Back Training

Most people have weak back muscles. From the muscles of the neck all the way down to calves, EVERYTHING is underdeveloped.

Back Training

Im not going to name every single back muscle, because that would become pedantic and listing anatomy is pointless without functional understanding. Im going to break this down by functionality

-The MASTER function of the spine is to stabilize and mobilize your skeleton

You NEED to have a muscular back to ensure healthy movement. EVERY back muscles contributes to spinal stabilization.

-Your back can create force in Two Primary directions:

I. vertical pulls (chinups and pullups, directly overhead)

II. horizontal pulls (called rows, with your arms perpendicular to the torso).

Along with these two positions you also have a variety of hand positions. Wide grip, supinated grip, neutral grip.

You also can position weight to pull from angles that are intermediate between overhead and horizontal.

You also have spinal stability against load (deadlifting).

While deadlifts are isometric, the amount of mechanical tension on the back muscles is considerable, and people usually notice muscle growth

Finally, you have scapular elevation and stability (shrugs).

At minimum, you need to train both vertical and horizontal pulling

-To keep training SIMPLE, it is helpful to simply think of back training as either WIDTH movements (primarily working the lats, teres major and minor), which will be vertical pulling exercises

or DENSITY movements (working lats, trapezius, rhomboids, and muscles along the spine). This will be horizontal pulling exercises

This idea I got from Dante Trudel, and it keeps training simple. So you have movements that make your back wider by emphasizing lats, and movements that make your back denser by making your work to stabilize.

-The vast majority of people would be advised to take a bodybuilder approach, training all the different functionalities of the back within a given workout.

What exercises should I do then?!

This is the most simple matrix I have come up with that requires a minimum of real anatomical knowledge.

You have 3 hand positions.

Overhand (Pronated)
Neutral (palms facing each other)
Underhand (supinated)

For a productive back workout

1. Do a vertical pull exercise. Use whatever grip you want.
2. Do two kinds of horizontal rows. Use the other two grips.

So example

You do chinups (which is a supinated grip)

You do seated rows with overhand grip.

You do DB Rows with a neutral grip.

So long as you train 3 exercises and all 3 grip positions, you will always be working the back muscles to their full extent.

In regards to what exercises to do myself, here is a partial list

Vertical Exercises-Back Width:
Chinups
Pullups
Neutral Grip chinups
Ring pullups/chinups
Rack chinups
close grip pulldowns
Wide grip pulldowns
Supinated pulldowns
1-arm pulldowns (can only be done supinated or neutral)

Horizontal Exercises-Back thickness:

Seated Cable Rows, with any kind of grip
Bent over DB rows (neutral grip)
Bent over Cable Rows (best done neutral or supinated grip)
High angle cable rows (can be done with any kind of grip)
machine rows (can be done with any kind of grip)
Hammer Rows (can be done with any kind of grip, depends on the machine)
1-arm DB Rows (neutral grip)
T-bar rows
Barbell Rows (can only be done pronated or supinated grip)
—————-

And finally, if you want a comprehensive guide that contains workouts, videos, back pain solutions, and does all the planning for you
Get the Back Training Guide.