Trouble hitting the back

[Juka865]

Guys im seeing some results in the past 3 weeks ive started. NOTHING dramatic but. I notice a bigger feel in my arms. A little bit tighter chest. Even my legs have a more defined shape. Im so happy but. Im really having trouble hitting my back with a good workout.
I do rows which are great. And when done properly hit your back hard. But other then that I have no other way of feeling it. I try pull downs this one machine back extensions. I must be doing them wrong. What is another excercise or 2 that i can do right w/o cheating. Or taking a correct form so I cant cheat. I dont want a nice chest one day n no back lol. that would look messed up.

[Taylor]

here is a exercise i like...this girl is doing it on the ball but i like doing it on flat ground, and just hold it for a good 15-20 seconds it really feels good unlike most exercises...I play baseball and basketball all the time so my back is usually sore, lol...this feels great




Start the exercise by positioning an exercise ball close to a wall (that you don't mind putting your shoes on). Lay your pelvis on the ball and place your feet on the wall several inches off the ground. Place your hand on the opposite side of the ball while you adjust your balance. Once you are balanced on the ball arch your back as much as you can and lift your arms out to the side as shown. Hold this position for 10-30+ seconds for each repetition and do about 4-8 reps per set.

[Juka865]

But does this build the muscle? Or is it a good stretching excercise? I wanna bulk my back up I dont think this would help much. But im not sure thats why im here asking ill give a shot but can anyone else elaborate more?

[Shibby]

What part of your back are you not getting what you want? Elaborate more.

[Slashmonay]

do that machine in the gym where you're seated and pulling into your chest...good for the upper back...do lat pulldowns and go heavy on them for those wings =)

[Slashmonay]

go wide as u can on everything for back also

[ZHowitzer!]

Hey I will get an internet connection TOMORROW @ home so I won't have to answer from work anymore!

BUUUUUUUT I do have a TON of great exercises for your back. I understand what your asking for ...and I will be able to give you an arsenal of exercises to thicken up your profile! (many of were STOLEN from mr DY himself)


Before I do that Please check out the sticky @ the top of the forum about exercises...it WILL help!

[Juka865]

only rows and pull downs seem to be working for me anything else ive tried doesnt work it out well. Im prolly doing stuff wrong but... If you can give me a few examples of excercises n how to do em correctly then im sure I will be working on a better back

[beefcake]

Use either db or bb bent over rows. Wide grip or close grip pulldowns or substitute with pullups instead. T-bar rows if your gym has one. And seated cable rows. I love the deadlifts, but not too many people share this view, so that I leave up to you. These make up the bread and butter of my back day, which I happened to have been doing yesterday. Felt good.

Hey Z! Where are those exercises you promised??????

[ZHowitzer!]

Sorry...I did get an internet connection yesterday (at home) but I had to go play Driver for my roommate's B-Day lastnight....I'll get online tonight and hook you up.

[Juka865]

well post em when ever u get a chance back day is tommorow (friday) and would love to try some new excercises...

[Juka865]

Was wondering if u can still help me with my back excercises... i saw this guy at the gym today dude made me wanna cry. His back was just like something ill never have.

[Slashmonay]

just do roids and u can have a back like that

[majoradams]

I like weighted chins for back, if your gym doesn't have a chin bar then use the smith machine, set the bar high up and use a nice wide grip, all u gotta do is pull yourself up until your chin touches the bar, or is level with the bar, hold yourself up there for a second or two before u go down. If you never done this before you prob wont get past 6 reps so you wont need any weight, but as you get stronger u can add some weight to a dip belt. Just remember to go all the way up so your chin is at the bar and you will feel this one right through your lats my friend

[THE BOUNCER]

Originally posted by Slashmonay
just do roids and u can have a back like that

with posts like that you aren't going to last long on this board.

[THE BOUNCER]

Originally posted by Juka865
Guys im seeing some results in the past 3 weeks ive started. NOTHING dramatic but. I notice a bigger feel in my arms. A little bit tighter chest. Even my legs have a more defined shape. Im so happy but. Im really having trouble hitting my back with a good workout.
I do rows which are great. And when done properly hit your back hard. But other then that I have no other way of feeling it. I try pull downs this one machine back extensions. I must be doing them wrong. What is another excercise or 2 that i can do right w/o cheating. Or taking a correct form so I cant cheat. I dont want a nice chest one day n no back lol. that would look messed up.

you just need to give it a little more time. do the basic back movements lift hard and heavy with proper form. more important is to squeeze when you pull the weight when you're doing the movements. remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. you won't always see results after 1 or 2 months - takes time, and dedication. also takes time to know your body and what each muscle should feel like when you're working it.

