Please Critique My Back

[canadianlifter]

HI everyone,

Its been quite a while since I've visited the boards here, but I've been working out steady still for 8 years now.
I am 38 yrs old, 5'10" and currently 185 lbs. My bodyfat is probably alot higher than I would like it to be right now.

I lift usually 4 days a week
Mon--chest/biceps
Wed--Back/triceps
Fri -- Legs/shoulders
Abs are usually done every other day.

I know I need to cut a little fat but wanted to get opinions on how my back looks. I always feel it is lagging behind for some reason. My typical back workout would be : Pulldowns or chins--4 sets of 6 to 10
Low rows --4 sets of 6-10
Shrugs -- 4 sets of 10
dumbell rows 3 sets of 6 to 10
back extensions 3 sets of 10

I am interested in any other suggestions and her are a couple of pics to see.

[Baldsnake]

Scrape the snow off your lens...eh.

[canadianlifter]

No snow here yet--soon enough though don't remind me.

[ChocoChick]

Originally Posted by canadianlifter

Pulldowns or chins--4 sets of 6 to 10
Low rows --4 sets of 6-10
Shrugs -- 4 sets of 10
dumbell rows 3 sets of 6 to 10
back extensions 3 sets of 10

Do you vary your grip on the chins, i.e., cycle among pronated, supinated and hammer? If not, do.

Is back extension a hyperextension or the machine? I prefer the hyper.

I would add straight arm pushdowns, barbell bent rows and deadlifts.

[canadianlifter]

Yes i do tend to alternate my grip. The back extension is a hyper extension. I will take note on the straight arm push downs too--thanks.

[ChocoChick]

The pronated grip is the one that will hit your lats the most. The biceps are recruited a lot in a supinated grip (and your biceps look very well developed from what I can see).

Why don't you do deadlifts? These are king, imo.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by canadianlifter

HI everyone,

Its been quite a while since I've visited the boards here, but I've been working out steady still for 8 years now.
I am 38 yrs old, 5'10" and currently 185 lbs. My bodyfat is probably alot higher than I would like it to be right now.

I lift usually 4 days a week
Mon--chest/biceps
Wed--Back/triceps
Fri -- Legs/shoulders
Abs are usually done every other day.

I know I need to cut a little fat but wanted to get opinions on how my back looks. I always feel it is lagging behind for some reason. My typical back workout would be : Pulldowns or chins--4 sets of 6 to 10
Low rows --4 sets of 6-10
Shrugs -- 4 sets of 10
dumbell rows 3 sets of 6 to 10
back extensions 3 sets of 10

I am interested in any other suggestions and her are a couple of pics to see.

Your back looks ok, but you need to pull your shoulder blades out.

The low rows and db rows will build your lats/lower traps. But back width is not just lat size.

Add wide grip chins to your back day.

EVERYDAY if possible, do wide grip (as wide as you can stand) "hangs" from a chin bar. This is a stretching exercise, not a "muscle" exercise.

Hang for time. Use straps if necessary.

This WORKS. You will find that you will do a front double biceps in the mirror, and one day your lats are just "there"-they pop out.

One can have a wide back with crappy lats, or a (relatively) narrow back with big lats (Larry Scott). You need both.

Wide back, small lats:

see the attachment

[Mr. Someday]

I love the stretching that Defiant mentioned.....I use straps and hang with a large dumbell strapped to me....try and hold for 90 seonds....never make it.

As far as you back goes, just about what I expected given your stats before I opened the pic. Back isn't just about width.....it is also about thickness. Your back really lacks thickness. Deadlifts, rack deads, bent over rows and t-bar rows would help tremendously. And those movements should be done with heavy weight, low reps/volume. Deads will also make your rear delts and traps pop out if you include them at the top of the movement, which greatly improves the look of your physiqyue from the back.

[canadianlifter]

I will definaltely try the hanging stretch---as well as incorporate some deadlifts into my back routine.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by canadianlifter

I will definaltely try the hanging stretch---as well as incorporate some deadlifts into my back routine.

Remember, the more you do the stretch, the better it works.

[boatman]

deadlift

[DarinK]

Originally Posted by Defiant1

EVERYDAY if possible, do wide grip (as wide as you can stand) "hangs" from a chin bar. This is a stretching exercise, not a "muscle" exercise.

