We pump up the back and shoulders. How to pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles in the best way

Use these 18 tips to build a wide, strong back!

The process of training your back can easily be compared to buying a house. You'll never know exactly how the latissimus dorsi muscle—which is the largest back muscle—behaves without knowing how it interacts with other muscles. And she has many neighbors: the rhomboid muscle, the upper and lower trapezius muscles, the large teres muscle, posterior deltoid muscle, erector torso muscle and many others.

If you train this muscle group, you will really build a massive back. Do not forget about the little things - it is important to monitor the volume and auxiliary muscles.

Such a high-quality investment in the development of your own muscles will be clear when you see a well-developed bodybuilder with broad back, reminiscent of a three-dimensional topographic map, filled with bulges and depressions that definitely suggest a lot of effort put into each, even the most small muscle. To develop a beautiful, wide, muscular back, you need to approach this process in a versatile way, in order to make all the peripheral back muscles work.

We have collected advice from the most famous trainers, one of which is Craig Capurso. And his advice is devoted to high-speed training of the back muscles so that it is wide and prominent.

We have compiled a list of 18 valuable tips, although if you have a couple of tips, you can also post them in the comments below.

1. Do the best back exercise

“In my opinion, the best exercise is the one-arm dumbbell row,” says Craig. “I do this exercise without moving far from the dumbbell stand. This way I can change my weight to a more comfortable one at any time. Unlike a barbell, using a single dumbbell allows you to make freer and fairly wide arm movements. This makes it possible to stretch the muscles as much as possible and activate the work of more tissues. This is how I developed my back muscles over the years.”

“If you use such a device as a barbell when performing exercises to pump your back, then you will lose the opportunity to perform various tricky maneuvers such as additional turns and bends. And they, in turn, additionally overload the peripheral muscles, squeezing out more from them than might seem at first glance. As you change your workout routine and innovate your exercises, consider adding this dumbbell exercise to your list.”

1. Watch the position of your hand and elbow

Many people believe that the position of the hands determines which area of ​​the back will be used during the exercise. Although this is not entirely true. The elbow has this influence. "Your elbow directs the muscles that are activated when they respond to contraction," says Craig. “If your elbows are raised at shoulder level and go behind your back, then you are activating the upper trapezius muscles. On the other hand, if your elbows are low and tucked close to your body, you are using your mid-back and latissimus dorsi muscles.”

In general, all wide-grip exercises force us to move our elbows out to the sides, which is good for upper area latissimus muscle, posterior deltoid muscle and rhomboid muscles. And vice versa - when using a close grip, the elbows are pressed more tightly to the sides, which activates the work of the lower part of the latissimus dorsi muscle.

1. Effectively engage the upper latissimus dorsi muscle area

To expand top part your V-silhouette, you need to use a wide grip more often. “Wide-grip pull-ups are ideal for the upper lat region,” says Craig. “This does a great job of stretching the thoracolumbar fascia (the layer of tissue that hides the back muscles) and contracting the muscles in the upper back. Then you have two options - either add additional weights, or gradually stop and finish the exercise. Both paths must replace each other every day.”

1. Pay attention to the middle area of ​​the back

Heavyweight athletes are interested not only in acquiring a V-silhouette, but also in the thickness of the back in its middle area. The most large muscles in this area it is the middle and lower parts of the trapezius muscle. Wide grip exercises are ideal for these muscles. Seated wide-grip cable row or wide-grip barbell row from the floor
will be ideal for working on the mid-back area.

To activate the lower trapezius muscle, an exercise such as a wide-grip overhead row is suitable. This position absolutely engages all the peripheral muscles of the back from different angles.

1. Use both free apparatus and simulators

"Machine machines limit your range of motion, but they also give you the opportunity to focus on static movement," says Craig. “For example, I’m not always able to make rhythmic pauses when working with free apparatus. Very often I deal with projectiles of such weight that it is simply difficult to take a long enough pause with them while performing the exercise.”

1. Add variety to your back exercise routine

There are many exercises for the back, but when collecting them all into one system, be sure to include exercises that require different types grips and different angles of body position. Barbell row in an inclined position, rope row in a standing position, barbell row behind the head in a sitting position and a similar exercise, but with a change in the grip width of the projectile.

The same strategy of varying grip width works for seated rows. Target the longitudinal part of the latissimus dorsi muscle, doing cable rows with a wide grip overhead in a seated position if you are going to work on the machine.

1. More hard work on your shoulder blades

The transition from full extension to maximum contraction is important not only for training the latissimus muscle, but also for all the other muscles of the torso. Although when using very large weights this becomes almost impossible because heavy weight limits your maximum range of motion. When doing pull-ups, try to push your elbows back as far as possible.

With a thoughtful, correct movement, press your shoulder blades together, then allow your arms to straighten as much as possible, without allowing yourself to bend your torso at the waist.

1. Always complete your workouts

"There are no special secrets to train the back muscles,” says Craig. "But one rule is crucial: you should always be able to finish a workout. If you are healthy, you should push the maximum possible out of your workouts until you feel absolutely exhausted, but no more. You can literally fall down the stairs leaving the gym, provided that this will be the end of today’s training. Know how to stop at the maximum achievement in time.”

1. Protect your spine

A little cheating can sometimes be beneficial to any exercise. But when training your back, you need to pay special attention to the spine. The real danger is overloading your spine with too much weight, which will put extreme pressure on your spinal discs. Special attention You need to pay attention not only to the ability to hold your torso in a stable bent position, but also to gentle rocking during push-ups and deadlift exercises.

Leading bottom part your back into balance by lightly rocking, you “cheatingly” transfer the main load to the upper part of the latissimus dorsi muscle. The main thing is not to overdo it with rocking, otherwise all the tension will go to the lower part of the latissimus muscle and the whole exercise will be ruined.

1. Try a real back muscle growth accelerator

"Deadlift reverse grip in a standing position, turning into a pull on the latissimus dorsi muscle (kayak principle) - one of the most intense exercise as much as you can do,” says Craig. “You perform the lower movement as if you were doing a deadlift, and then you pull the barbell toward your stomach as if you were doing a standing bent-over row. This exercise will leave you exhausted, but be that as it may, it is one of the best exercises ever.” Combining two great exercises in one not only helps strengthen your back muscles, but also makes the entire workout much more effective.

1. Train your posterior deltoid with light weights

Almost every pulling movement involves the rear deltoid muscle, and therefore it is absolutely not necessary to train them on the very day that you decide to devote to the back. Craig says, “I train the rear deltoid both when I train my back and when I train my shoulders. But I use light weight. I consider it an accessory muscle and don't give it more than 20 percent of my attention during training. There is no need to try to squeeze the maximum out of the rear deltoid muscle during training. It’s not the weight that’s important here, but the precision and accuracy of the movements.”

1. Don't underestimate unpopular exercises

AND we're talking about about pull-ups. “I myself do not do them enough, although I should do them much more often. Pull-ups give your body great definition and it is this exercise that works the majority of your back muscles. This exercise has potential because of its variety. You can use static pauses, weighting and slowing down during the downward movement,” says Craig.

1. Finish your workout with simple, single-joint exercises

Compound exercises form the basis of the science of back training, but simple exercises will help slowly release your muscles at the end of your workout. The ideal choice is a standing cable row with straight arms, a dumbbell pullover while lying on your back, or a press on an incline bench.

In all of these exercises, the emphasis is on the lower region of the latissimus dorsi muscle. Hold the last rep for 5 seconds - this will be the peak and most intense muscle contraction.

1. Train your lower back last

“My lower back gets tired, especially when I have to do exercises in a bent position,” says Craig. “And if I first began to train the lower back, I would not have the strength to stand firmly until the end of the workout, because I would constantly be haunted by an unpleasant, pulling feeling in the lower back. To avoid such discomfort, save working on this area of ​​the back until the end of your workout.”

1. Include simple exercises for the lower back in your training program

“There aren’t many exercises like this, but I still included in my list training the lower back muscles in a lying position, face down,” says Craig. “To perform this exercise, I lie down on a bench, face down, with my legs in a free position on the floor. Holding the bench with my hands, I begin to raise and lower my legs. When doing this simple exercise, your torso will be fixed, and only one group of joints will work.”

1. Use elastic straps

Many bodybuilders use them to keep their wrists and hands in a firm position while performing exercises. This is correct because your grip may weaken before your lat tires, which could cost you a few lost reps.

These belts help accelerate muscle growth by working beyond normal limits. Even if not every day, but at least once a week, devote training to working with belts.

1. Progress in repetitions to strengthen weak back muscles

“Because the back is a voluminous space and there are many different groups muscles, then exercise selection is key,” says Craig. “If your back is your weak point, then give your back more than one thing, but still more exercise in the training cycle. Let there be no more than 48 hours break between two back workouts. And during the break, train your biceps.”

Hello friends! Agree that if you can manage even 50 centimeters in volume, you will make amazing quads, relief press, then with a narrow and weak back you will look like a mutant freak.

For girls, of course, this problem seems less pressing. However, they also want to have a beautiful and toned back without excess fat folds with elastic muscle relief.

What to do and how to be, how can I help the grief? So, give your computer monitors a good wipe down and get ready to read carefully. Today’s turn is for an educational program on the topic: “How to pump up a wide back”?

Knowing basic exercises and auxiliary complexes, you will be able to do this without extra effort. And then girls will dream all day and night to hide behind your wide torso (if you are a guy). And guys will accidentally and deliberately try to hug you in order to feel your strong figure (if you are a girl).

Some anatomical details

The muscle group located in the back is the second largest after the legs. This automatically indicates that she needs serious strength loads.

Like many other parts of the body, there are superficial muscles back and deep. Mostly they are in pairs. It is logical that the superficial muscles are more amenable to improvement. These include the rhomboids, levator scapulae and serratus muscles. As well as the lats, extensors and trapezius.

The main outlines of the back create latissimus muscles, which resemble the shape of the Latin letter “V”. That is why they are given maximum importance during training.

These fibers enable us to pull our arms back and, accordingly, bring them forward to the chest. They also attract upper limbs to the sides. In fact, they are good at helping us do a variety of deadlifts.

If you and I were still moving through trees, it would be the lats that would significantly facilitate this process. Therefore, it is best to train them using various lifts.

The long muscles or extensors stretch from the very neck to the sacrum. They, as the name suggests, are designed to straighten the back and help us maintain a straight body position. Therefore, to strengthen them, you need to do various extensions such as bending or.

So, let’s figure out how to pump up a wide back: a list of exercises and the technique for performing them.

Complex for the latissimus muscles

The first exercise in this ranking is, of course, the pull-up. Strictly speaking, this is the same thing that was already mentioned above - a legacy from our ancient ancestors. It is this load that will help make your body the most massive.

How to pump up a wide back on the horizontal bar? When performing such a complex, it is very important to exclude the biceps from the work, which always tries to do the bulk of the work behind the back. It is he who prevents us from progressing while pumping our back.

If you are a beginner, then perform wide-grip pull-ups, which eliminate the biceps from the work as much as possible. True, this will somewhat reduce the amplitude, and, therefore, reduce the work.

If you are already an advanced muscleman and have learned to exclude the biceps from the process, you can use a narrower grip, which will accordingly increase the desired range of motion.

