Getting a huge back like Ronnie Coleman is the holy grail of bodybuilding. Having a huge back is a big advantage in bodybuilding contests and it is vital for any contact sport or martial art. A lot of power comes from having a strong back. In this post I want to look at how you can get a huge back like Ronnie Coleman.

A huge back is part illusion

The first thing you need to understand is that having a huge back is part illusion. If you want to look like you have a huge back for a bodybuilding contest you need to make sure your waist is small. You also need to make sure your lateral deltoids are large and protruding as this will make your back look bigger than it really is.

In this post, however, I will not be looking at these elements. Rather I will be looking at how you can train your back muscles to make them as big and as strong as possible.

What muscles are involved in training for a huge back?

Before I can say how to train for a huge back you need to know what muscles are involved. If you do not know this aspect really well your back training will be like looking for a needle in the dark.

Primarily we will be focussing on two muscles:

• the latissimus dorsi; and
• the rhomboids

These muscles make up the majority of the back and when developed properly give the back a very nice and large shape. It is particularly important to train those lats in order to create the much sought after V-taper.

Getting huge lats

First in your back workout you will want to hit your lats. The lats muscles run down the side of your back from the shoulders to just under the ribs and when developed look like a cobra from behind. For your lats you will be doing two exercises and two only. These are the kind of lats development and are all you need for now.

1. The pull up or chin up
The pull up or the chin up is the best exercise there is for developing your lats. If you have underdeveloped back muscles it is very likely you will not be able to do many chin ups. Most people at my gym use the assisted chin up machine because a regular chin is too hard. This is weak.

When you are doing the chin up you should do it as slow as possible and by tensing the back muscles throughout the whole movement. Make sure the decline is slower than the incline. You should imagine you are pulling with your elbows as this will allow you to target the lats much better.

Once you can do a few sets of 10-15 reps you should start adding weight to your waist when you do the exercise. This is the number one best method of developing a huge back.

2. Bent over rows
The next exercise you can use for developing huge lats is the bent over row. This is like a weights version of the chin up and targets the lats and rhomboids really well.

Again, make sure you start off with a light weight and get the technique working really well. Lift with your elbows. Squeeze the muscles at the top of the movement. Stretch them at the bottom. Keep your head facing up and make sure your back is straight. This is very important.

Getting huge rhomboids

Second in your workout you want to hit the rhomboids and the traps. They are hard to isolate so you need to work them in big compound movements.

1. The deadlift
The deadlift is the king of bodybuilding exercises. It works all of your back, shoulders as well as legs and abs. However, it is really good at hitting the inner and upper back and makes for some huge mass if done right.

The deadlift is not easy to do though. It takes years of practice and supervision. Start out with a light weight again and work your way up. Make sure you are tensing your back muscles at the top of the motion. For safety’s sake many people place the bar on the ground at the bottom of each repetition.

I highly recommend everyone reads up as much as possible on the deadlift as they can. You do not want to take this exercise lightly.

Here is a video of our man Ronnie Coleman doing a big deadlift.

2. The lying bar row
The next exercise we will do is the lying bar row. This is where you lay face down on a bench with the barbell underneath the bar. You then do a “reverse bench press” style movement by lifting the bar to your chest or upper stomach. Often at the gym you can hear the bar crunching into the bottom of the bench as the big guys pump out set after set of these.

Experiment with different grips and different widths. Again, take it slow and make each lift controlled.

How many sets should I do?

I get asked this question all the time. How many reps and how many sets should I do to get huge? Well, the answer is not as black and white as you might think.

Sometimes when I go to the gym I am on fire. I may have a lot of energy or something but it seems like I could workout for hours. On these days I do more sets than normal - it seems to take more to exhaust my muscles.

It really is up to the individual. If you can do 15 sets without getting too tired and sacrificing good form then you should do it. See how your muscles respond over a few weeks and if it is not working for you, change.

It is important not to overtrain. I like to workout hard and fast for no more than about 45 minutes at a time. If I go longer than that a seem to lose a lot of contraction strength and it is more like I am going through the motions of the exercises as opposed to actually doing them.

