While a well developed chest and arms is clearly an important part of any complete physique, the truth is that these muscles only play a small role when compared to a much larger, much more intricate muscle group that most people severely neglect in their training programs.
The muscles that I am referring to would be the traps, lats, rhomboids, lower back and the spinal erectors. These are the major muscles in the back.
I want to make sure that you are able to get as powerful and as thick as you would like to be. Nothing will make this happen faster for you than developing your back muscles. Believe it or not, about 70% of your upper body muscle mass resides right in your back.
So get up off the bench press and put away the EZ-curl bar and follow this simple workout that will allow you to build the back you need to achieve the look you want.
There are just four movements that you will need to concentrate on in order to properly develop your back muscles.
1) Deadlifts: These are extremely important as there is not an exercise out there that can even come close to matching the effectiveness of this. You should perform 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps of the bent-legged barbell deadlift.
The deadlift will work you from finger to neck to toe and is irreplaceable in developing strong, thick back muscles.
2) A vertical pulling movement: These exercises mainly target the lat muscles and will help you to attain that wide, v-tapered look from behind. Examples of vertical pulling movements are chin-ups (overhand or underhand), lat pulldowns and v-bar pulldowns. Your workout routine must include 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps.
3) A horizontal pulling movement: Otherwise referred to as “rows”, horizontal pulling movements place their emphasis on the upper/middle portion of the back and also stimulate the lats. There are a ton of different rowing movements to choose from: bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated machine rows and cable rows just to name a few. Your gym workout routine must include 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps.
4) A shrugging movement: While not quite as important as the above mentioned lifts, a shrugging movement should still be performed at the end of the workout to target the upper traps and develop that mountainous, diamond-shaped look from behind. Add 2 Sets of 10 to 12 reps to your bodybuilding workouts.
While it may not seem like a lot, you will need to make sure that you are focusing on the quality of the workout versus the quantity. This will ensure that there is enough muscle stimulation for the best back growth.
Perform this workout once per week with full effort and I guarantee that your upper body will appear thicker, wider and more muscular than ever before.
You can find here a lot of free bodybuilding workouts, articles and programs. Find a lot of information about bodybuilding supplement industry to reveal the honest truth about building muscle, maximizing strength and dissolving away unwanted bodyfat. Visit us if you want to read more Bodybuilding Articles
