The little ones love to work on their chests, then they can grab a bench press rack. To reflect your fitness level, a wide enough back is more convincing.
To make your back more impressive, training needs to be progressive and you need to understand that every strength training session needs to drive the whole body, not just do isolation training. Here's what else you must know before you get serious about learning to train your back!
anatomy of the latissimus dorsi muscle
the latissimus dorsi, used to describe the muscles on either side of the back, the latissimus dorsi crosses over to control the shoulder joint and has three main functions.
L shoulder adduction - adduction refers to pulling the limb towards the midline of the body. The latissimus dorsi, on the other hand, is the pulling of the shoulder towards the midline, or more specifically, the upper arm. When the latissimus dorsi muscles contract, they pull the upper arms to the sides of the body. This movement occurs in movements like high pulldowns and pull-ups.
L shoulder extension - the latissimus dorsi also pulls the upper arms up and back, this is the movement called shoulder extension. The latissimus dorsi extends the shoulder, like in seated and dip rows.
L shoulder internal rotation - this means turning the upper arm inwards towards the midline of the body. This is a common exercise that many latissimus dorsi, chest and shoulder exercises have, but it is not a specific latissimus dorsi training movement.
1. High pull down
the high pull down is a movement that involves both sides of the back, which is the plane of movement involved in the movement. It is a classic back movement. Almost all back training programmes involve high pulldowns.
how to do.
L hold the bar in a positive grip with a grip shoulder-width apart. Sit in your seat with your feet on the floor. Lift your chest and lean your body back slightly.
L without pulling the weight down hard, bend your elbows and pull the bar slowly upwards towards your chest. Keep your elbows directly underneath your hands and keep your shoulder blades tucked in and down. Use your elbows to guide the movement, thus engaging the latissimus dorsi more.
L pause in the most contracted position for 1-2 seconds, then smoothly extend the arms and repeat.
benefits.
L easy to learn
l ideal movement for beginners
l helps build muscle and stamina
l different bars/handles can be used to add variety to the movements
2. Pull-ups
the forward and reverse grip pull-ups are two different movements for the latissimus dorsi, but they are very similar. The forward grip pull-up is performed with a slightly wider grip than the shoulders, while the reverse grip pull-up is performed with a narrower reverse grip. This movement can also be done with a palm to palm grip. All pull-up variations are great for building muscle and strength.
how to do.
L hang from a suitable bar, preferably using a forward grip slightly wider than shoulder width, a narrower reverse grip or an opposite grip.
L keep your arms straight, your abs tense and your shoulder blades tight.
L bend your elbows and pull your body up. Pause at the highest point for 1-2 seconds.
L extend your arms and lower them slowly. Do not relax your shoulders and repeat.
benefits.
L helps to strengthen the high pull-down
l increases strength
l can be done anywhere there is a bar
l weights can be added to make the movement harder, e.g. Weighted belt or weighted vest
3. Seated rope rowing
high pulldowns and pull-ups are both inward shoulder movements and all rowing exercises involve shoulder extension. For a more defined back, both shoulder inversions and shoulder extensions are required.
how to do.
L sit on the bench of the machine, holding the handles in your hands. Bend your legs slightly, then sit up straight and upright. Look forward. Tighten your shoulder blades.
L bend your elbows and pull the handles towards your abdomen. Keep your upper arms close to your sides and use your elbows to drive the movement.
L when straightening the arms, the hips can also be tilted forward to allow more stretch to the latissimus dorsi and increase the range of motion. However, this method may increase stress on the lower back, so use with caution.
benefits.
L good for exercising the upper back
l also works the middle rhomboids, rhomboids and posterior deltoids
l more friendly to the lower back than the barbell dip row
4. One-arm dumbbell row
the single arm dumbbell row uses a similar motion to the seated rope row and can also work one side at a time. This helps to test and resolve left-right strength imbalances. It also allows the use of a greater range of motion, increasing the stretch of the latissimus dorsi stimulating more muscle growth.
how to do.
L pick up a dumbbell in one hand. Lean forward and place your hand on the bench.
L let the dumbbell hang down from your shoulder but do not relax it. Pull your shoulders back. Bend your knees slightly and support your body with your abs.
L bend your elbows and pull the dumbbell upwards into the side of your rib cage. Drive with your elbows, keeping your wrists straight. Do not allow the lower back to bend.
L slowly extend your arms and repeat.
benefits.
L relaxes the lower back
l helps to improve strength or muscle imbalances
l no specialist equipment required
l works the latissimus dorsi, middle rhomboids, rhomboids and posterior deltoids at the same time
5. Prone reverse grip barbell row
this movement is ideal for training the latissimus dorsi, but may also have an impact on the lower back. The movement is very safe if the movement is standard, but if you already have problems with your lower back, you may want to ignore this movement.
how to do.
L hold the barbell with a backhand, hip-width grip.
L bend slightly at the knees with your abs supporting your body, then bend at the hips and lean forward. Do not bend your lower back. Tilt the torso at an angle of between 45-90 degrees.
L starting with the arms straight, pull the barbell upwards towards the abdomen. Repeat with the elbows as the drive and the upper arms close to the sides.
benefits.
L a tried and tested training movement
l also works the erector spinae muscles
l helps develop functional strength throughout the body
6. Chest support rowing
if the gym has chest-supported rowing machines, you can perform this excellent latissimus dorsi movement, which is also friendly to the lower back. You can concentrate on pulling up with maximum strength and it is a great move for any partner with lower back problems.
how to do.
L adjust the chest pad just enough to reach the handles.
L sit on the machine so that your feet are flat on the floor or on a foot rest and your chest is resting on the mat. Reach forward and grasp the handles, tightening the shoulder blades.
L bend your elbows and pull the handles towards your body. Keeping the wrists straight, lead with concentrated force at the elbows. Pause at the highest point of the movement for 1-2 seconds.
L slowly extend your arms, but do not relax your shoulders, and repeat.
benefits.
L low risk of injury
l good for training the upper back
l easy to learn and master
l can be done with one or two hands
important training tips for the latissimus dorsi
1. Use your brain to connect with the muscles - in order to train the latissimus dorsi effectively, it is important to feel the muscles with your brain so that you can really feel them doing their job. If you don't, the biceps may be more engaged than the latissimus dorsi. Use a slow, controlled rhythm, keeping the shoulder blades tight and driving the movement with your elbows to fully activate the latissimus dorsi.
using too much weight will shift the stress from the latissimus dorsi to the biceps. If you don't feel the latissimus dorsi doing the work, you won't get the muscle workout you want.
2. Change your grip - most latissimus dorsi movements can be performed with different grips, including forward, reverse and opposite grips. Using different grips can change the feel and effect of the latissimus dorsi movement. Switch up your grip from time to time to add variety to your training.
3. Adopt a better back training programme - while it is always good to know the best latissimus dorsi movements, you also need to be able to put them in the right order and apply the right reps and sets programme to get the best results.
4. Try decreasing sets - decreasing sets are a very handy training method that will make training harder and more effective. They are particularly good for high pulldowns and rope rows, where the weight can be changed quickly. Do decreasing sets, completing the movement as usual and then, when you have exhausted yourself, lower the weight by 15-20% and repeat.
when the force is exhausted, lower the weight by another 15-20% for a few more reps. If you still have strength, reduce the weight again and the latissimus dorsi should be full of pump and more tired than ever.
5. Put on a booster band - most latissimus dorsi training will involve the forearms. If the grip starts to get exhausted before the latissimus dorsi, use a booster band to make sure the workout doesn't end prematurely. If the hands are weak, spend some extra training time strengthening the grip as well to address this weak link.
if you have a wide, thick back, you just look stronger than others overall. If you are paying too little attention to your back muscles, you are not getting the muscle growth you deserve. Add one of these training moves to your program and you can have a back to be proud of!