In this article, Building a Bigger Back, we will look at some great exercises to build both width and thickness. I can always tell if a lifter has put in hard work on their back development. Regardless of what they’re wearing, you can see the V-shape, and you can see the thickness. Besides focusing on these two aspects, lifters should be building strength. This article covers all that, plus provides nutrition and supplement suggestions. Let’s get going!
The Anatomy And Function Of The Back
The back is one of the most complex muscle groups in the body. The back muscles are typically arranged into 3 categories based on their location. (1, 2)
Those categories are:
Superficial Back Muscles
The superficial back muscles are the muscles found just under the skin. Within this group of back muscles you will find:
The Latissimus Dorsi
The Trapezius
Levator Scapulae
The Rhomboids
These muscles play a major role in controlling upper limb movements. They connect the vertebral column to the shoulder girdle and arms which allow for a wide range of movements like lifting, pulling, bending side to side, and rotating the arms.
Intermediate Back Muscles
The intermediate muscles consist of:
The Serratus Posterior
The Serratus Posterior Inferior
Their primary function is to elevate and depress the rib cage.
Intrinsic Back Muscles
The intrinsic (deep) muscles of the back can be further subdivided into their own superficial, intermediate and deep layers. These muscles collectively work to help movements of the vertebral column and to also control posture.
Width And Thickness!
Generally, when a lifter trains back, they do exercises for width (the lats are part of the fabled V-shape that many lifters strive for) and thickness (rowing exercises are typically chosen for this).
Back Routine Basics: Implementing Progressive Overload
Before I lay out the example routine, the Progressive Overload principle needs to be explained and understood. Progressive overload is the primary training principle essential to gaining size and strength. If your goal is to get bigger and stronger, it all comes down to the consistent and effective use of this principle.
So What Exactly Is Progressive Overload?
Progressive overload can be defined as consistently adding weight on the bar over time. While it can be used in other ways, if you’re a rookie, that is the best way to implement it.
Why It’s Important
Not everyone understands that this is one of the most important training principles, especially for those lifters just starting out. Take a moment and think about it. How else can you consistently gain strength? And if you don’t gain strength, how much quality size do you think you can build? Not to mention, why would you want size without strength?
Rookies, and even more experienced lifters, generally make two common mistakes. First, in many cases they tend to perform the same workout using the same weight and the same number of reps. Tragically, some do this for decades and then complain they can’t make gains.
The second common mistake many lifters make is the concept of “never doing the same workout twice” or “muscle confusion”. Yes, this approach might work for those advanced lifters who have reached their strength and size ceiling. But if you are a rookie, or even a semi-rookie, your focus should be on building a strength foundation. This can only happen if you use a routine that does not change and then implement progressive overload to build strength and size.
How It Works
Using this principle lets you gradually reach your strength goals over time. It’s the standard principle used by most bodybuilders, powerlifters, and any other athletes that train with weights who are attempting to build strength and mass. (3)
By gradually adding weight to your exercises, you will gain strength and you will get bigger. I would say that most lifters expect to get stronger as they go through their lifting career. I can’t think of too many lifters who want to be big and weak.
Not to mention, the majority of lifting authorities advise using this principle right from the beginning of your lifting journey. It is hands down the best way to build a foundation of strength and size.
What About “Never Do The Same Thing Twice” So You Can “Shock The Muscles”?
This is an important topic to talk about because there is a lot of confusing information out there. There’s a lot of lifters, and that includes several big bodybuilding names, who tell you to “shock the muscles” by “never doing the same workout twice”. This is also known as “muscle confusion”.
First of all, that idea would be great if your muscles knew they were being “shocked” or “confused”. However, because they don’t (they can’t think, they only contract), the only real reason to “constantly mix things up” is for your own mental stimulation. The thing is, the lifters that advocate this approach have already been lifting a long time, and in many cases have long since reached their size and strength goals. So, they’re telling you what they’re doing now, not how they built their foundation back when they started.
Second, if you constantly change your workouts, how can you possibly build any meaningful strength? How are you progressing? To get stronger and bigger, it is necessary to work the same key exercises and consistently add weight to those exercises over time. By key exercises, I mean the basics: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and overhead press, to name a handful.
