BACK

[joshuaaa]

wat back exercises do u use. tryin to improve my back heaps bring the lats out.
current back workout at moment critique good bad???:
1. pullups (4 sets x 12 reps)
2. deadlifts
3. one arm db rows
4. lat pulldown
5. seated row
6. bent over rows
7. db pullovers
2-7 do 4 sets each and pyramid 1st set 12 reps, last set go for 6 reps

 

[Bulkboy]

wow, u do 7 exercises with 4 sets each. my first though then is that ure overtraining. why would u do that many movements? limit urself to 10-15 sets for back, its a large muscle group and u should hit it extensively, but with the amount of volume ur doing now u probably arent allowing urself to recuperate properly. i would suggest something like this:

chins-4 sets 8-12 reps
deadlifts-4 sets 4-6 reps
bent over rows-3 sets 6-8 reps
if u want to u could add a pulldown or machine movement at the end for 2 sets

this is just basic heavy movements that really builds a back, u dont need a stragiht bar cable row if u do a barbell row and vice versa, this routine hits the back from all angles, the chins will crush ur upper back, the bent over rows does ur middle/upper, and the deads is for ur lower back and traps. remember to vary the exercises from time to time, maybe swithc the bent over rows with db rows or something.

if ure like me and u think just one back workout is to little to do what u wonna do then u should switch up alittle. i do deadlifts on shoulder day, because after deadlifts im not really able to go hard on barbell rows cuz my lower back is so stiff.

 

[El Freako]

^^^What he said.

I used to overtrain on purpose and I never even did that many exercises and sets.

Those would be some of the best exercises to focus on aswell but I also recommend wide-grip pullups for lat width.

 

[Rocky]

Bulky put up the exact 3 exercises I was going to list.

You could always alternate variations of those exercises between sessions:

e.g

Deads or SLDL or sumo deads
Wide grip-chins, close grip pullups or lat pulldowns
BB Bent row or DB row

 

[philosopher]

Bulkboy is right. Remember that more isnt always better.

 

[Braaq]

As Bulkboy said, that seems to excessive. You need to lower the volume down considerably.
I would also try doing a thickness split, and width split.
Ex:
One week:
Deadlifts
T-Bar Rows or Reverse Grip BB Rows
DB Rows
Close Grip Cable Rows or Pulldowns

Other week:
Chins or wide grip pull ups
Bent Over BB Rows (overhand)
You can try various machines in place of this like Hammer Strength Isolateral Rows
Pullovers

Just as an example, remember you do not need to get everything in all at once. You will be overtraining and tearing yourself down too much. Allow for maximum stimulation and recovery.

 

[The_KM]

A common misjudgment to trainee's is the overlap of exercises, this is especially executed on back days.

Now, there are 4 movements needed for overall, complete back development, as follows:

A deadlift
A low pull (form of chin or pulldown)
A mid pull (form of row)
And a high pull (shrugging, cleans, etc.)

Alternation's can be made, however anything extra is overlapping and unnecessary. I also don't feel exercises should be changed so frequently. I would extend a cycle of exercises until you plateau or "flat-line". Otherwise, gains would be neurological aside from muscle overload.

Furthermore, your choice of volume is optimal. Remember to incorporate both forms of muscular hypertrophy when you're finalizing your routine, do not allow a particular form of girth to atrophy.

 

[Braaq]

A common misjudgment to trainee's is the overlap of exercises, this is especially executed on back days.

Now, there are 4 movements needed for overall, complete back development, as follows:

A deadlift
A low pull (form of chin or pulldown)
A mid pull (form of row)
And a high pull (shrugging, cleans, etc.)

Alternation's can be made, however anything extra is overlapping and unnecessary. I also don't feel exercises should be changed so frequently. I would extend a cycle of exercises until you plateau or "flat-line". Otherwise, gains would be neurological aside from muscle overload.