The main criterion when performing such exercises is the “clogged” back, and not the upper limbs. In some cases, one small trick can help reduce the load on your forearms: when grasping the bar, do not squeeze it thumb. This secret will help you turn off your forearms from work.

You can pull yourself up either behind your head or to your chest. In this case, the emphasis will shift somewhat. In the first option, the upper back is better worked, and in the second, almost all the muscles in this part of the body are included.

When will the technology become so perfect that excursions from neighboring countries will come to see you? gyms, then it is advisable to use weights in this exercise.

Next excellent load- this is working with a vertical block while sitting. In the event that it is too difficult for you to do pull-ups, you can use it as an alternative option, since the same types of muscles are involved.

The technique of working in such exercises is extremely simple and it is incredibly difficult to make a mistake. Take the special wide handle with a straight or reverse grip and begin to pull it towards the upper chest. Such pull-ups are done both to the chest and behind the head, and during their execution they try to focus specifically on the work of the latissimus muscles. There is an option when the handle is brought almost to the stomach, bending in the back and lower back.

You can do not only vertical, but also horizontal thrusts, that is, from the bottom up. And in this case great exercise will become . How to pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles with such a load?

Actually, in this case, everything is also clear from the name. You should bend your knees slightly, spread your legs wider than your shoulders so that you can stand comfortably and lean your body forward. The lower you bend, the better your back works. But you shouldn’t bend over into a crooked position either (remember about a straight back).

Once again, be sure to keep your back perfectly straight. As for the position of your hands, a narrow reverse grip will help you load your back muscles best. As in other cases, the main secret here will be pressing your elbows to your body. The bar slides smoothly over the thighs, rests on the pubic bone and returns down.

If your gym has a T-bar machine, you can use a similar row. This is a good workout for the inner back muscles. Craftsmen also adapt an ordinary barbell for this purpose, on one end of which pancakes are hung, and the other rests against the wall. The bar must be held between your legs. But the last option is not very convenient.

You can also pump up this muscle group using dumbbells. How to pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles with dumbbells? I advise you to do it. It is done either with an emphasis on horizontal bench, on which you load your knee and lean with your hand, or you need to push one leg forward, on which you also place your palm, to maintain a stable body position.

Bend your arm at the elbow and take a dumbbell in it. Now we begin to pull it towards the body. Make sure that your back does not change its position, and that your arm walks in the same parallel. This load will allow you to purposefully work the muscles that interest us.

If your gym has a lever machine like a Hummer, then it is also advisable to do deadlifts in it.

Another exercise for working the back muscles in the machine is horizontal rows.

A complex aimed at working out the trapezius

There are no serious difficulties in using such a complex. If we are talking about dumbbells or a barbell, then we take them with a direct grip with outstretched arms. Don't experiment with heavy weights, first hone your technique. We press the dumbbells to our hips, and, naturally, we hold the barbell in front of us. Straighten your back and begin to pull your shoulders up as high as possible.

Do not roll your shoulders under any circumstances. This is traumatic and makes no sense. Please note that the barbell can be held either in front of you or behind your back.

Training the back extensors

There are no exercises here that could answer the question in this section: “How to build up the width of your back.” After all, the extensors are responsible for other tasks, but it’s easy to take them out of training process it would be wrong.

An example is this good exercise, How . It, of course, involves not only extensors, but also other large muscle groups. Among other things, the deadlift is what allows you to lift maximum weights.

Some trainers believe that when working specifically on the back muscles, the deadlift is an optional exercise and should be performed at the end of your classes, and not at the beginning, as is customary. You can evaluate the effectiveness yourself.

The classic version of the deadlift involves standing in front of the bar, keeping your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, and placing them behind the very base of the bar so that your shins are in contact with it. Be sure to keep your back straight. We take the bar with an overhand grip and begin to slide it along our legs until we fully straighten and pull out chest forward.

Pay attention to the fact that at this time your back rises first, followed by your lower back. The main mistake made by beginners, and even more experienced bodybuilders, is that they tend to pull the load with their lower back and buttocks, and then raise their back. This is a gross violation of technology.

This exercise, which is performed on a special simulator with a leg rest, will help you pump up these muscles. Everything here is also very simple: you need to bend forward and bend, and then straighten your body until it is evenly parallel with your back. You should not hyperextend your back in the lower back to avoid injury.

If you wish, you can pick up a weight and hold it either behind your back in the trapezius area or in front of you. In general, hyperextension is not a bad thing. warm-up complex which is recommended to be done before complex multi-joint exercises.

The last thing that can be cited as an example in this block is the so-called good morning. Feet shoulder width apart. In fact, these are ordinary bends forward with slightly bent knees. Either a special projectile in the form of a stick or a small 10-kilogram bar is held behind the back in the area of ​​the trapezius, but not lower, so as not to shift the load. You shouldn’t go down too deep; your gaze is directed forward, and your back is parallel to the floor at the lowest point.

When drawing up a training course, keep in mind that it must include at least one for each muscle group, with an emphasis on more complex ones. basic complexes. Each such block must certainly have different thrusts. We also remember that our back loves heavy loads and an adequate number of repetitions (at least 8).

If you are a beginner, then take one exercise from each block. Jocks with average training can add one more thing here. But real strongmen boldly include about 5 complexes in one workout.

There is also unspoken rule combining training for different muscle groups. In this case, it is advisable to combine the work of the back with either the chest or deltoids (the latter is preferable). If you decide to pump up your back along with your biceps, then this is not advisable, because the biceps, as we remember, is still, one way or another, included in the work while pumping up your back.

Although some, on the contrary, choose this particular path in order to maximally load their biceps. And if you combine your back and legs, that is, the two largest muscle groups, then the next day I do not envy your body.

