Trouble hitting the back

[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.

[Bouncer]

Re: Trouble hitting the back

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]

Re: Re: Trouble hitting the back

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.