back training

**rangers97** · 09-Mar-05, 11:28 AM

anyone else feel that their back workouts are their "worst" workouts? What I mean is, it seems every other bodypart I feel it get very sore for like 2 days after training, but my back never gets this way. Now I realize soreness isn;t an indication of anything productive, but I was just curious to see if others had the same problems with back...

almost as if it is so difficult to totally isolate your back muscles since your biceps do a lot of the pulling for you, so your actual back muscles dont get the same degree of soreness as other muscles...

anyone?

09-Mar-05, 11:53 AM

armorforsleep uses the following tips and has made some good gains in his back recently (sorry dude, had to beat you to it! lol Hey, it is great when things work to add mass.)

Back is really tough muscle to work -- can't see it, hard to connect mentally with it. Some tips to keep the bicep involvement to a minimum:

* Use a false grip (thumbless)
* Use lifting straps
* Pretend your hands are "hooks"
* Don't squeeze the bar
* On all pulldowns and chins keep your elbows back
* Use less weight in order to train yourself to really feel the muscle work
* If you get DOMS everywhere but your back then you know your technique is wrong for that body part

Khaine · 09-Mar-05, 02:34 PM

Well, the only part of my back I get any soreness in are my lats..... Incidentally, they are also the part of my back that is having the least progress..... I don't really think there's much connection between DOMS and growth.....

For tips, all the ideas IronMan mentioned are great, especially the ones concerning the grip..... Keep your thumbs out of the picture and just make hooks of your hands and you should work your back more thoroughly......

Also, just to get the technique right, pinch your shoulderblades inwards at the top of the motion (for rowing exercises) and hold it there for a sec, so you can get an idea of how the lower trapezius feels when it's getting worked..... FEEL the weight in the correct muscle.....

09-Mar-05, 09:06 PM

I didn't intend to infer that DOMS equals growth, simply that DOMS is a fair indicator that you hit the target muscle during your workout.

Vas85 · 09-Mar-05, 11:26 PM

Rangers, try this for a back routine, using moderately heavy weights that you are comfortable with and show good form, yet hit it hard and heavy.

Chinups (Thumbless Grip)
-1x10
-1x8
-1x7
Pullups
-1x8
-1x7
Chinups (again Thumbless Grip)
-1x8(10if possible)

Then hit Barbell Rows (moderately heavy weight increasing on each set)
2x10
2x8

Then hit with Deadlifts (as above increasing on each set)
1x10
3x8
1x6

That is my back routine, as of currently (i do trap work on bicep day)

I do this routine and the following day i get serious DOMS (post3-4days i can feel it), along with nice noticable gains over the period of doing my back work this way.

yorkie85 · 10-Mar-05, 06:04 AM

I got severe DOMS in my lats the first time I did unassisted pull-ups. And this week I got DOMS in my lower back after doing stiff-leg deadlifts (obviously not stiff enough lol).

**Jaster** · 10-Mar-05, 06:54 AM

You know what I just got hooked on?

One arm pull downs!!! They can kick your butt!!!
Instead of the long bar use the "D" grab it with one hand. Keep your body straight. Don't let the shoulder on the side you are working dip and pull you in. Keep your shoulders squar this is key. Then switch sides. This hits my lats better then the long bar!! And you get a better ROM too.

**maverick** · 10-Mar-05, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IronMan

* Use a false grip (thumbless)
* Pretend your hands are "hooks"
* Don't squeeze the bar

Awesome advice man. I used it last night and my bentover rows felt way better, I could really feel it hitting my back. I had been holding back adding weight in that exercise because I felt like my form must have been bad cause I wasn't feeling it in my back as much as I thought I should be. Now I'm glad I did! My current weight kicked my ass last night and it felt great.

10-Mar-05, 11:35 AM

Coolio mav. Glad to hear it helped out!

**Gooseneck** · 10-Mar-05, 12:07 PM

You have to learn how to squeeze the back muscles while pulling. Sounds easy enough, but its really quite challenging and tough to be consistent with it. Maybe someone else can articulate this better, but its all the difference in the world in my routine.

armorforsleep · 10-Mar-05, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IronMan

armorforsleep uses the following tips and has made some good gains in his back recently (sorry dude, had to beat you to it! lol Hey, it is great when things work to add mass.)

bahhaha you know it

indeed, i think back is one of the most difficult parts to really get that mind muscle link with, but it is also the most important part to get link up. reason being it is just too easy to get your biceps doing most of the work. and this is what i had been doing for a long time. but soon as i learned how to really focus the lats doing the work (using the ironman post) i finally got some awesome growth

so id recommend lowering the weights a little, and REALLY focus on having your back to the work, squeezing itself in. if you dont get doms, perhaps lower the weights again to improve your mind muscle link, or try different exercises (pull ups and cable rows are my favorite, i can really feel my lats working on these. all row exercises as well to really put some meat on the upper back).

Vas85 · 10-Mar-05, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooseneck

You have to learn how to squeeze the back muscles while pulling. Sounds easy enough, but its really quite challenging and tough to be consistent with it. Maybe someone else can articulate this better, but its all the difference in the world in my routine.

Gooseneck, what i normally do before i start training the back or anybody part is just really try to flex it so that i can feel and make sure i know which bodypart i need to be feeling being worked during the workout, and its worked for me, i ages back used to have that same problem were "you train your back but can't feel it being worked"

CF-OC_gal · 10-Mar-05, 11:39 PM

I rarely get more than a little twinge in the back muscles the day after. It's also the bodypart that responds the best with strength and shape gains. I don't know if that is part of it.

My legs hurt with DOMS the most and they are my weakest muscle groups

Khaine · 11-Mar-05, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IronMan

I didn't intend to infer that DOMS equals growth, simply that DOMS is a fair indicator that you hit the target muscle during your workout.

Not to be an ass, but wouldn't hitting the target muscle being an indicator of a good workout......?

11-Mar-05, 05:20 PM

You are not being an ass, Khain. It is a valid statement as far as I can tell. It is almost a circular argument, isn't it?

I know that until I started getting DOMS in my mid back and lats, my growth in that particular muscle group was limited. My rear delts and biceps were getting the brunt of the workload. Brat seems to be opposite of that. Everyone is an individual.

I usually look for one of three indicators to gauge a workout:

DOMS the following day or so
The lactic acid burn on higher rep sets
A deep seated muscular fatigue post workout