Back in the day, training the back for width was simple. Bodybuilders focused on lots of heavy sets of exercises which targeted the outside lat muscles. It was simple, ugly, and it got the job done. Let’s check out such a routine!

If you like this article, click here to share:

Many bodybuilders frequently notice that their back workouts hamper their ability to perform as well as needed on leg day. It’s true that some back exercises do require the hamstrings remain fully flexed while supporting a great deal of weight. Deadlifts are an extremely heavy compound movement which forces the trainer to keep the hamstrings fully flexed throughout. Hyperextensions are another movement which results in the hamstrings briefly receiving the brunt of your body weight (along with any plate you are holding as well), which can leave the hamstrings very pumped at the end of back day. Your initial reaction might be one of optimistic surprise. After all, who wouldn’t want to add a quick pump to their hamstrings to see some new progress? Training them twice a week means they’ll grow twice as fast, right?

If you like this article, click here to share:

Many bodybuilders tend to ignore the importance of including back training in there training regimen. The back is very important and as such it needs to be adequately trained. There are various types of exercises which can help a bodybuilder work out the back muscles. Most novice bodybuilders and even some veteran bodybuilders are not aware how to perfect these techniques of exercising the back.

If you like this article, click here to share:

There are essentially two ways to train the back to add muscle. First, you can opt for the traditional type of training performed by trainers at most gyms in America. These workouts usually involve 4 sets of four exercises, in which your repetitions span from 8 to 15. You train for muscle, but mainly for the pump as well. This type of training is fairly effective, but you are probably aware (if you’ve been training in this manner for years) that you’re not going to see a lot of changes in your physique from week to week on it.

If you like this article, click here to share:

Many bodybuilders find that while the movement is hardcore and a great deal of fun, the deadlift just isn’t for them. Perhaps they are too tall and have long arms, which can make for a very awkward lift. Maybe they lack low back flexibility, or have sustained an injury at some point in their career. Whatever the reason, if deadlifts are out, then dumbbell rows most definitely have to be in. They are nearly as efficient for back thickness as deadlifts, with much less chance of injury.

If you like this article, click here to share:

Back width is perhaps the single most important factor in determining who walks away with the overall trophy in bodybuilding competitions.  We’ve seen men like Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman dominate in bodybuilding competition, despite injuries and conditioning shortcomings, simply because they had the biggest and widest backs in the sport at the time.  When they turned around, it was “Lights Out!”  In fact, in 2006, Ronnie Coleman sustained nerve damage in his lat muscle, the exact same year that Jay Cutler entered the show with the widest back he had ever shown on a pro stage.  And, true to tradition, Cutler walked away with the Sandow trophy.  Bodybuilding standards are simple – the man with the biggest back usually wins the show. 

If you like this article, click here to share:

The Weider Muscle Confusion Principle was made popular decades ago by bodybuilders including Bill Pearl and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Essentially, they dictated that the bodybuilder was to make every workout different so that the bodybuilder’s muscles would never become accustomed to one particular workout or set of exercises. After all, our muscles only grow when they are subjected to a set of stimulus below their current capacity. If you can bench press 225 x 12 times consistently, your muscles will never grow any bigger. It’s only when you include new chest movements, and/or add more weight to the bar during your benching, that the muscles of the chest will be forced to grow in order to adapt to this new workload.

If you like this article, click here to share:

When constructing a workout routine, a classic problem involves the 4 versus 5 day training schedule. For most of us, only training 4 days per week is highly advantageous for recovery purposes. You get 3 days of rest, which is ideal for giving your body both the time and resources for recovery. However, most body part splits are predicated on a 5-day split. Chest, back, legs, arms, and shoulders usually receive their own days, typically personified in the workout routines of the pros that we emulate after reading the magazines. When we try to condense these routines, we end up crunching some days together. Where should muscle groups like shoulders be trained? With back? Or on their own, requiring you to place triceps with chest and biceps with back? This is the most common split, and it provides both problems, and opportunities, when it comes to combining back and biceps training.

If you like this article, click here to share:

When it comes to training the muscles of the body, slight variations on the angles of exercises can have a profound effect upon the number and location of muscles fibers being stimulated. Many bodybuilders make a major mistake in not adjusting their training angles and grips over time. Their bodies become accustomed to the same movements, and stop growing. Additionally, there are groups of muscle fibers which are never stimulated, as they’re not in the “line of fire” of that particular movement’s range of motion. It’s important to rotate angles and grip approaches to ensure you are stimulating the muscle group in every way possible.

If you like this article, click here to share:

Deadlifts are among the top three of effective mass-building movements, along with bench press and squats. They work the entire body and contribute to overall growth. They specifically target the upper and lower back, hamstrings, arms and shoulders. They’re an effective exercise and should be used in most bodybuilders’ workout routines.

If you like this article, click here to share: