Back mass training: basic exercises, a comprehensive program and reviews. Shrugs with a barbell behind your back. No back stretch

The width of the back is visually determined by the development of the upper lats. The wider the span of your "wings", the wider the back looks when viewed from behind.

Below are the top 5 exercises for developing strength and stimulating lat growth. back muscles

1. Narrow-grip horizontal rows focus the load on the lower lats, stimulating their growth in thickness. This is an excellent tool for building volume and giving expressive, convex shapes to the lower back. Sit facing the block, bend your knees slightly and rest your feet on the platform. Lean forward, grasp the handles. Lean back and open your chest. hands completely straightened. Pull the handles towards your stomach. The elbows slide along the sides and move straight back. Try to take your elbows and shoulders as far as possible behind your back. Touch the handle to the abdomen for a couple of seconds. Then slowly return to the starting position.

2. One hand is used to target each of the latissimus dorsi muscles individually (left and right) to the maximum, which is extremely important to eliminate possible asymmetries in the development of the muscles of the right and left halves of the back. Take a dumbbell in your right hand. Stand to the left of the bench and place your feet together. Place your left knee on the bench. Slightly bend your right leg, lean forward and rest your left hand on the edge of the bench. Back in this exercise for back muscles slightly arched at the waist. Take a deep breath and pull the dumbbell straight up. Try to hold the dumbbell at the top for a few seconds. Exhale and slowly lower the dumbbell. Repeat the exercise with the left hand in the same way.

3. Bent over rows focus on the muscles of the mid back and are considered to be almost the best means of "adding thickness" to the top. latissimus dorsi, diamond-shaped, as well as the lower and middle trapezium. The torso is parallel to the floor, the lower back is bent, the knees are slightly bent. Grip the bar at shoulder width. Down position hands completely straightened, and the bar is slightly forward. Pull the bar in an arc until it touches the lower abdomen, bringing the shoulder blades together in the final phase.

4. Vertical chest row is used to stimulate the growth of all the muscles of the upper back. But first of all - to expand the span of your "wings", which is determined by the development of the upper part of the broadest. Starting position in this: torso and hands completely straightened and shoulders raised. The hips are firmly fixed between the seat and the rollers, the feet rest on the floor. The pull down begins with the reduction of the shoulder blades, then the movement is picked up by the elbows, which fall strictly parallel along the sides and are directed back and to the sides. At shoulder level, pause and slowly return the bar to its original position.

5. However, the most effective exercise that allows you to focus the maximum load on the upper lats is pull-ups. Hang on the crossbar. To fully stretch the lats, this is the lowest point of the exercise. From a hanging position with fully extended arms pull up as high as possible until your chest or back of your head touches the bar.

Being engaged in the gym, men pay special attention to back training, since the harmonious silhouette of an athlete is impossible without well-developed latissimus dorsi. If girls mainly train the muscles of the legs, and this is logical, then the training of the latissimus dorsi muscle should be a priority for a man. A wide back helps to hide the imperfections of the body. Such as a wide waist, narrow. Men are always attracted to back training. How to pump up a wide back, every beginner wants to know.

The structure of the muscles of the back

To understand how a back mass training program is compiled, you need to understand the structure of its muscles and their functions. divided into deep and superficial.

The first type includes:

• transverse spinous muscles, the function of which is to stabilize the spine, they consist of rotator muscles, multifidus and semispinalis;
• extensor muscles perform the function of the movement of the spine; consist of iliocostal, longest and spinous;
• diamond-shaped, trapezoid and, contribute to the movement of the shoulder girdle.

The second type includes:

• the latissimus dorsi muscle, the function of which is to stretch the arm back and down;
• square, responsible for the lateral bend.

What muscles should you pay attention to?

Beginners are concerned with upper body training. How to pump up a wide back, everyone wants to know.

The shape of this part of the body, its width can be changed by pumping the latissimus dorsi, or, as athletes say, the wings. By increasing this area, a V-shaped figure is created, which is so sought after by athletes.

Also, a beautiful torso is formed due to this muscle group is divided into 3 regions: top, middle and bottom. Particular attention is paid to the top - the area between the shoulders and the neck.

