The Top 5 Upper Back Exercises
While many weight lifters and fledgling bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts spend most of their gym time focusing on "mirror muscles" (the pecs, delts, and biceps), serious trainees know that a huge back is where it's at. Developing a wide, thick back and massive traps is the quickest way to make yourself look big and strong, even in heavy clothing.
It has to be the most standout body part a person can develop, and for good reason; the lats, rhomboids, traps, and spinal erectors make up the vast majority of the muscle mass above a person's waistline. Here are 5 exercises that you can start using to build the biggest back possible:
1. Pull-Ups / Chin-Ups
The pull-up has to be one of the best tests of overall upper-body strength, as well as one of the best ways to build wide lats. While you can certainly achieve similar results with pull-downs, many trainees (including myself) find that focusing on pull-ups for the first few years of their weight training pays enormous dividends towards lat size, back strength, and grip strength.
There are many ways to do pull-ups. The three most common grips to use are wide and pronated (palms facing away), moderate width and supinated (palms toward you, often called a "chin-up"), and close grip and parallel. Try all three and see which one you feel in your lats the most. When you're ready, starting adding extra weight with a pull-up belt to make the exercise more challenging.
2. Barbell Rows
There seem to be a nearly infinite number of ways to do the rowing motion in a gym, but the best all-around rowing movement has got to be the barbell row. It allows you to use very heavy weights while still keeping acceptable form, and it actually helps many trainees' bench press strength.
Do barbell rows with your torso bent at about a 45-degree angle, your palms pronated, a moderately wide grip, and a belt and straps if you need them. Don't be afraid to put a little jerk into the motion; as long as you keep the exercise focused on your back, you're golden.
3. Dumbbell Rows
While barbell rows are the best rowing exercise for most people, the dumbbell row can be just as effective for some. Since you're only using one hand at a time, you can use the other to brace yourself and give yourself a little help when the movement gets hard. This allows trainees to use quite a bit more weight on each side than if they did both at once.
I have found that the best way to do dumbbell rows is to use straps, choke up on the handle, and really rip the weight up as fast as I can, similar to the motion you use to start a lawn mower. Most lifters use a flat bench to brace themselves, but I prefer to take a three-point stance, with the free hand on a dumbbell rack, and my feet spread wide and solidly placed.
4. Close Grip Pull-Downs
While pull-ups are your best bet for building a wide back, adding cable pull-downs into your routine can also be of great advantage, especially when your back and / or grip is too tired from other pulling movements. Many advanced lifers that have gotten all they can out of pull-ups use pull-downs as their main lat-builder.
I have found that using the close grip, DD handle that most people use for seated rows works best for hitting the lats with pull-downs. I have tried pronated and underhand variations, but they never seem to work my lats as well as their pull-up counterparts.
5. Deadlifts
Last but not least is not only the best back exercise you can do, but one of the best all-around mass builders for your whole body. Some people prefer to use partial-range deadlifts to stimulate the back, but I have found the best back-building results from doing the conventional (feet close), full range exercise. This movement allows the vast majority of trainees to handle more weight than on any other exercise, and it has proven to be one of the best movements for the lats and traps there are. Just look at any good powerlifter's traps for evidence of this.
The best way to perform deadlifts, once you have good form down, is to use very heavy weights for low reps. I usually do one set of about 4-6 reps, at most, and then drop the weight a little to do a set around 8 reps. Not only will going too high in reps on this movement remove the benefit of using very heavy weights, but it will cause your form to break down and possibly cause you injury.
