When it comes to developing a winning back in bodybuilding, there are usually two factors which are taken into consideration. Bodybuilders strive to develop both width and thickness. Coincidentally – or not – it is often the man in the contest with the most back width and thickness who ends up winning the overall trophy. In the Mr. Olympia show, we’d often see the winner being beaten in many poses from the front, obliterated in terms of standout body parts. However, when the contestants turned around, it was “Lights out!” and the judges, competitors, and audience members often knew right away who the winner would be. It would be the man with the widest and thickest back.

If you’d like to be the last man standing at your local bodybuilding show, then you need to have a back that delivers width and thickness. There are a million articles out there about how you can make your back wider using a variety of wide-grip pulldowns and chins, as well as through extreme stretching. However, it is rare that the topic of developing middle back thickness is discussed - until now! Here are a few movements which will help you to develop a superior and thick middle back. The exercises are heavy and are certainly not easy, but in the long run they are quite effective.

Barbell Rows

If you want a back that can be seen from the side, then barbell rows should be first on your list. Start your back thickness with it each and every workout, and while the soreness you experience will not be something enjoyable, it will lead to growth like you have never seen. Remember to bump up your calories and sleep to allow your body to have the precious resources present for growth.

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

This movement allows the bodybuilder to enjoy the same mechanics as with barbell rows, with slightly better control over range of motion. You have much more flexibility in terms of how you would like to pull the weight, and you can actually go much higher above the point where a barbell would touch your stomach and the exercise would come to a halt.

Cable Rows – Wide Grip or with individual handles

This movement is similar to the two aforementioned back movements, with the added benefit of continuous tension. When the bar or dumbbell is lowered in the other movements, your lats are relieved of tension as the forearms take over. With cable rows, however, the tension remains present from the moment you pick up the bar until the moment you set it down. It delivers the same stimulation of the middle back, with no allotted breaks. Give this movement a shot. While the free weight movements are great for building mass, cable movements are best for blood circulation.

You don’t see many people in the gym with thick middle backs. This is because the movements for it are often painful, monotonous and unrewarding. After all, most people of the fairer gender never ask to see our middle backs. However, since the judges will eventually ask, it’s better to develop them now!

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