Back extensors training allows you to achieve a hollow spine, and this creates the effect of a muscular back. In addition, the extensors help to work with large weights when pumping up other parts of the body.

• Pull-ups.

By changing the width of the grip, you can work out different areas of the back. The wider the grip, the more the lats are involved. When performing exercises, you need to pull with your back, and turn off your biceps, do not pull your shoulders to your ears.

If you have a small weight, it is easy for you to pull yourself up, then you need to use additional weight - a belt with pancakes or dumbbells, you can also use sand weights.

If, on the contrary, you cannot pull up your own weight, then you can perform the exercise on the Graviton simulator, where a load is placed, which is a counterweight.

• Deadlift.

To perform this exercise, you need to have a pumped press and extensors of the back, which will help to avoid injuries.

To begin, place your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and slowly lower the bar down in one line without tilting your body forward. The bar should slide along the knees along one path.

• Bent over barbell.

Position - feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent at an angle of 45 degrees, the spine is in a straight line. The bar should be pulled towards the stomach so that it slides over the hips.

Technique for performing isolated exercises

Isolation exercises help strengthen muscles at the end of a workout and recruit fibers that are not affected by basic exercises.

• Dumbbell row with one hand.

Rest your left foot and left hand on the bench, your back is parallel to the floor, take a dumbbell in your right hand and start pulling with your back, bending your elbow. At the top point, you do not need to turn your back.

• Traction in the T-simulator.

The principle of execution is the same as in the rod thrust. This exercise includes back mass training if there are any injuries.

• Thrust from the top block.

A good alternative to pull-ups. Sit on a bench, grab the handle with a wide grip and pull it down with your back, your hands should be relaxed.

• Traction from the lower block.

Sit on a bench, keep your back straight and start pulling the simulator, bringing your shoulder blades together.

• Hyperextension.

We lie down on the bench, the pelvis is on the pillow, lower the body down without rounding the back, raise the top until the back is in line with the legs.

Back muscle training program for mass

Depending on the goals of the training, a specific program is selected. With the help of the inclusion / exclusion of some exercises, you can change the load on the muscles.

All men are interested in how to pump up their backs. The training program is varied.

This complex will help to pump all parts of the back and represents 4 training options that will need to be alternated.

It is very important to do 5 minutes of cardio before starting the warm-up exercises, and also do a couple of warm-up sets without weight.

Sports nutrition for training

Training for the mass of the back is quite laborious and requires significant energy costs, so it is rational to use supplements to increase endurance and speed of recovery of the body.

For muscle growth, you can use a gainer, protein and creatine, for recovery - glutamine, to protect muscles from decay - BCAA. All this will contribute to the speedy achievement of the goal.

Sports nutrition of which company is best to choose, consultants will tell you. Today there are many manufacturers, each of which adds some zest to their product.

Particular attention should be paid to nutrition, since the lack of nutrients will not allow your muscles to grow. You need to eat daily the required amount of protein and carbohydrates per kg of body. If you create a deficiency in any component, but train hard, you will not achieve the result. Muscles grow with the proper amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Protein is the main source of food for muscles, it is found in chicken breasts, eggs, and cottage cheese.

1. The latissimus dorsi muscles are responsible for bringing the arms together. They consist of two bundles: the middle one (responsible for the thickness of the back) and the lateral one, located next to the serratus muscles (responsible for the appearance of the so-called "wings" of the athlete).
2. The rhomboid muscles of the back are located in the upper layer and lie along the entire back. Responsible for retracting the scapula. They consist of three different beams, each of which works with any movement.
3. Trapezius muscles of the back. Responsible for rotation in the shoulder joint. They consist of three bundles: middle, upper and lower.
4. Lumbar muscles. Despite the fact that they cannot be called the largest, they are responsible for stabilizing the hull and require a separate deep study, because. form a muscular corset that holds the human body in a straight position. Participate in almost all exercises as a fixing body stabilizer.
5. The extensor muscles of the body are thin muscles that run along the entire spine. Correct posture and keep the body in a straight position. Participate in all types of drafts with an inclination of the body.

To work out all these muscle groups, you need an integrated approach. At the same time, it is desirable to work out each muscle group from different angles, which will ensure local growth of the muscle group.

The general principles of pumping the back are very specific and require the strict and strict implementation of certain rules.