Furthermore, your choice of volume is optimal. Remember to incorporate both forms of muscular hypertrophy when you're finalizing your routine, do not allow a particular form of girth to atrophy.

Ahh you speak of Synaptic Plasticity, this is the changing on a neurons strength. This occurs at the untrained level, rather than a trained athlete. Stimulating the muscle fibers, or muscles period, will increase the strength of more motor neuron's at their presynaptic area and thus will increase your power through orderly recruitment.
However, to lose this takes time and switching up exercises will not do this. Stimulating the latissimus dorsi over time will cause synaptic plasticity regardless of what exercise is performed.
Since muscle hypertrophy is a result to a stimulus, I would suggest changing that stimulus by changing or overlapping your routines on a weekly basis while using different exercises (while keeping your main movements of course) to keep a constant changing stimulus, thus continuing muscle hypertrophy.
As for myofibrillated hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, those are generally determined by rep range rather than just weight alone. In general, most bodybuilders (since we are not powerlifters) pyramid from 12 or 15 to 8 or 6 reps while increases weight. So both forms of muscle hypertrophy will be achieved, the only time I would see you not optimizing both forms is on a 5x5 routing which only stimulates myofirbillated hypertrophy and will not increase your muscle volume as much as a routine with a higher rep range additionally.
As for the volume, this is generally an area of opinion. I believe in lower volume, the point of bodybuilding is to build. You want to maximize stimulation as well as recovery. With lower volume you do not waste your time on sets that do not induce muscle hypertrophy while focusing on the sets that do. If you can do 225 on flat bench for an easy 12 or 15, and 315 for a hard set of 8-10 what is going to induce muscle hypertrophy more? Wasting valuable energy (creatine phosphate levels, and muscle glycogen) on sets that do nothing but deplete you rather than sets that will build you IMO is a waste. I believe in no more than two sets per exercise after properly warming up. This will also help with an increase time in your recovery phase as well because you should not be in the gym that long or tearing down your muscle too much. There are great arguments for higher volume as well, I just do not follow it nor do I agree with it.

Braaq

 

[Duality]

Ahh you speak of Synaptic Plasticity, this is the changing on a neurons strength. This occurs at the untrained level, rather than a trained athlete. Stimulating the muscle fibers, or muscles period, will increase the strength of more motor neuron's at their presynaptic area and thus will increase your power through orderly recruitment.
However, to lose this takes time and switching up exercises will not do this. Stimulating the latissimus dorsi over time will cause synaptic plasticity regardless of what exercise is performed.
Since muscle hypertrophy is a result to a stimulus, I would suggest changing that stimulus by changing or overlapping your routines on a weekly basis while using different exercises (while keeping your main movements of course) to keep a constant changing stimulus, thus continuing muscle hypertrophy.
As for myofibrillated hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, those are generally determined by rep range rather than just weight alone. In general, most bodybuilders (since we are not powerlifters) pyramid from 12 or 15 to 8 or 6 reps while increases weight. So both forms of muscle hypertrophy will be achieved, the only time I would see you not optimizing both forms is on a 5x5 routing which only stimulates myofirbillated hypertrophy and will not increase your muscle volume as much as a routine with a higher rep range additionally.
As for the volume, this is generally an area of opinion. I believe in lower volume, the point of bodybuilding is to build. You want to maximize stimulation as well as recovery. With lower volume you do not waste your time on sets that do not induce muscle hypertrophy while focusing on the sets that do. If you can do 225 on flat bench for an easy 12 or 15, and 315 for a hard set of 8-10 what is going to induce muscle hypertrophy more? Wasting valuable energy (creatine phosphate levels, and muscle glycogen) on sets that do nothing but deplete you rather than sets that will build you IMO is a waste. I believe in no more than two sets per exercise after properly warming up. This will also help with an increase time in your recovery phase as well because you should not be in the gym that long or tearing down your muscle too much. There are great arguments for higher volume as well, I just do not follow it nor do I agree with it.

Braaq

low volume, high intensity FTW!!!! great post