I love training the back and over the years I have narrowed my workout down to a few really effective exercises and routines. Here are the best exercises you can do if you want a GIANT back.
What exactly is the back?
This might seem like a stupid question but I really have to address it as I need to specify what muscles I am targeting with these exercises. If I don’t tell you I will get 10 emails tomorrow complaining of how I said that such and such an exercise was for the back when it is really for the shoulders.
So, just to clear things up, when I say “back exercises” I mean exercises that primarily work the lats and the rhomboids. I am not talking about traps exercises so much here so don’t worry about them.
The BEST Back Exercises for a GIANT Back
Here are my favorite back exercises that will blast your lats and rhomboids into new growth.
1 - The dead lift
If you aren’t using dead lifts in your routine then you might actually be crazy! This single exercise is the best exercise of any exercise, not just back ones! I am willing to make this huge claim because I am so certain that the dead lift will help you gain muscle. It works so well. Be careful with the dead lift, however, as it is easy to pull a muscle. Warm up, keep your technique sound and always go slow.
2 - The chin up
I have been using varieties of chin ups all my training life and I am glad I did. They add amazing power and strength and make gaining muscle seem easy.
Remember when you are doing chin ups that the negative motion is just as important as the pull up and to take it at least twice as slow as the way up. Another great tip is to imagine you are pulling yourself up from your elbows, not your hands. This generally helps you tense your back muscles much better throughout the motion.
3 - Bent over rows
If you can get the technique for this right (most people can’t) then you will gain some muscle. It is important to not bend over to far or not enough. Again, imagine your elbows doing the pulling and focus on tensing your back muscles to get the target right.
4 - One arm bench rows
This is a great supplement to a full on workout. If you still have a bit of energy left after your chin ups and dead lifts then you should whack out a few of these. Make sure you go really slow with the bench rows. I have seen people doing these like they are trying to kill someone behind them by throwing a powerful elbow! It’s bad. Keep your back straight, the movement slow and always focus on tensing your lats.
Final word
Remember, training your back is mainly about getting the technique correct. It doesn’t matter what exercise you are using - if your technique is poor then your progress will also be poor. Spend as much time as you can reading and learning about the correct way to do the exercises and never be afraid to ask for help at the gym from the big guys. They were small once too and will usually be happy to help.