1. Do not use basic exercises in the first months of training. The reason is that under large muscle groups lies a huge number of small muscles that are easy to injure if the muscle corset is not sufficiently developed. That is why any trainer will advise using back exercises with dumbbells or exercises on a block simulator in the first month in the gym. Isolation load allows you to use fewer small muscle groups and has a fixed amplitude, which is safe when working with small weights. Only when you prepare your muscle corset for serious loads, you can proceed to the classics in the form of a deadlift and traction in an incline.
2. If you want to increase the result of the deadlift, do not use the deadlift. No matter how strange it may sound, however, the most powerful exercise for the back muscles - deadlift - does not allow for a constant progression of loads. This is due to the fact that the psoas and accessory muscles get tired faster than the rhomboids. Therefore, if you run into, you should work out all the auxiliary exercises on the back in the gym and only then return to the deadlift.
3. Strict technique. Unlike stretching the muscles of the arms or legs, sprains and microdislocations of the back are fraught with a hernia or problems with the spine in the future. It is better not to chase the scales and do not perform exercises in the border technique: this is dangerous for health.
4. Large muscles respond well to heavy weights. Even if constant growth is not your goal, remember that a high number of repetitions with low weight will not help in training your back.
5. Do not use a safety belt. Although it is an important part of training safety, the belt restricts movement in the lumbar region, due to which the psoas and extensor muscles of the back are no longer involved in the exercise. It is better to use lighter weights and choose a smoother progression of loads.
6. Base + isolation. Like any other large muscle group, the back is trained in 2 stages. First, basic prefatigue with extremely heavy weights, then targeted finishing of the muscle group in the simulator. This provides a large load, and therefore a large one.
7. Do not use two basic exercises on the same day. Avoid combining deadlifts and bent over rows, as well as deadlifts and sumo deadlifts.

Exercises

A set of exercises for the back traditionally consists of basic exercises, although most trainers do not recommend starting with a basic one due to the reasons described above. Consider the full range of exercises for the gym and at home.

Basic

To work out the back, four basic exercises are traditionally used in a complex way.

• Deadlift. The main exercise in powerlifting and crossfit. It engages all major muscle groups with a strong focus on the rhomboid muscles of the back. First of all, this exercise develops the thickness of the back.

• Pull-ups. Home version of the barbell row in the slope. It has a low injury risk and a fixed body weight, which allows you to work out your back in multi-rep sets. For the progression of loads, weighting agents are used. The main focus of this exercise is on the latissimus dorsi.

• Bent over barbell. A heavier version of pull-ups, which is distinguished by strict execution technique and large weights. The main load falls on the widest; depending on the angle of inclination and the width of the grip, you can work out both the thickness and the width of the back. Works great on the bottom!

• Pull bar to the chin. The only basic exercise with an emphasis on trapezoid exercises.

insulating

But the number of exercises for the isolated study of the back is much larger. This includes working with simulators (block pull), and types of shrugs, and even a cheating version of pumping the biceps, which was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The main task of isolating exercises is not only to give a suitable load to the target muscle group, but also to work out small deep muscles that are not involved in basic exercises due to a different amplitude.

Traditionally, there are 3 main isolating exercises in the gym for the back.

• Vertical block pull with a wide grip. Preparatory exercise for bent over row.

• Thrust of the horizontal block to the belt. A good alternative to the deadlift.

• Shrugs with dumbbells. An exercise that works the top of the trapezoid.

Exercise at home

Pumping your back at home is not easy. It has to do with the anatomy of the movements. It is not possible to repeat them without weighting or special cargo. And those exercises that allow you to load your back with your own body without special equipment are ineffective when it comes to serious loads. Consider the basic exercises for the back at home.

• Pull-ups. A serious complex exercise that can be performed even without a horizontal bar. It is enough to have a strong door that can support your weight.

• Basket. A good exercise that develops the rhomboid and latissimus dorsi muscles. The technique is extremely simple: lie on the floor, arch back, trying to grab your legs over your back with your hands. To reduce the static load and involve more muscle groups, it is recommended not only to hold the pose, but also to swing back and forth in it.

• Bridge. A static bodyweight exercise that perfectly develops the extensors of the back without injury. Suitable for recovery training or maintenance. It is recommended to perform for everyone who seeks to develop not only strength, but also the flexibility of the spinal muscles.