A wide back is, of course, great, but don’t forget about other muscle groups that delight others and yourself. What kind of group is this? Of course the press. Follow this link and you will find out how to get toned abs with a feeling of wow.

That's all for today, friends!

I wish you to always have this “thorn in one place” that will not give you peace. Which will not let you stop and give up midway. I want your desire to become better every day to go away only with your last breath. Good luck to you!

I'm waiting for you on the pages of this blog and on my website. video channel. Invite your friends - it will definitely be interesting.

To properly pump up your back muscles, you need a set of exercises with which you will achieve maximum results; You can’t just spend hours on end exhausting yourself with deadlift exercises. We present to your attention a wonderful manual for teenagers with exercises and explanations for building huge muscles! Find out more.

“Hey kid, can I park my van on your back?” I agree, it's unlikely that anyone would actually ask that, but you get the idea - big back! The problem is that this is not one of those muscle groups that can be shown off.

Unless you have really large latissimus dorsi muscles and a pair of pumped-up trapezius muscles, then they are unlikely to be noticed under thick clothing. For this reason, some teenagers skip the “occasional” day of back training. Of course, “from time to time” is not the worst thing in the world, but all those “from time to time” tend to become more frequent.

If your plans for the future include, like mine, competitions on stage, then I want to assure you that without a pumped-up back, both in volume and width, you will not take a high place.

This article is not intended to blow your mind with the workout plan that completely changed my life. physical fitness, because she really left much to be desired. I have always trained my back, from the very first week of my classes. I never really thought about it, I just followed a set of exercises and pumped up. Over time, my back became quite well shaped.

How? Training program

Consistency! Here's how. I found effective complex exercises and followed it. Of course, I changed it every 6-8 weeks to keep my body from getting used to it and probably to prevent me from getting bored with the same exercises. But I never made any major changes to my routine or volume or reps, I just stuck with it.

One problem that I have read about and experienced personally is the inability to focus on working on increasing muscle width or size as much as others. You can start your workout with barbell rows, then continue with low block rows and move on to pull-ups. And then you realize that you are starting to work on the width of your back without having as much strength and energy.

You may feel exhausted going into the rest of your workout.

Of course, after one or two weeks of training, significant changes will not occur. But wait 4-6 months and you will feel both the volume and width of your back increasing. So what should you do? I've already mentioned changing my exercise routine slightly every 6-8 weeks. You can start with a two-part routine, the first of which focuses on working on the width of your back:

• : 4 sets
• : 4 sets
• : 4 sets
• : 4 sets

Then, after 7 weeks, move on to the second part, to work on the volume of the back muscles:

• : 4 sets
• : 4 sets
• : 2 approaches
• : 4 sets
• : 4 sets

The volume of loads is modeled for me and should be adjusted to each person individually.
This complex will be effective for those who have a proportional back and just need to slightly increase its size. However, for many people, the volume prevails over the width of the back, or vice versa. They should add a few sets of exercises that focus on their weak points and remove a couple of sets of exercises that focus on their strong points.

Perhaps someone will decide that we are making a big deal out of nothing and that’s normal. There are more simple ways increase muscle mass backs. I have a standard template that I use: 2 exercises to increase the width of the back and 2 exercises to increase volume. I adjust the number of sets of each exercise depending on how my back muscles develop. For example, if I see that my back is becoming like a pancake, my complex will look like this:

• : 5 approaches
• / : 4 approaches
• : 4 sets
• : 3 approaches

These exercises will help increase the volume of your back muscles. How you train your back is up to you. You can use one of the methods I suggested or train completely differently. All I'm trying to achieve with this article is to expand your vision of working on the back muscles, as well as suggest how it is possible to develop your back as much as possible. But wait, there is something else...

Deadlifts

Deadlifts have always been a problem for me. And not because I perform them poorly or cannot lift a lot of weight. But because I could never decide what day to devote to them. Some people believe that they should be performed on the same day that you train your biceps muscles. Others believe that back day should also be deadlift day.

Deadlift with a barbell

Now I do them on leg day because I also train my lower back on the same day. Personally, I believe that deadlifts should be performed in conjunction with training the part of the body that is most sensitive to them.

If you really decide to combine deadlifts with back training, then I recommend adding as many sets of deadlifts as you want as the first exercise. This will allow you to perform them with maximum strength and intensity, which is an important point since the deadlift is one of the main exercises.

I don't recommend doing heavy deadlifts every workout. I have found that they are very taxing on the body, so it is better to do them for 2 weeks in a row and then hold off for the next week or two (depending on how you feel). And remember, since deadlifts are a core exercise, if you don't fully recover your strength afterward, you may simply stunt the growth of other muscle groups.

Conclusion

That's probably all. The information provided above is reliable and has stood the test of time. I would like to emphasize once again that in order to pump up your back muscles well, you need to be consistent! This is not a one-day job and will take a lot of time. But if, like me, you enjoy lifting, then it will not be a challenge, but an enjoyment.

Train hard, eat nutritiously and... BUILD MUSCLE!

Those who are naturally tall, have a flat chest, narrow hips and waist are lucky - they look quite decent even without pumping up their lats and deltoids.

It’s much worse for short, stocky guys and asthenics. For them, pumping up the lats is not just a matter of attractiveness, it’s vital important question acquiring a “male” figure in general.

At the same time, it must be said that the latissimus dorsi muscles are quite capricious (more precisely, they are capricious muscle group) and do not always agree to grow correctly. Sometimes it's caused anatomical features muscles, sometimes hormonal, sometimes due to errors in training or nutrition. Let's take a closer look at the problem.

First of all, we must remember that muscles grow only if the body feels that it NEEDS it for survival.