So, instead of relying on someone elses guidelines of how many sets and reps why don’t you just load up some heavy bars (when you are ready) and experiment with your own body. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else!

top image:vucut

A few days ago a reader asked how to do a Hindu Pushup. I decided to write a post on it as the Hindu Pushup is one of the best exercises for building full body strength and power. It is perfect for athletes, bodybuilders and martial artists.

Where did the Hindu Pushup originate?

The Hindu Pushup, as the name might indicate, came from India. It is a variation on the Yoga Asana called “Salute to the Sun”. This is my absolute favorite yoga movement which is intended for the early mornings when you wake up. It gets the blood flowing and strentches the spine, hamstrings, abs and chest.

The Hindu Pushup is done a little faster and the motivation is strength training. The idea is to vary the regular pushup so that you can target more muscles and make the exercise a little harder.

What muscles does the Hindu Pushup work?

The next thing we need to look at is what muscles the Hindu Pushup targets.

As you are well aware, the main muscles any pushup targets are the pectorals and the triceps. The Hindu Pushup is no different. However, it also targets so additional muscles such as the glutes, deltoids, rhomboids, forearms, abs and calfs. It is basically a full body exercise that works in a very large range of motion. This makes it a perfect exercise for martial artists, athletes and sportspeople.

How do you do a Hindu Pushup?

It is quite important to do the Hindu Pushup with perfect technique. It can be quite bad for the spine and neck if it is done incorrectly. For this reason I advise you to go to a qualified yoga instructor and ask them to teach you according to the traditional methods.

This is the best video on Youtube to learn how to do the Hindu Pushup. He has excellent technique and goes through the motion slowly.

Here are some essential pointers:

• In the starting pose your head should be in line with your shoulders and your shoulders should be turned out. Your butt should be high in the air as if a crane was lifting it up. Your heels should be shoulder width apart and feet flat on the ground with straight legs. This is hard.
• Breathe into your stomach
• In the moving stage you should run your chin along the ground and breathe out
• At the final position stretch your abs and neck up. Keep your shoulders down away from your head. Tense your glutes to protect your lower back

Here is the video. Take this exercise very slow and learn how to do it before going too hard.

The deadlift is one of the greatest muscle building exercises on the planet but not many people seem to use it. Perhaps it is because it is hard work and takes a lot of time to learn the technique. In this post I want to look at some reasons why you should start using the deadlift and give you some tips on how to get the most out of it.

Why everyone should deadlift

We have all heard of the three kings of bodybuilding; the bench press, the squat and the deadlift. Isn’t is funny how everyone does the first two but seem to forget the deadlift. I find it very odd because it is the deadlift that packs on the most muscle to your back, shoulders and even your legs. So why ignore it?

When was the last time you did a deadlift? I better it isn’t something you do regularly. So why don’t people do it? I know it is hard and you need to use a lot of weight but the results are quick and they are amazing. Your muscles grow.

And this is the main reason why everyone should be doing the deadlift - it works. After a few weeks you can master the technque and start packing on the weight. Your back and legs will grow like never before.

Some tips for getting the most from the deadlift

Perhaps the reason you haven’t been giving the deadlift much attention is because you aren’t really sure how to do it. If this is the case you need to read as much as you can about it and get the help of a professional. If you do the deadlift incorrectly you can cause yourself some serious damage. Damage that often cannot be undone.

1. Always lift slowly
When you are picking up a barbell packed with hundreds of kilos you want to make sure you go slow. If you go too fast a part of your back might not be ready and then there goes a disc. Or, you might jerk a muscle in your neck and end up with some long term pain. However, the slow motion also helps you contract your muscles and this very important.

2. Tense that back
Tensing the muscles in your back at the top of the deadlift is one of the most important aspects of the exercise. It completes the move and allows you to get a deeper contraction and a better stretch. It also helps you learn how to tense the muscles during the other parts of the exercise. Continue Reading