• Farmer's walk. This exercise is in the home category because it can be performed with any home weight. It is enough to take 2 tight bags, evenly fill them with books and proceed. Develops all muscle groups with an emphasis on the trapezius muscles. There are options in the form of lunges, which additionally load the muscles of the legs.

Exercises in the gym

For the development of the back in the hall, a huge complex of various exercises is provided both with free weights and with specialized equipment or simulators. Consider the main training exercises that develop the back:

• Thrust of the upper block behind the head. A safe analogue of full-fledged pull-ups. It has a more isolated load due to the shutdown of the muscles of the press and legs.

• The pull of the upper block with a reverse grip.

• . An excellent basic exercise that engages all muscle groups with a serious emphasis on diamond-shaped. It has no analogues for home use or with free weights. It is considered the most natural exercise for working out the back with the least trauma.

• Crossover pull. It is performed similarly to traction in a block simulator. The key difference lies in the freer amplitude. Thanks to the adjustment, the widest and diamond-shaped ones are worked out at a more difficult angle. Ideal for those who do not perform basic exercises for one reason or another.

• Lower crossover link.

• Hyperextension. The only isolating serious exercise in the gym, which will strengthen the lower back and reduce the risk of injury in the future.

Complexes for the development of the back

Consider the main training complexes for the development of the back in the gym and at home.

Note: there are no circuit workouts in the table, because. their main task is not to use the back muscles, but to give a powerful hormonal anabolic boost for further body formation.

Exercises with non-standard equipment

If you have a chest expander, fitball or rubber band () at hand, choose the appropriate one from the exercises presented. They will noticeably diversify your load and allow you to work out the muscles at a more natural angle. Suitable for both home and gym.

1. Reduction of the shoulder blades with a chest expander. A unique exercise that simultaneously works out the rhomboid and latissimus dorsi muscles. It is considered one of the most difficult. It has the most natural amplitude for a person.
2. Traction of its own weight with a rubber band. A lighter version of pull-ups and a complete analog of the pull-up of the upper block.
3. Horizontal pull-ups with a tourniquet. An analogue of the thrust of a horizontal block. One side of the tourniquet is tied to the battery (door handle, etc.), the next task is to sit on the floor and pull your body up to the projectile, completely raising the body and not bending the legs at the knee joint.
4. Hyperextension on fitball.

Results

And finally, I would like to debunk one popular female myth that exercises for losing weight on the back do not exist. The back can lose weight, that is, it can atrophy under specific drying loads and when adjusting the diet. For example, if you use training in multi-repetition mode. But the back itself does not lose weight, just the muscles acquire tone and look toned. As for local fat burning, it also does not exist. Therefore, instead of torturing yourself with ineffective exercises, it is better to delve into nutrition and try to combine serious basic complexes with a calorie deficit in nutrition.

How healthy and strong the back is, in many respects depends on how a person feels. And it is the fitness of the muscles that form the muscular corset that strongly affects her good condition. In addition, a pumped up back will not only be strong, it will look much better than an untrained one. Within reasonable limits, physical activity is simply necessary. The best back exercises that will help both pump it up and relieve pain, if any, can be found in this article.

If you think about how to answer the question indicated in the subheading, then there are two main options, and both of them are correct. First - you need to train your back for beauty. It is much more pleasant to have an athletic and toned figure than a loose body with flabby muscles. This is what usually worries most people inhabiting the planet. However, there is a second aspect, which is health. And it is much more important than the presence of muscle relief.

The fact is that physical activity on the back is simply necessary - it will help train the muscles, and due to this, part of the impact experienced by the spine will be distributed to the muscle corset around the upper part of the skeleton and, accordingly, it will be easier for the spine to hold a large body weight. Due to this, the risk of developing a number of diseases of the back and spinal column is significantly reduced.

back muscles anatomy

To know which exercises are best for the back and how to properly train this part of the body, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with how it works, that is, study the anatomy of the back in general terms. In general, the muscular tissue of the back is present on the entire upper posterior surface of the human body. Muscles can be divided into:

• superficial which have two layers. These are the so-called latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscle elements, and the second layer is represented by dentate and rhomboid, as well as a muscle that is able to raise the scapula;
• deep.