Moreover, a specific muscle can very rarely be pumped up and grown in isolation. When faced with regular and heavy loads on the back, the body strives to increase muscle volume - but increases ALL muscles present in the critical area, in our case all, including deep and assistant muscles.

This means that the total strength of the back muscles increases, but the width of the back will not necessarily increase. On the contrary, the body may try to increase the thickness of the back by reducing its width, since this is anatomically more expedient.

To a large extent, the distribution of load on the muscles is determined by posture and the usual distribution of load shares. If it is not the lats that habitually “pull”, but, say, the paravertebral or teres major, then most likely it will be these that will grow after the load, since they received the main load.

This means that for high-quality training of the latissimus dorsi muscles, you must first correct your posture and teach yourself to walk straight, straightening your shoulders and drawing in your stomach. Violation of the exercise technique and the principle of isolating the target muscle group can also only aggravate the problem.

For anatomical reasons, the back narrows if you engage in regular and long running: in this case, the body strives to “breathe deeply,” and the back from the flat one characteristic of men becomes cylindrical (more characteristic of women), the shoulders are brought forward.

Naturally, the volume of the lungs and chest still increases, but the visual width does not. In addition, while running, a heavy torso “gets in the way”, and as a result, the body begins to slowly get rid of it.

They expand and tighten the chest, while simultaneously stimulating the growth of the latissimus muscles and giving them space, all swing and circular rotation exercises on the shoulders, pull-ups, climbing - since only with active work of the arms the muscles are activated shoulder girdle and, as a reaction to their activity, the superficial muscles of the back.

If your arms usually don't work much, you won't be able to expand your torso. Promotes the growth of the latissimus and works on the oblique abdominal muscles. The best exercise for developing the latissimus dorsi is the chin-up, but this is not possible if your lower body is too heavy or your forearms are weak.

For a muscle to grow, it must have a large number of testosterone receptors.

Usually, in men they predominate in the upper half of the body, and in women - in the lower half (therefore, with the same training scheme, men grow their torso better, and women grow their legs better).

However, sometimes incidents occur with incorrect location of receptors, and in this case it is necessary to select special training schemes for the back. Sometimes you need to check your hormonal balance: if testosterone is low, you will have to do intensive testosterone-increasing exercises.

Another important point: to strengthen the latissimus dorsi muscles, you need to give your body enough sleep, and sleeping after a back workout is best on your stomach so that the damaged muscles recover better. And, of course, no one has canceled the principle of a healthy and rational diet and the absence of alcohol.

One hundred grams of vodka can block testosterone production and muscle growth for a day. So sometimes a muscle group doesn't grow just because it's being worked out on a Friday night followed by a weekend of drinking.

How to pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles - Best exercises

1. Pull-ups (preferably with different grips with symmetrical placement of the arms relative to the spine, an even number of approaches)

The correct “wing” pull-up is a pull-up with a grip slightly wider than the shoulders, with the obligatory squeezing of the shoulder blades.

At the highest point of the movement you need to touch the crossbar top part chest, practically without working the spine, and make a short delay at maximum muscle tension. Smoothly lower your body down, controlling the relaxation of the muscles, relax as much as possible, stretch them at the lowest point - and pull yourself up again.

Pull-ups simultaneously allow you to increase both the width and thickness of the latissimus muscle, including simultaneously the teres major and minor, trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

The teres major muscle lies on the torso above the latissimus, and the latissimus “covers” its lower part - in fact, it is the well-developed teres major muscle that largely forms the very V-shape of the torso.

A typical mistake is bringing the elbows toward the body when pulling up and “wobbling” from side to side, as well as throwing back the head in an attempt to “reach the bar with the chin.” This “reaching out” is pure self-deception and the illusion that you managed to catch up.

One could ignore it if it were not for the fact that in this case the spine bends strongly (in the thoracic and cervical regions), which can lead to serious injuries intervertebral discs.

To increase muscle volume, it is better to use the principle of training to failure with 8–12 repetitions of pure technical performance.

When the muscles are already developed enough to do more than 12 repetitions, you need to complicate the exercise, either by using weights (in the form of a weight attached to the legs, or on a special wide belt, otherwise you can damage the lower back), or by varying the width of the grip and the position of the hands, pulling yourself up not on the crossbar, but on parallel ropes or on a narrow shelf - with an awkward grip with your fingers.

It is possible to modify pull-ups with wide and uneven-high grips or pull-ups by the head (they are traumatic). You can increase the number of approaches in reasonable quantities, the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the hard-earned muscles will dry out

There are many modifications to this exercise. All other things being equal, it is important to know that pulling a block behind the head is quite traumatic and has a weaker effect on the lats than a regular pull to the chest. Chest rows with the correct technique work exclusively to expand the back.

This exercise is the only one that isolates this muscle group well, and if the athlete cannot pull himself up due to excess weight, for a long time it remains the only exercise for the width of the back.

As a rule, in order to learn how to do pull-ups, you need not only to lose weight, but also to develop your lats in isolation for several months.

Three serious mistakes are often made when performing this exercise. The first is to chase more weight, the second is to work with the arms, the third is to flex the spine.

In the first two cases, the load from the latissimus is intercepted by other muscles, in the third, the load falls on the spine and can lead to injury. To perform the exercise, you need to grab the bar with a grip wider than your shoulders and sit astride the bench, placing your hips under the bolsters.

Feet should be firmly planted on the floor. The legs are motionless during the exercise and should fix the body. The back is straight, vertical or slightly tilted back, slightly arched (but not curved back at the waist), head slightly tilted forward, gaze straight ahead.

The back is fixed (the position of the spine should not change until the end of the exercise), the head should not turn, recline or bend.

