Attack your Back

Surely one of the most impressive body parts worthy of the fullest development is the back. Comprised primarily of the latissimus dorsi, the flaring "wing" muscles that, as the largest muscles of the back, give a well-developed physique an impressive V-taper, the trapezius, which lends thickness to the upper back, and the spinal erectors that support the spine and appear as muscular columns attached to the lower back, the back as a whole can be seen from all angles, making it a valuable asset for any bodybuilding competitor.

Given the back is such a large body part, with a large collection of specific muscles that all have different functions, training it can be a complex task that requires many exercises and sets. Targeting the lower, upper, inner and outer back muscles is something that, to be done successfully, demands massive overload. Like the legs, the back can take a lot of work and will less likely be over-trained with 15 to 20 sets per workout as would be the arms or chest with the same number of sets.

It is important then to select at least four exercises, each stimulating a specific region of the back, to force growth. Supersets, forced reps, rest pause and drop sets are all strategies that can be used to successfully tax the back to get it growing again. Those who train the back with more rather than less tend to agree that this is the only way to stimulate it sufficiently.

Since the back cannot, in most cases, be seen while it is being trained, it is often cited as being very hard to sufficiently target, the rational being you cannot fully train what you cannot see. Therefore it is extra important to feel the back through a full range of motion, to squeeze the muscles thoroughly, and to visualize what is going on back there to get maximal development.

The back is an important grouping of muscles in that it supports all we do. Whether sitting, standing, running or lifting, the back takes the strain and provides stability. A weak back, then, means that all other activities we participate in are compromised and this includes weightlifting. Without a strong back, the pressure we can put on other muscle groups in the gym is lessened.

To achieve adequate back strength, we must train it from all angles. Generally this means choosing basic width and thickness movements along with a variety of isolation exercises to promote even development and the resultant structural support.

Onstage the back really shines as it gives the illusion of greater overall size whether viewed from the back, front or side. For example, when some competitors stand side-on in the symmetry round they almost disappear due to poor back development. And from the back, of course, it is "game over" if you cannot demonstrate both width and thickness.