Hang for time. Use straps if necessary.

Defiant, could you go into more detail about the benefit of "hangs"? I do them to develop a strong grip for Jujitsu, I can hang with one hand for about 30 seconds. I never knew it was helping my back development also.

[jsquire]

Yes I agree if you want a sweet back deadies get you there! Hangs are great but deadies are almost a staple!

[Forge3]

Your prime movements will be chins, rows and deads. The variations are fairly flexible but no more than two for each movement, alternated each workout. Definitely stretch, your whole body for that matter, in order to boost local and systemic recovery.

Make sure to add a rep or two or add a little iron to each movement every workout. Sleep well, eat well and you'll likely get to the point you are looking for.

[jmc53]

I agree with most of the others. For 8 years training I'd expect to see more thickness, and there's nothing like deadlifts to get it.

[Baldsnake]

Now I can see your pics....snow melted (could have been on my end). I too like the stretch...thought I had kept it a secret. I like hanging a 45 on my belt/chain and doing close grips....chin, long hang in the down position, chin...etc.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by dkf10425

Defiant, could you go into more detail about the benefit of "hangs"? I do them to develop a strong grip for Jujitsu, I can hang with one hand for about 30 seconds. I never knew it was helping my back development also.

In order to display back width, the shoulder blades need to be flexible and mobile. Check out the original post with the picture attached. The person shown displays a wide back, but really doesn't have lat development to speak of.

edit* here is the picture I was talking about:

Wide back, small lats

The shoulder blades need to be pulled out from the body. It is not really "lat" stretching, as lat stretching is best accomplished with a narrow grip.

For this, you want to use the widest grip possible.

I recommend the use of straps. You DON'T want grip to be the limiting factor. This is about pulling the shoulder blades out to the max.

A few years ago (Baldsnake probably remembers this) there was a great article in Muscle Mag International about this. Negrita Jayde was featured in the article, and showed how she transformed her back width.

Another exercise that works for this, is/are WIDE GRIP DEADLIFTS, gripping the lip of the plates (WIDE grip lol). These pull so hard on the back structure, there is no doubt they work once you do a couple.

[DarinK]

Defiant, thanks again, reps.

[Baldsnake]

Defiant.....I have that issue somewhere here in the Snake den. I think of a lat spread and now weights/chains/hanging/stretching....how about my teenage hero Steve Reeves as Hercules??

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by Baldsnake

Defiant.....I have that issue somewhere here in the Snake den. I think of a lat spread and now weights/chains/hanging/stretching....how about my teenage hero Steve Reeves as Hercules??

That'll work too lol.




Bob Kennedy had some photos of guys with extreme scapular mobility but lousy lats.

By the luck of the draw, I have tight shoulder blades AND high lats.

Sort of related, Negrita Jaydes book "Supervixen" is about the BEST bodypart shape training book I have ever seen.. "Keys" and "Encyclopedia" plus Supervixen would eliminate the Exercise section of this site.

And she is pretty easy on the eyes too.

[IR45N]

[QUOTE
Shrugs -- 4 sets of 10
[/QUOTE]

Good stuff on the hanging wides and deads. One suggesting, using shrugs
here for traps, you could probably use a heavier weight each set and get your final reps down to the 4-6 range. Ten-twelve reps are fine for the first set, but progressive sets (imho) up the weight and decrease the reps but still use good form. Also on some lifts go for 3-4 sets @ x amt of wgts to failure rather than a fixed 10 reps

[egoatdoor]

You've got some good "lumpiness" in your center back, but you definitely need more width.

The back is very complex and doing width movements only is probably not the answer also. I also think everyone needs to deadlift. I suggest creating two separate back workouts and alternating them. One would emphasize width movements, the other thickness with one width movement thrown in.

For example:

#1: Chins, wide grip pulldowns, bent rows or T bar rows, one arm rows

#2: Deadlifts, seated cable rows, close grip pulldowns, hyperextensions

Do the hanging stretch at the end of each workout.

[canadianlifter]

Thanks for all your comments guys. I am always willing to learn and improve things. I recetnly had to take a couple months off due to a nagging shoulder injury again but I'm determined to get back where I was.