Table. Muscles of the back.

On a note! Also, all the muscles of the back can be divided into three zones - the muscles of the lower back, trapezius and latissimus dorsi. It is on how pumped they are that the appearance of the back will depend to a greater extent.

Aspects to know before you start training

The set of muscles that is located in the back area is the largest muscle group of the entire human body. Pumped trapezius muscles give the figure power, and the broadest will make the shoulders wider. It is important to remember that back exercises that are performed in the gym in order to pump this part of the body are very traumatic. And if the load is given incorrectly, that is, immediately very large, then there is a high risk of injuring the back and provoking the development of a number of pathologies.

Attention! An incorrectly dosed load on the back muscles can cause the development of intervertebral hernias, etc.

That is why you should not immediately rush off the bat - you need to load the muscles gradually, starting with the simplest basic exercises. This is especially true for those people who until some time were far from sports and led a sedentary lifestyle.

As for people who are not trying to pump their backs, but simply want to improve their physical shape a little, then for them the load should be dosed at first. For those who already have a number of problems with the spine, it is better to consult a doctor about the possibility of playing sports. In the latter case, it is still better to exclude serious strength exercises and stop at physiotherapy exercises or. These types of physical activity can also improve the condition of the back, but at the same time they will not aggravate the current situation.

Before you begin to perform a set of pumping exercises, it is advisable to prepare your back muscles for work a little. In this case, the best option is to strengthen them by working with your own body weight on the crossbar (pull-ups). Only after that you can proceed to work using weight-bearing equipment.

Attention! Those people who move a lot at work and often strain their backs, whose work has a serious impact on the spine, are required to perform no more than 4 sets per workout.

The best strength exercises for pumping

Experienced athletes consider the six exercises described below to be the best in working out the back. The first is the pull of the bar to the belt. It is basic and allows you to gain muscle mass. When performing traction, the body must be tilted at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the floor, the back should be kept straight, straining the press. The knees need to be slightly bent. Elbows in the upper position of the hands rise as high as possible.

Simple pull-ups with a narrow arm position on the crossbar help very well in pumping the back. They will also provide a load on the muscles of the hands. To warm up the back muscles and prepare them for training, you can perform several so-called reverse dilutions on the block. The main thing is to do them slowly and with a moderate load. The shoulder blades during the exercise should be reduced as close as possible. Muscles are well worked out with steps with a barbell.

Important! It is important to perform steps with a barbell correctly! Otherwise, you can cause serious damage to the back.

In addition to the barbell, you can use a fitball to pump your back, lying on it on your stomach, perform several hyperextensions. In this case, the extensor muscles work perfectly. The “flying superman” also gives a good load, it perfectly pumps the lower back.

Strength training with dumbbells

For those who are not ready to pull the barbell, we can recommend a set of exercises with dumbbells.

Step 1. The first exercise with dumbbells is the deadlift. It can be performed only in the absence of back injuries. It is required to place the legs shoulder-width apart, slightly bending the knees. Next, a comfortable weight dumbbell is taken in each hand. They are located on the front of the thigh. Next, the dumbbells go down, while it is important to ensure that the back is straight and there is no overload of the lumbar. You need to look straight ahead. Then slowly return to the starting position.

Step 2 The second exercise is pulling with one hand. It is most convenient to do it using a gymnastic bench. The left knee should be placed on it, and the hand should lean on it. The back should take a position parallel to the floor. In the right hand, you need to take a dumbbell, which then slowly rises by bending the arm at the elbow to the level of the body. Then the dumbbell slowly lowers down. The exercise will need to be repeated for the right side of the body.

Step 3 The lying down will allow you to immediately work out the left and right sides of the back. You will need to lie on your stomach on a gymnastic bench, placing your body at a slight angle upwards (from 30 to 45 degrees). Dumbbells are required to be taken immediately in both hands, and then raised, bending the arms at the elbows, to the level of the body and slowly lowered.

Step 4 Next, you need to do several approaches of the “pull behind the head” exercise. For this, a bench is also useful, on which this time you need to lie with your back, and hold the dumbbells (1 or 2) with both hands. Feet need to rest on the floor. The dumbbell is initially located near the chest, and then slowly transferred over the head until tension appears in the muscles of the hands. Elbows are bent. Then the hands return to their original position.

