 x 4-6
Hammer Chins 4 x 4-6
Bent Over Rows 3 x 10-12
Bent Over Row 1 x 15-20

For shoulders emphasis I do something: (just did this today and had best shoulder w/o in forever)

DB Shoulder Press 4 x 4-6 (elbows out)*
Hammer Strength "Behind Neck Press" 4 x 4-6
Bent Over Laterals 3 x 10-12
Side Laterals 1 x 15-20

...of course there's other muscles in between , but this is what I do for back/shoulders and love it.

You could also add in chins instead of a bent over row (IMHO, Chins > Pullups)

*I was a really big advocate of elbows in for MP/DB SP but today they felt 20 times better then any MP i've ever done.