As an example, let’s say you can squat 125 pounds today, but don’t come back to this exercise for several weeks because you’ve been busy “confusing your muscles”. Do you honestly think you will be stronger in the squat?
The bottom line is clear: save the advanced techniques like this for later in your career, after you get as big and strong as your goals dictate. It’s at that point you can’t really add any meaningful weight, making it time to do something different.
OK, So How Often Should I Increase Weight?
The best answer to this question is to use a rule known as the 2 x 2 rule. This rule says you should increase the weight by 10% on the large muscles and 5% on the smaller muscles once you can perform 2 additional reps beyond your target rep total for 2 workouts in a row.
Here’s An Example Back Routine
Deadlifts
Warm up over 3 sets:
- Bar x 15 reps
- 20% RM x 10 reps
- 40% RM x 8 reps
3 working sets x 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows
3 sets x 6-8 reps
Lat Pulldowns
3 sets x 6-8 reps
Performance Notes
Concentrate on proper exercise form. This is especially true on the deadlift. If you have questions on the correct execution, enlist the aid of a personal trainer at the gym to teach you how to do it.
Make sure you lift the weight under complete control, from start to finish. No quarter or half reps, no rushing through your sets. Don’t let momentum do the work. Here’s the tempo you should use: 2 seconds to lift the weight (concentric), 4 seconds to return to the start position (eccentric), and a 3 second pause right before lockout, in the fully stretched position.
Also, if you can easily hit the listed rep totals, add weight. Don’t just knock ‘em out and stop when you could have done more. You should be hitting failure by the last rep.
Rest 60 seconds between sets. No sitting on your phone for 10 minutes in between sets. If you can’t pull yourself away from your phone, leave it in your locker. Focus on your workout, not your texts!
How To Feel The Back Working
This is a common problem. I suggest the following: Using the lat pulldown, begin with a very light weight. Your form must be perfect, so if you are unsure about form, enlist the aid of a personal trainer.
Ok, Here’s The Fix
So your form is good, then begin by using a just-past-the-shoulders-wide overhand grip. Pull the bar down using only your lats. That means you should tense and attempt to contract your lats. You have to disengage your arms by thinking of them as merely hooks. The lats lead the movement, let the arms follow. If you still feel it mainly in your arms, try using a thumbless grip.
Now, when you get to the bottom of the exercise, hold the bar in the fully contracted position for 1-2 seconds and squeeze your lats. Then slowly return to the start position. Once you can feel your back working, slowly add weight, and use the tempo I suggested above. And of course, focus on correct form at all times.
Nutrition Tips
I advocate consuming 50% of your daily carbohydrates, including all of the day’s simple carbs, in the hours surrounding your workout. Also, I advocate taking in a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. Logically speaking it’s common sense to spread your daily protein total over 5-6 meals and shakes throughout your day.
Supplement Suggestions
Your supplement arsenal should always begin with a quality protein powder, such as Hi-Tech Precision Protein. What sets this protein apart? Simple. It optimizes protein synthesis (a direct trigger of muscle growth) by enhancing leucine release. From there, I advise using a good pre-workout (I never train without one). A good choice is GAT Nitraflex Ultra, a reasonably high stim yet balanced formula with an impressive hydration complex. Another popular choice is Gorilla Mode Gorilla Mind, the pre-workout that ignited the citrulline dosing wars.
Next, I suggest creatine monohydrate, which is the most tested and proven effective supplement you can buy. Good choices here include Condemned Labz Creatine Monohydrate. Finally, once you’ve finished your back workout, it’s time to drink a post-workout shake. I advise mixing Precision Protein with fresh or frozen fruit.
Summary
Back Development For Rookies takes hard work and consistency. Commit yourself to the principles and routine presented here, and utilize the nutrition and supplement tips. Then, hit the gym and work that back!
References:
- https://teachmeanatomy.info/back/muscles/
- https://www.muscleandmotion.com/the-muscles-of-the-back-anatomy-and-function/
- Plotkin, D., Coleman, M., Van Every, D., Maldonado, J., Oberlin, D., Israetel, M., Feather, J., Alto, A., Vigotsky, A. D., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ, 10, e14142. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14142