[Primal Instinct]

Originally posted by THE BOUNCER
you just need to give it a little more time. do the basic back movements lift hard and heavy with proper form. more important is to squeeze when you pull the weight when you're doing the movements. remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. you won't always see results after 1 or 2 months - takes time, and dedication. also takes time to know your body and what each muscle should feel like when you're working it.

Nice post, Bouncer.

[Taylor]

If your wanting to build muscle a exercise called transverse abduction....search for examples on google, you'd be better to look at images of someone doing it rather then me try to explain...its performed with db's on a bench, very accessible....works your upper back, delts, and rotator cuff...

i also like reverse grip bent-over rows w/ a barbell...it'll work your middle back better then most exercises, it also works your biceps and lats

i just like that lower back exercise i showed above, it is more of a stretching exercise i guess....You could do it on a incline bench with a 45lbs plate, or whatever you can handle, and I would assume it would do more for you, i just do alot of repetitions with no additional weight, cause w/ me playin baseball my back is always needing an additional stretch

[ZHowitzer!]

I cant agree more with what bouncer had to say.


I am sorry that I have been Absent with my back exercises...


Let me steal er borrow a post from YJ.


These are sites that explain and show short video clips of common exercises and how to perform them.... feel free to add to the list


http://www.2-fit.com/video/index.html

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

http://www.theministryoffitness.com/exercises.htm

http://www.joeskopec.com/assist.html

http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/directory.html

http://www.all-starr.com/coaches-11oslifts.htm

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/exercise1.htm



these links are priceless and outline some great exercises. I can give you some variations of the basics ... but mastering the basic movement is MANDATORY! Im going to give you a quick soundbyte from my "welcome to this thing called a gym" speech

The first few weeks/months that you begin lifting or trying new exercises need to be dedicated to teaching your body how to lift. It is training for training if you will. Make sure you have a good understanding of how the lift should be done...then do the lift with just enough weight to let you know your lifting (or balance out your butt so you dont fall over in some cases)!!! Focus on how you move through space and think about using the musceles that your actually wanting to train.

***for the back this is EXTRA important...after all you cant "see" the muscles work you have to feel them and visualize the work being done. For starters think about what the muscles in your upper back actually do. they redce the angle of your humorous bone (upper arm) to your core. Pullups, bent rows, seated rows--all of these acheive the same result but from different angles (and are all important to overall back dev). When your working your back and you realize the purpose of the muscles in your back it is then important to realize that we need hooks attached to our elbows to properly work those huge slabs of meat back there!! We are fortunate enough to have hooks---your hands. Your hands and forarms are NOTHING MORE than hooks to us when training back...you ALWAYS need to focus on where your elbows are going. Tooo many times we have all see the "SUPER PULLDOWN" to the bellybutton. This is from being over concerned with moving the weight and not working the muscle. ( I cringe at the stress put on the shoulder complex during the "SUPER PULLDOWN") While you are Training to train - concentrate on doing the lift and working the target muscles...worry about HOW to do the lift. THEN later you can worry about the weight ... so you will never be stuck wondering HOW TO LIFT THIS HEAVY WEIGHT!


Back is tricky for alot of people when they first get started because they have a problem disengaging their ego for a couple of months when they start. Work on the bascis...and work HARD on making them work for you! Then when it is time to lift heavy you can...it's like jearkin it with your right hand and not your left...it takes less thought and gets the job done much faster!

[Juka865]

yes ive learned alot. See i only lifted in my gym class. And you got the goons there lifting with out proper form and fast movements with out getting the full range of motion etc just saying hey look see how many times i did that with that weight ??? lol i finally realized you need to be concise and actually feel the muscle working. I also learned that if you dont have the best of form lower the weight so you can keep good form thru out the excercise thats so im portant. Ok thx alot and great links it was all helpful.

[ECKARDT]

Have faith. Do not forget your diet. Working out in the gym requires that you feed the machine. I personally love wide grip pull-ups for the back. One arm dumbell rows are great as well. Make sure your form is good though. Back injuries suck.