Step 5 Pumping the upper back will help spread your arms back. It can be performed while sitting on the edge of a bench. The body leans forward, dumbbells are clamped in the hands and are near the floor or under the knees. The elbows need to be slightly bent and the dumbbells can be slowly raised so that the trajectory of their movement resembles an arch. As a result, the arms should be fully extended.

If you want to know in more detail which are the most effective, as well as get acquainted with contraindications, you can read an article about this on our portal.

Exercises for back pain

If a person suffers from back pain, there are a few simple exercises that can, without injuring this part of the body, improve its condition. They are also suitable as a simple morning exercise and warm-up.

The first is called the "Hunting Dog Pose". To perform it, you need to sit on all fours, keep your back straight, straining your abdominal muscles. And then you need to bring the left arm forward and the right leg back, or vice versa. The limbs should be straight and parallel to the floor. The position is held for 10 s. This exercise perfectly works out almost all the muscles of the back. It is recommended to do 5 repetitions.

Great exercise and. Performing it is also simple - you need to lie on your side, relying on one of the elbows, located directly under the shoulder. Next, you need to tear the body off the floor so that you get a straight line from head to knees. In this position, you need to stand for 10 s. It is also recommended to do 5 repetitions.

The third exercise is twisting up, but slightly modified. It is required to lie on the floor and put one leg so that it is bent at the knee and rests on the floor near the buttocks, while the other is stretched forward. Hands are located between the lower back and the floor. Next, you need to raise your head and shoulder girdle above the floor and linger in this position for 10 seconds, then returning to its original state.

Water exercises for back pain

Simple exercises that can be done in the pool will help with back pain.

Step 2 It is required to march in the water, carefully bending the legs at the knees alternately.

Step 3 You can lift weights in the water by placing them on the shoulder girdle and doing squats.

Step 4 Well stretches the back of the "superman" in the water. You need to perform it, leaning on the side of the pool.

If you want to learn more, as well as review the description of the technique, instructions and tips, you can read an article about this on our portal.

Video - Best Back Exercises

The back is that part of the body that needs physical activity no less than the press or legs. Maybe she does not lose shape as often as, for example, the stomach or limbs, but she bears an enormous burden. And only muscle training will help the back to better cope with the task assigned to it - to support a person in a horizontal position and help the spine do it.

Without effective development of the back, one cannot build a massive and athletic V-shaped figure. Unfortunately, it is with this - the second largest muscle group in our body - that people have the most difficulties.

The problem is that we are not accustomed to working with the muscles of the back in everyday life, if we are talking about the latissimus dorsi, round, trapezoid. Instead, we usually use our hands (for opening doors, for example) and we transfer this practice to strength exercises, trying to work with biceps, hands, but not with stronger and larger muscle groups. As a result, the arms get tired quickly, and since the load is atypical for them, they develop poorly, and the back muscles practically do not work.

That is, it is extremely important to focus on the technique of performing exercises. Especially girls. Due to physiological characteristics, ladies have a much higher risk of injury in movements such as pulling a vertical block to the chest if they are trying to work with progression in loads. But usually it doesn’t even come to progression, since weak female hands (namely, forearms) get tired much earlier than at least some kind of load hits the back.

It is necessary to learn to feel the muscles of the back, that is, to develop a neuromuscular connection. And this can be done only with the correct technique for performing the exercise. Thus, there is no need to rush anywhere and start working with a minimum weight, even if you consider yourself a strong person.

First you need to get the cerebellum to remember the correct movement, and this will require several hundred repetitions before starting to increase the load. Raise it ahead of time, break the technique, the body will remember the wrong movement, and as a result, either you will quickly hit the ceiling on the working weights, not having achieved a result in the development of the back, or you will be injured.

More movements with less weight - better results with more

The back muscles are responsible for pulling movements, as are the biceps, as well as the rear deltas. Most often, it is the hands that like to steal the load, so it is important to understand what exactly you need to reduce.

