Back Training
You know what kind of guy pisses me off? The kind who's tall, rich, good-looking, and gets to bang super-models. Yeah, that Marc McDougal guy just burns my biscuits. No, no, just kidding. The guys that bother me the most are skinny guys; not just any skinny guy, but the ones that are overly obsessed with their mid-section, and think sporting a set of abs or fair sized arms is the hallmark of a good body.
Or maybe it's other type that bothers me the most. You know the ones--they go to the gym just to work chest and arms. It's especially fun when these guys take time out from their grueling curl workouts to flex in the mirror. I sometimes get the urge to pat guys like that on the back, but I hesitate for fear of knocking over the top-heavy fools. Thing is, both types of guys look halfway decent; from the front, at least. But what happens when they turn sideways? They damn near disappear, that's what. Or worse; what about when viewed from the back? Do they even know there are muscles back there? Or that there are supposed to be muscles back there, at any rate. I simply do not understand what would motivate someone to try to train this way. These bench jockeys are about as thick as the Cliffs Notes for the Cat in the Hat and not nearly as wide. But, hey, Dolce and Gabanna say that looks sexy, and those guys on Queer Eye seem to dig anything that designed for a "slim fit," so it MUST be cool. What ever happened to wanting to be as wide as a barn? Thankfully, I doubt any of those guys are reading this. Chances are, if you're a true follower of the kinds of training methods espoused here at Rugged, neither of the above descriptions fits you even remotely well. Knowing this, I just felt like ranting, 'cause, well...any excuse to make fun of N*Sync. As a matter of fact, it's for those more advanced trainees that this article is written. It's for people who seem to have hit a plateau as far as their back is concerned; people whose backs are big, but just not big enough. This is a program for people who want to be able to see their back from the front. Now, that's impressive. Complications: Diverse in Nature Before we get into the meat of the program, we must discuss the back in general, as well as some of the reasons many people never achieve optimal development. The first of these reasons is the uber-complicated musculature of the area itself. The upper back is made up of a myriad of different muscles, most of which have multiple functions, and have various fiber make-ups. And, as if many different fiber types weren't annoying enough, things are further complicated by the fact that our multi-layered posterior chain is composed of muscles whose fibers run in all different directions. While I have no desire to turn this into a lecture on posterior anatomy, a quick overview of the area is in order. Rugged Staff writer and anatomy virtuoso Eric Cressey will probably hunt me down and beat me with his diploma (or, quite possibly, the human femur he keeps in the lower left-hand drawer in his desk) for these quite basic descriptions, but here they are:
This is not, of course, a complete list, but it covers enough of the anatomy to get us started. Everyone on the same page? Good, moving on, then. The Burden of Choice The obvious way to make use of all that high-falootin' geek-speak is to train the back with several different exercises in order to provide adequate stimulus for the entire region. Then, to make sure you?ve effectively recruited all them crazy fibers, you want to work in quite a few rep-ranges. Yeah, like I said: obvious. By now, you're beginning to see the problem. At least, the problem as far as training is concerned. When designing a program, we aim to specifically address as many properties of a muscle (or group of muscles) as is necessary to allow for significant hypertrophy. The more variables present, the more difficult it becomes. Of course, such inherent diversity turns out to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because we have available to us a multitude of great exercises that can be (and are) very effective at building an impressive back. A curse, because we have available to us a multitude of great exercises that can be (and are) very effective at building an impressive back. The sheer volume of options available leads to an interesting and not uncommon dilemma: which exercises to use? How many sets and reps? Most people adhering to a typical training spilt hit the gym around four days per week, during which a single day is dedicated to working the back. It would be nearly impossible to structure training to address a significant number of the interesting attributes of the posterior muscles in that single session. If you tried to do so, your back workout would lengthen to about three hours long, becoming not only inconvenient, but also cutting into a huge amount of time that could be spent playing video games. The simple answer would appear to be to take a long term approach. That is, merely alter the set/rep schemes systematically and rotate the exercises in an out of the training split over the course of several months. While this is a pretty decent method, it has at its heart a problem that