From starting position As you exhale, pull the bar towards your collarbones or in front of you just below your collarbones. The movement begins with a slight push back shoulder joints, then the blades are brought together, since the lats must work, and their function is precisely to bring the shoulder blades together.

In this case, the elbows go towards the body in an arc, and the arm muscles almost do not work; the arms only transfer the force of the back muscles to the bar. At the end of the movement, the shoulder blades are further retracted.

After a short pause, while inhaling, slowly release the bar upward. If the weight is too heavy, then it will not be possible to bring the shoulder blades together, and you will not be able to feel the work of the lats, trapezius and rhomboid muscles. However, the weight will be taken quite successfully.

This means that the body redistributed the weight to all the back muscles, and isolation of the latissimus failed.

If you increase the weight further, the biceps will be clearly stressed. Usually it is recommended to start this exercise with 15–20 kilograms, gradually increasing the weight. The latissimus is a rather weak muscle; it can take an isolated small load, but with a large load it “halts”, forcing the deep muscles to turn on.

It should be taken into account that the total force of the back muscles of even an untrained person is enormous, and it is not surprising that someone can, by actively bending the spine, “pull a hundred to the chest.” But at the same time, his lat will never grow, but the risk of vertebral hernias and compression fractures of the vertebrae will always be high.

By adjusting the height of the elbows and the tilt of the back, you can redistribute the load on different parts of the latissimus, on the teres major, trapezius or rhomboid muscles.

3. Horizontal abdominal pull-down - an exercise for the lower part of the lats, but we must remember that it rather increases the thickness of the muscle

It does not increase the width of the back.


The exercise should be performed while sitting, with your legs almost straight, leaning back a little and moving your shoulders back. The position of the spine is almost the same as when pulling to the chest.

When working, you also need to bring your shoulder blades together. The bar stretches towards the stomach, the elbows move in an arc in an almost vertical plane. Traditionally for the back - inhale with effort, exhale with relaxation. In this case, you need to allow the block to “stretch” the muscles.

You can pump up the latissimus dorsi muscles with dumbbells holding a load, for example, in one hand - a good exercise that allows you to adjust the load on individual areas of the muscle by changing the angle of inclination and lifting of the load.

However, there is always a risk of uneven pumping and involuntary curves of the spine, so it cannot be the main one and always requires very careful self-control.

The dumbbell is held with a neutral grip (palm towards the side). You need to stand on the side of the bench, bend over and lean on it with one hand so that your torso is parallel to the floor (you can additionally lean on the bench with your knee).

The arm with the load is slightly bent at the elbow, but generally relaxed and hangs down, pulling the shoulder down. Take a breath, tense your back muscles, rear delts- and while holding your breath, pull the dumbbell straight up, bending your arm at the elbow and bringing the shoulder blade closer to the spine.

You should also try to move your shoulder up, contracting the muscles as much as possible. You need to linger at the top point at maximum tension, then, as you exhale, smoothly lower the dumbbell and relax the muscles. It is important to never fully extend or relax your elbow.

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Follow the address to find out what effect such exercises as: overhead press, bench press and others have.

4. Bent-over barbell rows and deadlifts give a good effect.

But working with a barbell with a weak latissimus muscle is a dangerous thing, and it is better to use these exercises only after the body learns to pull itself up well.

Usually, it takes 3-4 months of hard work to develop the lats: the group is capricious and unresponsive in work, it is only more difficult to develop it calf muscle. However, with hard work, achieving a beautiful torso is quite possible.

When working on any muscle group, it is important to remember that the goal is not to “shake bigger and faster,” but to grow healthy and strong muscles, maintaining health, including healthy joints and heart.

Therefore, there is no need to chase large scales, a large number repetitions, complex patterns and multi-approach exercises.

All these delights are needed already at the stage of professional bodybuilding, when other methods of muscle growth have been completely exhausted.

The first 2–3 years of classes are devoted to the improvement and development of body culture, accustoming it to regular work and constant muscle overcompensation, studying technology, normalizing the functioning of the stomach, training the heart and increasing protein synthesis. This is a fairly complex restructuring for the body, and there is no need to force the load.

Hello, dear friends. In this issue we will talk about how to pump up a wide back. The issue will be large and will take a long time to read and study.

To begin with, I would like to recall a topic that I wrote a long time ago, namely about the anatomy of the back muscles. I don’t want to tell all this stuff again in a new way; I recommend that before reading this article, you also read it, the one I wrote a long time ago. Because It will be easier for you to learn this material + it is directly related (a kind of spin-off), i.e. will intersect with each other.

Read the main article:

As you know, the back muscles are divided into DEEP and SUPERFICIAL. For us in bodybuilding, only the SUPERFICIAL are important. Because we can train them purposefully and fully.

SUPERFICIAL muscles are divided into:

• Latissimus dorsi muscles(krills) + Trapezius muscles (trapezoid)
• Serratus, rhomboids and levator scapula muscles
• Back extensors(two pillars along the spine)

1 - TRAPEZIOUS; 2 - LATISM; 3 - Back extensors.

For an athletic physique (in bodybuilding), we are interested in the lats (wings) + trapezius + muscle extensors.

You must understand that the back is not one specific muscle, but a whole structure different muscles. And if we give priority to one muscle (for example, extensors), then we will lose the opportunity to fully develop other muscles (the latissimus, because our wings). I'll go into more detail about this a little later. Now the most important thing is to understand which muscles are the most important in relation to the aesthetic (athletic) appearance of an athlete.