It is usually recommended during the movement to reduce the shoulder blades in the peak phase in order to feel exactly the work of the back muscles and strain what should be strained during the pulls. But there is an ambush here. Due to the lack of a good neuromuscular connection, it is basically difficult for a beginner to make his back work and bring his shoulder blades together - a person does not feel the muscles and pulls with what he is used to pulling, that is, with his hands.

The problem is solved with the help of an experienced instructor, and if there is none, then let the training partner touch those muscles that should be tensed. Tactile sensations are an additional signal to the brain to tense the necessary muscles and it will be easier to focus on their work.

Again, do not rush to increase the load. The weight should be felt, but not break your technique for performing the exercise. You will make several hundred movements in 3-4 workouts, get used to them, the cerebellum will remember which motor units to connect in the exercise, after which you can begin to progress with the weight of the weight. This is important for any exercise, but especially for back training. The main problem with developing this part of the body is that people can't learn to tense the right muscles for years, and pull weight with anything but their backs.

I also warn in advance against some exercises that are supposedly easier to learn, but in fact they injure the shoulder joints, without giving any advantages over safer options. These are any traction and pull-ups for the head. I talked about this in detail in the corresponding article:

Not only the size is important, but also the shape

A wide, but flat back visually loses a lot to a more compact, but bumpy and embossed. Relief is developed with the help of a balanced diet, and I talked a lot about this in the section. But the tuberosity and visually massive form are the result of reasonably selected exercises and a well-constructed weekly microcycle. Let's talk about this in more detail.

The traditional division of exercises for the back into “width” and “thickness” is not entirely correct, although it is convenient for describing certain movements. Like, pull-ups with a wide grip or a similar pull of a vertical block to the chest is the width, and the pull of the block to the stomach with a narrow grip is the thickness. It would be more correct to divide the exercises into those that form the overall muscle mass of the back and separately those responsible for its impressive shape. Moreover, these will be two separate training days in a weekly cycle.

Do not forget about the deltas, especially the back beam, which also gives visual width. Although it works well in almost all traction movements on the back.

I think those who follow my sports column already know that in order to specialize in a particular muscle group, it is necessary to load it at least twice a week. Or build a cycle in such a way as to take into account the work of muscles as assistants. Who missed it, pay attention to articles about and. In addition, periodization in the load is also important, which is written about, plus a reasonable selection of weights and. Accordingly, before moving on, I advise you to read the articles mentioned above.

We select exercises for the effective development of the back

In fact, everything is simple. The tuberosity and impressive appearance of the back are given by well-developed trapezoids, and not only and not so much their upper part, but the middle one, located between the shoulder blades. That is, it makes sense to allocate a separate day for the comprehensive development of the trapezium, and since the muscle group is not very large, you can add study to it and, for example,.

Trapezoidal work

By the way, working out the trapezoid is not as easy as it seems at first glance. If you think enough is enough classic shrugs with dumbbells or a barbell, then you are mistaken. Although shrugs are needed too for the development of the upper part of the trapezium. Aleksey "Shredder" Klakotsky demonstrates excellent technique for performing this exercise:

The main exercise for the effective development of the lower part of the trapezium is push-up T-bar pull:

Not all gyms have such a simulator, and the usual T-traction, when it is enough to rest the end of the neck in a corner, and load the second one with pancakes, will not work. In this position, it is difficult to strain the inner back due to the load on the lower back. The alternative would be linkage…

... Or dumbbell rows on an inclined bench:

To finally stagger the inside of the back, do traction block to the chest with a rope handle:

In all these movements, the rear delta also works. An excellent finishing exercise will be the combined traction of the lower block on the trapezoid and the rear delta (watch from 23 minutes):

The last exercise also makes sense if you decide to shake the deltas along with the trapeze.

Formation of a powerful and wide back

A separate day should be devoted to shaping exercises for the back. That is, those that will give you the bulk of the muscle mass.

There is no need to invent a bicycle here. The best exercise is wide grip pull-ups- we put it first in training:

Pay attention to the deflection in the lower back and the fact that you need to reach for your chest, and not pull yourself up exactly like a “soldier”, as taught at school. In addition, I do not advise you to fully extend your arms in the lower range of motion, and even more so to relax your back. Firstly, it is traumatic, especially when you start pulling up with weight on your belt (you can jerk your triceps and round muscles). Secondly, the arms are too overloaded during the undermining from the bottom point and as a result they will get tired before the back muscles are effectively loaded.