arises in many training programs: it relies on us to make the changes when they are needed. That shouldn't be a problem, but for many people it is. Humans, by and large, are creatures of both comfort and habit. In the context of training, we tend to develop certain "favorite" lifts, and we are loath to rotate them out of our training, or, "give them up," as I've heard it put. In defense of this, it is often the case that not changing exercises doesn?t hinder gains?much. However, as much progress as one seems to be making with that somewhat stagnant kind of thinking, the fact remains that allowing for variable movement(s) is almost always of some benefit. Different exercises, different muscles worked, different lines of pull, different patterns of fiber recruitment. These things can be addressed with a long term approach, but they usually are not. And yet, the solution is within reach. Split the Split That's right; split your split. In our article, "Maximization through Specialization," Joel and I extolled the virtues of training a muscle (or a few muscles) twice per week in order to make use of differing rep ranges. With regard to back training, the method discussed in that article is still quite valid (and highly effective), but it is not entirely comprehensive. With so much confounded complication going on back there (pun intended) it becomes necessary to take things further. First, for those of you still bound by old paradigms, we need to dislodge the idea of a "training week" from your heads; at least for the duration of the program. Contrary to a belief that gym rats 'round the world seem to hold dear, Monday was NOT specifically ordained by the gods as "chest day." (Ever try to get a bench at Gold's Gym on a Monday?) For the more enlightened lifters, the program will add (gasp!) two whole days, and work off a nine day cycle. It may seem like a small difference, but, over the course of several weeks, the cumulative effect is great. In addition to that, the muscles of the back will be exposed to different training stimulus THREE times per week, with each training day designed around a different goal. The program is intended to allow for each day to 'prioritize' (for lack of a better word) certain muscles and fibers over others, and the subsequent days will take care of that which played second and third fiddle on the preceding days. Trust me; it's not as confusing as it sounds. Let's break it down. The first two specialization days of the week will work with heavy weight and fairly low reps, and a decent amount of volume. With the set/rep ranges on each of these two days is not identical, it's similar. Why then, train in this fashion twice per week? Simple: one day will be devoted to vertical pulling movements, and the other to horizontal pulling. The reasoning is quite sound. It is fairly well-accepted training lore that back movements like pull-ups and chins are great overall, but are a cut above the rest with regard to developing the much sought after V-taper that comes with width. This happens to be the case because vertical pulling motions?while they very often involve nearly ALL the muscles of the back?primarily involve the superficial muscles of the upper back, such as the lats. In keeping with that line of thought, it is commonly agreed that rowing-type exercises and other horizontal pullers tend to rely more heavily on the deeper muscles, such as the rhomboids, and therefore are better for thickness. This is primarily theory, and many would argue with it, but it is often the case that regardless of whether things seem to be true in a scientific context, they often work out to be accurate in real-world trials. Experience has shown this to be true quite often, and it remains especially true in terms of the aforementioned training theory. The final specialization day in out 9-day training week involves both vertical and horizontal pulling, but with higher reps and lighter weight. As has been discussed before, we?re allowing the heavy days to recruit mainly fast twitch (such as type IIb) muscle fibers; the lighter, higher rep day is intended to recruit the remaining slower-twitch fibers and allow for a good deal of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. As with any other program which focuses on a single muscle group, the rest of the body should be placed on maintenance. So, with all that boring explanation out of the way, let's get down to the business of getting all big and sexy. The Program Day 1 - Horizontal Pulling/Chest Maintenance As mentioned earlier, this day of the program is focused on using exercises which involved the rhomboids, teres muscles, and traps, mainly. Therefore, horizontal movements will be used. Additionally, because many people will begin this program on a Monday, chest maintenance work is scheduled for this day, because I didn't want to tear down your entire world all at once. A1) Bent-Over Barbell Row w/ 3 Second Pause Sets: 10 Reps: 3 Note: Pretty Basic, just hold for 3 seconds at the top of the movement A2) Barbell Bench Press Sets: 5 Reps: 5 B) Bodyweight Push-Up Sets: 2 Reps: Near Failure Day 2 - Quad and Calf Maintenance A1) Barbell Squat Sets: 6 Reps: 6 A2) Seated Calf Raise