The most important in bodybuilding:

1. Latissimus dorsi muscles (i.e. our wings)
2. Extensor muscles (two columns along the spine)

Very often, coaches, beginners, and other athletes foam at the mouth and argue that the first back exercise should be the deadlift. This exercise will develop your back extensors, but take my word for it, this exercise will not give you anything in terms of back width. In addition, after deadlifting, it will be very difficult for you to train the rest of the back muscles, i.e. they will not receive the proper load, which means there will be no growth. In general, by this I want to say that it is certainly necessary to develop muscle extensors (pillars) for an athletic appearance, but not the first exercise. Therefore, remember, and of course, if your goal is muscle hypertrophy (their growth, size) in general, pure bodybuilding - then muscle extensors and deadlifts should be performed at the end of the workout.

Okay, we've sorted out the priorities. We know which back muscles interest us most. Let's select the best exercises for the muscle group of interest for the fastest possible growth of back muscles.

Rating of the best exercises for developing back muscles

Latissimus muscles (wings)

• Any type of pull-up or alternative Pull-down of a vertical block to the chest/behind the head
• T-Bar Row
• Horizontal thrust

Trapezius muscles (trapezius)

• Shrugs with a barbell
• Shrugs with dumbbells

Back extensors (two columns along the spine)

• Hyperextension
• Goodmorning

Serratus muscles (located on the side under the armpits, next to the oblique muscles)

• Pullover

Well. Now you know the most effective exercises for different parts of the back muscles. Now we need to study the technique of performing them, of course, if we want to train as effectively as possible, if you don’t study the technique, then most likely you will be struggling without any result for months, or even years.

Exercise technique

Before we begin, I would like to draw your attention to one of the articles, it also intersects with this topic. It has useful tips and recommendations regarding back training, it also talks about the main mistake of beginners and even more advanced athletes, i.e. when training the back, the biceps work to the fullest, and when incorrect technique biceps fully working. In general, it is very important to learn how to turn off the biceps when training the back muscles, and in that article there are explanations on how to do this. In general, I recommend that you do not be lazy, read and study.

PULL-UPS

By doing upper links(vertical row to the chest, behind the head) or pull-ups - arms are always at the top, i.e. we hold on to the bar or handles. These exercises develop the WIDTH of the back (WINGS). As I already said in back training, the biceps are actively working. In pull-ups, in addition to the latissimus dorsi muscles, the biceps are very much involved (this is bad for back growth). Why is that? The biceps is a small muscle group (roughly speaking, weak), but the back muscles (our wings) are large group muscles (she is very strong). Accordingly, I have seen guys in the gym who do good pull-ups even with weights, but their backs leave much to be desired (i.e. they are narrow), and all because they work mainly through the biceps, and not the back muscles. They did not learn to turn off their biceps, for which they were punished)))). Well, jokes aside, but still I urge you to learn to turn off your biceps. Read the article I sent you.

Okay, let's say you've finally learned how to turn off your biceps when training your back. Which type of pull-up is better, what to choose?

Pull-up grips

• Wide
• Average
• Narrow

Hand grip position

• Straight grip
• Back
• Parallel

Execution technique

• To the chest
• Per head
• Here with your own weight (without weights) or with weights (with additional weight)

There are some nuances here, so don’t be scared. Just remember:

The wider your grip – the more the latissimus muscles (wings) work, but the less amplitude of movement.

Than your grip is narrower– the more the biceps will work, the less the back will work, but the greater the amplitude.

So what to choose, wide or narrow grip?

Here again there are some nuances. If you have learned to turn off your biceps when training your back, then a narrow grip will be many times more effective for you. If you haven’t learned how to turn off your biceps, and you feel like your arms are clenching during pull-ups, then it will be more effective for you to perform with a wide grip. You know, there is generally no such concept as good or bad, I have always adhered to you I recommend sticking to the GOLDEN MEAN. (That is, some kind of average grip, with which it will be most comfortable for you to train).

Which one to choose: direct, reverse or parallel grip?

Straight grip I think everything is clear (regular grip) with this style the forearms actively work (there is a trick here, you can put on straps so that your hand doesn’t get tired and you don’t have to think about grip strength, i.e. this way you can fully work on your spinor) + if you know how to turn off your biceps then this grip position is the leader in any case.

Reverse grip (this is when the palms are turned towards you, looking at us) - the load on the forearms is very small, but with such a grip the biceps will work the most, and this is not good. I don’t particularly recommend this style of pull-ups, which will work the biceps in any case (even if you know how to turn them off), especially for beginners. More advanced people can decide for themselves.

There is also a parallel grip , this is when your hands are parallel to each other - your forearms will be very comfortable, but again, the biceps work hard, if you know how to turn off the biceps and feel your back, then you should try this grip.

Execution technique, to the chest or behind the head?

A very conditional question, and now I will explain why. Pull-ups to the chest (a more basic exercise) because it gets you involved in work more muscles than pull-ups (this is a more isolating exercise) because it only involves the upper back. That's why it's so conditional. But in any case, beginners and even more advanced ones should give priority to basic movements (i.e. pull-ups to the chest). Professionals will decide for themselves what is more important to them.

With or without additional weights?

As you know, the basic principle of muscle growth is progression of loads. In all exercises, we should always try to increase the weight of the apparatus in the exercises. Pull-ups are no exception. HOWEVER, in pull-ups you should only do this when your technique is JUST PERFECT. (That is, you feel your back, know how to turn off your biceps from work). The only way.

IN otherwise you will chase the scales, ruin your technique and end up with overdeveloped arms and a narrow back. Believe me, I saw this in my gym - it will not look athletic, to put it mildly.

