The Best Back Workout: A Matter of Inches

Performing the best back workout possible will create a wide, thick, V shaped back that is both impressive and important to overall symmetry.

Building a great back can be very difficult, however, especially for a beginner. Let’s look at some simple solutions to back training problems….problems that result in lagging back muscles.

A matter of inches?

As the title suggests, the best back workout can come down to a matter of inches. Champion bodybuilders use near perfect form when training back particularly the last 4-5 inches of a movement.

There is a distinct reason for this. To crunch your shoulders down and back during the last few inches of an exercise can mean the difference between a mediocre and a great back. Full contraction of a muscle under heavy loads creates a powerful growth signal!

The last few inches of a movement are vitally important for back development. But it’s those last few inches that are avoided by many bodybuilders. Why? Because that’s the hardest part of the exercise!

Avoiding those last few inches, whether you’re using too much weight or just being lazy, will produce poor results.

Some common problems:

Grip Strength

The muscles of the back can be difficult to stress. Usually, the arms tire before the back is fully taxed. If your hands and forearms give out before your back does, you’re missing a huge part of back training.

Perhaps some lifting straps are needed to help with your grip. You should also consider adding grip strength exercises to your bodybuilding workouts.

Too much weight

Using too much weight is a very common mistake. Using too much weight can make it impossible to properly complete reps.

Momentum is used to pull the weight all the way in and that can cause an injury. Momentum might get a weight from point A to point B, but it doesn’t effectively signal muscle growth.

Using too much weight might also force you into doing partial reps. Large poundages in pull downs might impress your friends, but if you can only pull it down two-thirds of the way you’ll never build a great back.

It’s better to leave your ego at the door. Lower your weights, work on proper form, and only move up if you can maintain that same form. Your results will be noticeable in the mirror.

Remember, a big muscular back is impressive outside the gym where no one cares what weights you’re using.

Examples:

To illustrate the point being made let’s look at three popular back exercises:

Chins

Close grip, wide grip, underhand, overhand, whatever you favor. The goal here is to pull the body up as high as you can especially the last few inches where you should be concentrating on squeezing the shoulder blades together. Imagine squeezing a rubber ball between your shoulder blades.

Rows

Barbell, T-bar DB or otherwise. Once the weight is within 4-5 inches of your abdomen, forcibly squeeze the shoulder blades together. This is not the same as forcibly completing the rep any way possible. Remember, you want to feel you back working.

Rack dead lifts

To develop the lower back these are best done from mid shin up. Again, when the last few inches are to be completed the lumbar region of the back should feel all of the stress.

Final Thoughts

Remember to avoid momentum in your exercises. Use a slow smooth pace as you complete every rep. That means using the same constant speed throughout the movement, even the last few inches.

Address any grip strength issues with proper training or straps.

The point is to get you to think and concentrate on training your back properly without wasting time and effort. Your goal should be to perform the best back workout possible. Follow theses tips and your back will show new growth in no time!