Sets: 6 Reps: 8 B) Leg Press Sets: 2 Reps: 5 Day 3 - OFF A1) Video Games A2) Eat Day 4 - Vertical Pulling Very obviously, this day harps on the lats, traps, et al. In order to accomplish the task of making all these muscles big and strong, vertical pulling exercises are brought to bear. A) Weighted Chin-Up Sets: 8 Reps: 4-6 B) Snatch Grip Rack Pull Sets: 6 Reps: 3-5 Notes: In a power rack, set the pins to around thigh height. Take hold of the bar in a snatch grip and hoist that bitch. Hold at the top of the movement for at least 5 seconds during the first few sets. In later sets, just hold as long as possible, if you cannot complete a 5 second hold. Use straps. C) Bodyweight Pull-Up Sets: 1 Reps: Failure Day 5 - Triceps and Shoulder Maintenance A1) Parallel Bar Weighted Dip Sets: 5 Reps: 5 A2) Overhead Press Sets: 5 Reps: 5 Day 6 - Hamstring Maintenance A) Good Morning Sets: 4 Reps: 6 B) Leg Curl Sets: 3 Reps: 5 Day 7 - OFF A1) Take your girlfriend out somewhere nice. A2) Buy her flowers. B1) Bring her back to your place. B2) Hit it from the back. That's what I'd do, anyway. Day 8 - High Rep Back Day A1) Wide Grip Pull Down Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 Load: A weight you can handle for roughly 15 reps. A2) Cable Row to Neck Sets: 2 Reps: 20 Load: A weight you can handle for roughly 30 reps. B1) Parallel Grip Pull Down Sets: 2 Reps: 10 Load: A weight you can handle for roughly 15 reps. B2) Dumbbell Row Sets: 3 Reps: 8 Load: A weight you can handle for roughly 10 reps. Day 9 - OFF This program is to be followed for six weeks, after which point you take a week off. If you choose to continue specializing your back, I suggest that your next six-week cycle be very similar, but also that you change many of the exercises. Blasphemy! I can almost hear the "click, clickity-click" of the keyboards as readers furiously type e-mails decrying me as a charlatan and a fraud, for certain exercise selections. Well, before you burn me at the stake for my near-heretical exclusion of the deadlift from this program, I just want to clear something up. The deadlift is an exceptional exercise, the benefits of which are too numerous to list. However, while it IS great for back development, it is not the end-all-be-all lift that people make it out to be. When you deadlift a weight, the lats contract isometrically to make sure your arms don't fly off your body and fall to the floor, still gripping the bar in some sort of grotesque scene fit for an 80's B-movie. While you're pondering that wonderful mental image, I'll continue. The important message is that it's an isometric contraction, and, while in the case of the deadlift these have been shown to be effective for increasing size, isometrics are not an optimal approach to hypertrophy. Dynamic movements, such as pull-ups, rows, etc, where you move the weight throughout a full range of motion are almost always superior to isometrics for building mass. Just think about it: we call it lifting weights, not holding weights, for the very reason that dynamic lifts (particularly the eccentric portion) are the most effective means of gettin' all big and sexy. However, because isometric contractions DO have a place in a program geared for area-specific hypertrophy, the snatch grip rack pulls have been added in. These are more specific to the lats than the traditional deadlift and should help increase width and thickness. Again, the deadlift is an excellent movement in all regards, and one which will help to give you incredible back development if used long term, but it is not one which will drastically increase your size in a matter of six-weeks; that is, not if you?ve been doing them consistently. Obviously, the best thing to do is work them back into your routine after this program, which should, in turn, yield additional benefits. Wrapping Up There you have it. All the tools you need to build a time-traveling device and go back in time to stop the writers on Dawson's Creek from ever putting Pacey and Joey together, and set things right for my boy Dawson. Okay, I lied...that's next month's article. But, uh...you have been given a great program for building a tremendous back. When you?re all done, if some bitch-ass Pacey wannabe ever tries to steal your girl, you can do a lat spread, thereby obscuring the Sun and scaring the little fool witless. When you're done laughing, take your girl home and hit it from the back. That's what I'd do, anyway. Good luck, and feel free to e-mail any question or comments. And, as always, all of the Rugged staff is available on our forum to address further concerns.
References Moore, K.L., & Agur, A.M.R. Essential Clinical Anatomy: 2nd Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002. Leonard, Charles. 1998. The Neuroscience of Human Movement. Mosby, Inc. St. Louis. Tortora, Gerard J., and Sandra Reynolds Grabowski. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000. Poliquin, Charles. 2001. Modern Trends in Strength Training. Szwed SP, et al. A comparative electromyographical investigation of muscle utilization patterns using various hand positions during the lat pull-down. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 Nov;16(4):539-46. |