BELT-UP BAR PULL

This exercise specifically develops the thickness of the latissimus dorsi muscles. When performing exercises, the back is always straight. The grip position can be either wide or narrow, reverse or even parallel (there are special rods). In general, everything that we discussed above for pull-ups also applies to bent-over rows. However, again, as in pull-ups, I do not recommend performing bent-over rows with a reverse grip (the biceps actively plows) + the technique kind of changes (it’s a long story, I don’t want to plunge you into the weeds). I recommend sticking to a straight grip , and if it’s so important, then try the opposite (only for those who know how to turn off the biceps from work, in general for the more advanced).

In this exercise, the tilt of the body is also important. You should know that

The lower the slope – the more the back muscles will work and the less the trapezius.

The higher the slope – the more the trapezius will work, but the muscle extensors will be less involved, which means the exercise will become more comfortable.

CONCLUSION: Stick to the golden mean, an average straight grip, an average tilt of about 30 degrees from the horizontal. Well, stick to the correct technique, i.e. Keep your back EXACTLY at all times and keep your arms close to your body when performing abdominal pull-downs.

T-BAR PULL

This exercise is an alternative to the previous one (bent over row). There are different modifications of simulators, because... Some are simply a T-shaped bar that you pull while standing on your feet, while there are others that you need to rest your chest against (lie shorter on them). So, the first ones are really effective; they can replace bent-over barbell rows. But the second ones (with emphasis) are not comfortable, because it is not convenient to bend into the back (and this is important for the correct contraction of the wings). All in all, I recommend playing around, seeing what’s best, what’s more comfortable for you, but only with the first ones (where the legs support, in short, an alternative to bent over rows). Don’t bother yourself with the second ones, they are not as effective.

This exercise is slightly different from the bent-over barbell row, mainly in that the range of motion is greater! In the 1-arm dumbbell row, one hand works + it’s a dumbbell, there is no bar (as in the bent-over row) that prevents you from raising the elbow higher) in general, the range of motion and work are greater. In addition, this exercise has the opportunity to remove the load from the spine (i.e. you need to rest your knee and free hand on something) this gives you the advantage of more thoroughly concentrating and working the latissimus muscles.

Horizontal thrust

Here, in this exercise the load goes mainly to the lower part of the latissimus muscles. The most effective version of the exercise involves the use of a forked handle (arms parallel to each other) in short, these handles allow you to hold your hands parallel. The straight bar in this exercise increases the load on the muscles of the middle and upper back.

Technique: Sit facing the block, bend your knees slightly and place your feet on the platform. Lean forward and grab the handles. Lean back and straighten your chest. Arms are fully straightened. Pull the handles towards your stomach. The elbows slide along the sides and move straight back. Try to move your elbows and shoulders as far behind your back as possible, then smoothly return to the starting position.

Shrugs with dumbbells are more suitable for developing the internal and external sections of the trapezius. But shrugs with a barbell are suitable for working out medium and lower sections. The most important thing when performing these exercises is not to ROTATE YOUR SHOULDERS! Movement strictly along the UP-DOWN trajectory. For beginners, these exercises are not so important. Therefore, we will not consider them for a long time.

This exercise is one of the hardest basic movements in bodybuilding and more. It develops back extensors, buttocks, legs, trapezius, forearms and much more. As I already said, many are foaming at the mouth to prove that this best exercises for the back. I don't argue that this is very effective exercise incl. for other athletic sports, HOWEVER, as we already know, in back training it comes in last place, and that’s optional! In no case do not put it deadlift at the very beginning of your back workout.

Execution technique, first of all, straight back. We take a straight grip, shoulder-width apart, and begin the movement of the bar sliding along the hips along the legs. Look ahead, knees naturally bend. Then simultaneously straighten your legs and back and lift the barbell again along your legs.

In general, I told a lot of new things, but you can also read specifically about

Okay, we're done with the exercises. There turned out to be quite a lot of them. Which ones to choose, which ones are better?

Training program for back muscles

This question is individual. Now I will give you a specific guideline that will suit most, but this is for a certain time. As you know, any program must be written for a specific person, and besides, it is not permanent. From time to time you need to change something. And yet, based on this material, I have created complexes for you.

When I composed the complexes, I was guided by the following rules for training the back muscles:

1. Use only heavy compound exercises(so that as many muscles as possible are involved).
2. Use both top and lower links (to work on the width and thickness of the back muscles)
3. Use progressive loads(weights are constantly increasing, work is carried out for 6-12 repetitions).

Complex for a beginner

1. Vertical pull-down to chest 3-4x6-12

Either way

1. Pull-ups to chest 3-4x6-12
2. Bent-over barbell row 3-4x6-12
3. Deadlift 3 sets of 6-12

Both complexes 1 and 2 are very effective. You don't have to add a deadlift THIS IS OPTIONAL. The first two exercises will be enough to grow your back muscles (provided that correct technique+ there is a progression of the load).

For intermediate level

1. Pull-ups 4x6-12
2. Bent-over barbell row 4x6-12
3. Horizontal thrust 4x6-12
4. Deadlift 2-3x6-12

1. Pull-ups 4x6-12
2. T-bar row 3-4x6-12
3. Horizontal thrust 4x6-12

1. Pull-ups 4x6-12
2. Vertical chest row 4x6-12
3. Bent-over barbell row 4x6-12
4. Horizontal thrust 4x6-12

But you can come up with a bunch of complexes, the main thing is that you learn the material. So that they can adjust everything to their needs and goals. There is no need to blindly copy and use, this is just an effective example.

More advanced complexes

1. Pull-ups 4x6-12
2. Bent-over barbell row 4x6-12
3. Horizontal thrust 4x6-12
4. Deadlift 3x6-12

1. Pull-ups
2. Upper block pull
3. T-bar row
4. Horizontal thrust

In general, I think you get the point. I tried to make the material as accessible as possible, but as you can see, it turned out to be too long. I hope I didn’t bore you and that you found it interesting.

Best regards, administrator.