An excellent formative exercise that can be done immediately after pull-ups (or vice versa) - row of a barbell (dumbbell or dumbbell) in an incline:

Yaroslav told all the most important things in the video, I will only add from myself so that they do not forget to reduce the shoulder blades to the maximum. You can also make a slightly smaller slope and hang significantly more plates on the bar to load the inside of the back more and hit the rear deltas, but this is provided that the technique for performing the exercise has already been perfectly studied and you feel the muscles work well.

The next exercise on this training day, you can continue to expand your back by doing pull of the upper block to the chest(I apologize for the vertical video and some confusion in the narrative, but it was in it that I told all the important points - what can be done, what cannot be done, the range of motion):

A good alternative for girls (loads hands less) - reverse pull of the upper block:

Another option - horizontal block pull(and again a vertical video, but if you are worried about your lower back and want to really learn how to do this exercise correctly - watch the whole video):

How to build a micro cycle with an emphasis on the back

I note that the options proposed below and any splits are, in principle, focused on more or less experienced people with at least six months or a year of experience with good muscle tone and a set exercise technique. Until then, full-body workouts will work great for you, and they will be much more effective for basic muscle formation.

The most convenient way to do four day split the following format (I personally worked in this mode for four months at the end of last year):

• Monday- pectoral + trapeze + deltas (one basic type of dumbbell press, one on the back delta to finish it off after the pulls).
• Tuesday- legs (plus any lagging groups as desired, for example - neck).
• Wednesday- rest.
• Thursday- back (forming exercises) + deltas (emphasis on the middle delta, for example, pulling the bar to the chin + swinging dumbbells to the sides).
• Friday- arms (2-3 exercises for triceps, 1-2 for biceps, since he did a good job on traction on Thursday).
• Saturday- rest.
• Sunday- rest.

Too lazy to visit the gym four times a week, or simply do not have enough strength, then here three day split:

• Monday- chest (two exercises, for example, a bench press and push-ups from the bars or a dumbbell bench press on an inclined bench at 30 °) + trapeze + deltas (two basic exercises, for example, an army press and a barbell row to the chin).
• Tuesday- rest.
• Wednesday- legs (3-4 exercises) + triceps (2 exercises, for example, close grip press and French or extension of the arms in the block).
• Thursday- rest.
• Friday- back (forming exercises) + deltas (one exercise for the back beam) + biceps (a couple of basic exercises like PSB and lifting dumbbells while sitting on an inclined bench).
• Saturday- rest.
• Sunday- rest.

Do not chase the mass, but work on the form

Mass is a relative concept. You can be big, but at the same time look not very aesthetically pleasing due to a significant amount of fat. And it's not good for health either. And you can be of medium size, but due to the good shape and relief, look much more spectacular and feel better.

Corroded up to 118 kg (with a height of 190 cm) in a massive "pig-pig", but the state of health is not so hot, shortness of breath, sweating and other troubles. Now I weigh 103 kg, I feel great, and due to the systematic work on the form, I don’t look much more compact than myself at 118 kg. And what is the point of chasing the result on the scales, if there is horror-horror in the mirror?

By the way, this is a common mistake of girls going on a diet. They dream of the cherished "minus 5-10 kg" on the scales, achieve this, then look in the mirror - and there is skin, bones and fat. Moreover, the monthly cycle is often violated. But you can do the so-called recomposition of the body - build muscle mass, slightly reduce the layer of fat and due to this, get a really beautiful shape while maintaining health. But just diet and the race for numbers on the scales will not achieve this.

Returning to the men's conversation, I note that the muscle gain is significantly better with a small amount of fat within the natural values ​​​​for men - about 12%. We added 10% of calories on top of the main consumption and we are working systematically. Strength indicators are growing - fine, which means that the muscles are growing too. They stop - we add a little complex carbohydrates, but at the same time we make sure that fat does not begin to gain.

And don't forget about reasonable load cycling. It is impossible to constantly improve your results. In 2-3 months we reached the peak in strength, actively rested for a couple of weeks, rolled back by 20-30% in working weights - repeated the cycle, slightly surpassing our old result. Two steps forward, one back and two steps forward again.