Almost every man who visits the gym dreams of a large and wide back. But the training of this muscle group must be approached consciously and very carefully, in order, firstly, to obtain the desired results, and secondly, not to be injured. What parts does the back consist of? What are the most effective back exercises? Can I pump my back at home? You will find answers to all these questions in our article!
Anatomy
Before you learn about the best exercises for the upper back, you first need to understand what parts this muscle group consists of. A little later we will pay attention to how to train each of them.
- The broadest muscles. Perhaps the most important part of the back, since it is it that gives the body a triangular shape and an athletic look. The main function is the approach of the hands to the body. To work out these muscles, you must perform vertical and horizontal movements.
- Trapezius muscle. Located above the broadest muscles of the back. Their main function is to raise and lower the shoulder blades, bring them closer to the spine. It follows that the best exercises on the trapeze are those in which the shoulder blades move up and down.
- Straighteners of the back (extensor muscles). They stretch along the spine, starting from the pelvis and ending with the neck. As you could already understand by name, their main function is to extend our body. The back rectifiers are trained by deadlift, standing body extensions and hyperextension.
Well, we figured out the anatomy, now let's move on to the main topic of the article - exercises on the upper back. We begin with movements aimed at working out the broadest muscles.
Wide grip pull-ups
Pulling up on the bar is the basic movement used to train the latissimus dorsi and biceps. Which muscles are more loaded depends on the grip you choose: if you use a straight wide grip, the broadest will perform the main work; if tightened by a narrow back grip, then most of the load will have biceps. Since our article is devoted to training back muscles, we will consider the first option.
Technique of execution:
- Grasp the bar with a direct grip, arms should be slightly wider than shoulders. Hang on the horizontal bar.
- As you exhale, pull up. In the upper position, the chin should be above the level of the bar. While in this position, pause for a second.
- Taking a breath, gently lower to the original position.
Recommendations:
- Do not fall sharply down, lower slowly and out of control.
- Do not try to put your chin on the horizontal bar. A repetition is considered ideal when you touch the crossbar with your upper chest.
- At the bottom point, fully extend your arms.
Vertical link rod
A good alternative to pull-ups. Due to the possibility of weight regulation, it is great for beginner athletes who are still struggling to pull themselves on the horizontal bar. What muscles work with pull-ups with a wide grip? If you know the answer to this question, then you automatically know which muscles work during the execution of the thrust of the vertical block.
Technique of execution:
- Grasp the bar with a straight wide grip.
- Sit in front of the treadmill and bring your knees up to the stop.
- As you exhale, pull the bar toward the top of your chest. Elbows should be laid back.
- Taking a breath, slowly return to the starting position.
Recommendation: do not jerk or swing the case!
Seated block pull
The thrust of the block in a horizontal position is an insulating exercise aimed at working out the latissimus dorsi. During its execution, the middle of the back works more than its top. Due to its comfortable position, there is no dangerous load on the lower back and spine.
Technique of execution:
- Grasp the handle of the simulator.
- Sit on a bench, rest your feet on the front supports. The knee joints should be slightly bent. Straighten your back and bend your lower back. Stretch forward a little. Spread the shoulder blades.
- While exhaling, pull the handle of the block to the lower abdomen. When the elbows are near the body, flatten the shoulder blades. Take a short pause.
- Taking a breath, return to the starting position.
Recommendations:
- Do not round in the back. Throughout the movement, the back should be straight and the lower back curved.
- Do not use too much weight. First of all, your equipment will suffer from this, and secondly, it can lead to serious injuries.
Reverse grip rod pull
Basic exercise for the back. The widest load is received, indirectly biceps are involved in the work.
Technique of execution:
- Put your feet shoulder width apart. Take the reverse grip shell slightly wider than shoulder level.
- Straightening your back and sticking out your chest, lift the barbell. Lean your body forward to an angle of 30 degrees. Pull the pelvis back, bend the legs in the knee joints. The back should be bent and the gaze directed forward.
- While exhaling, pull the projectile along the legs to the lower abdomen. At the top, bring the shoulder blades together and pause for a second.
- While breathing in, lower the bar down. At the bottom point, do not straighten your arms to the end to maintain tension in the muscles.
Recommendations:
- Do not take too much weight.
- Do not jerk or jerk.
- Never round your back while doing the exercise!
Shrags
Shrugs - this is perhaps the only exercise for working out the upper trapezius muscles. It can be done both with a barbell and with dumbbells. The second option is more popular, so let's look at it.
Technique of execution:
- Stand evenly, feet about shoulder width apart.
- Take the shells so that the palms are turned towards the body. Keep your back straight, expand your shoulders, bend your legs in the knee joint slightly, lift your chin up.
- While exhaling, raise your shoulders high. At the top of the movement, linger for 1-2 seconds.
- While breathing in, slowly lower the dumbbells down.
Recommendations:
- Try to pull the dumbbells with your shoulders, without helping yourself with your hands.
- Do not rotate your shoulders at the highest point, as this may result in joint injury.
Some athletes believe that back arms with dumbbells are well suited for working out the trapezius muscles. However, this is not entirely true, since the trapezoid work only indirectly in the reverse wiring, and the rear deltas receive the main load.
Deadlift
We have already told you about the best exercises for the upper back. Now we would like to highlight the section for the exercise, which also involves the lower part of this muscle group.
Deadlift is the basic movement that works out the muscles of the upper and lower back sections, the gluteus muscles, as well as the muscles of the anterior and posterior thighs.
The technique for performing this movement is shown in detail in the video below:
Recommendations:
- This exercise is not recommended for beginners.
- Deadlift is a very traumatic movement, so it should be performed as technically as possible. Improper execution technique can lead to a hernia of the spine, displacement of the intervertebral discs, etc.
- If for one reason or another you cannot or do not want to perform deadlift, you can replace this exercise with a lighter and safer hyperextension.
How to pump the upper back at home?
Many novice athletes mistakenly believe that they can pump up their backs at home with push-ups and other exercises with their own body weight. We will not give you false hope, but let’s say as it is: no set of push-ups from the floor at home will help you find the back of your dreams. To pump a large and wide back, you must have a horizontal bar at home or at least a pair of collapsible dumbbells, the weight of which can be adjusted. The horizontal bar, by the way, can be found in almost every yard, and therefore you will not even have to buy it. Alternatively, you can also use improvised items like large water bottles instead of dumbbells. You can fill them with water, sand, stones, and thus progress in loads.
The video below shows some effective exercises for the upper back that you can perform at home:
Useful Tips
In the end, we would like to share some useful recommendations with you, thanks to which you can pump up your back muscles faster:
- Train your back no more than once a week. The back is a large muscle group that recovers for a long time after hard training sessions.
- Have a warm-up before every workout. This applies not only to the muscles of the back, but to all muscles in general. Performing a warm-up, you can prepare your muscles for subsequent loads and avoid injuries.
- Perform no more than three to four exercises per workout. For example, one exercise for the widest, another for the trapezius, and a third for the extensor muscles. In each exercise, do 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions in each.
- Do all the exercises skillfully. The effectiveness of one or another movement depends on the correct execution, and, of course, your safety.
You can put an end to this. We hope that our article was interesting to you, and you learned a lot of useful information. We wish you success in training!