Back Workouts

[jfarnsworth]

With all of the weight lifters posting around here I was wondering what your back workouts consist of? What exercises sets/reps are you using for what area? How do you put your exercises together?

 

[Elfan]

I'm asuming you are refering to lower back in which case the main exercise I do is the stiff legged dead lift. The squat obviously invovles the lower back as well.

 

[Kirk]

Squats, and deadlift. While watching TV, I'll lay flat on my
stomach (as flat as a fat man can that is) and then raise my
legs and chest at the same time. Like a reverse crunch, kinda.

 

[Deathtrap101]

Squats, and deadlift. While watching TV, I'll lay flat on my
stomach (as flat as a fat man can that is) and then raise my
legs and chest at the same time. Like a reverse crunch, kinda.

When i picture that, it seems so wrong.....lol.


I see lots of guys in the gym doing the stiff legged dead lift, but isn't that like bad for the back??If not, whats all this crap about how people should lift with their legs?

 

[jfarnsworth]

The stiff-leg deadlift should be using the hamstring muscles not the lower back. The muscle(s) I was referring to was from the traps to the lower lumbar region and width wise from lat to lat as well as everything in between those groups. When I have more time I'll put up my work out I guess btu I'm at work now.

 

[Baoquan]

Bent over rows, wide grip lat-pull down (especially behind the neck), regular grip lat pull downs, Assymetric weighted chins (or lat pull downs), military presses, shoulder shrugs.

IF u see a theme here (lat pull downs) that because my back workout grew out of training for rock-climbing, but its done good things for me in other areas too, so i stick with it. This will really pump ur lats..until recently, my shoulders and lats were so overdeveloped (in relation to the rest of my upper boddy, not the rest of the planet...) that i was starting to look like a turtle....

Cheers

Bao

 

[jfarnsworth]

My back workout consists of the following exercises.
Front Lat pulldowns
Barbell Rows (with reverse grip)
Low cable pulls, (also reverse grip)
Laying lat pullovers,
Dumbell Shrugs,
Reverse grip Lat pulldowns,
Back extensions on a machine,
Pull-ups
Barbell Shurgs,
Rear Deltoid Row machine

Then optional if I have time
Dumbell Rows
Torso Rotation machine,

I only put this up because once again I was curious to see if anyone used any other type of exercise that I could use in place of another one.

 

[jfarnsworth]

Bump

 

[jfarnsworth]

This is interesting to see that I started this a year and a half ago. At the present time I have incorporated a lot of different lifts not previously posted on here. I pick from the list then start the session and see how much I can get done. Of course I won't use all of these lifts in one session.

Front lat pulldowns
Reverse grip lat pulldowns
Barbell rows (vary grip, use wide and narrow)
Reverse grip barbell rows
Single arm dumbbell rows
Single arm cable rows
Two arm dumbbell rows
Low cable pulls
Back extension
Deadlifts
Good mornings
Dumbbell shrugs
Barbell shrugs
Power Cleans
Lying dumbbell pullovers
Braced incline rear lateral raises
Pull ups

Like I said I'll pick certain lifts for certain back muscle groups and have at it.

 

[Trent]

There are obviously many things you can do for the back, but three major exercises I have found improve strength and muscularity for the back, and are also used by friends I know that are truly huge-- regular style deadlifts, chin-ups (all the way down and up; under and overhand), and bent over rows (bar and dumbell). There are again many variations of each exercise, and certainly any exercise thant involves the back muscles will help them get stronger and grow, but to get in the top 1% strong those should be a staple.

I do five sets of five or six for each exercise. In fact, I'm going out with my son in about an hour to do just that. Largest and heaviest weighted exercise to smallest weighted exercise involving less muscles and strain. For example, I'll do deadlifts first, then to chin-ups (weighted), then bent-over rows with dumbells. I do back, biceps, rear delts, hamstrings, calves twice a week. You will have to find what frequency and rep/set schedule works for you. I do vary it depending upon my body's demands. If I've really stressed myself out physically for several weeks, I'll bump it down to three sets of eight for each exercise involving lighter weights for recovery. Other times, if I'm stuck in a strength plateau for awhile I'll bump it to eight sets of three, focusing on big weights.

Watch your diet and get plenty of sleep along with finding the recovery time for your body. Your rep/set amounts will also depend upon what your personal goals are. Mine is functional strength.