CT,
What is the best way to bring up primarily strength in the back? I feel it is my weakest area and also smallest, second to biceps/shoulders. What would be the simplest and most straightforward fix? Not that I’m asking for an easy fix, not afraid to work hard.
Experience and solutions from people who have been in my situation is greatly appreciated.
Primarily strength is the weakness? How is the size would you say? Can you give some typical loads that you use for the back, with the loads you use for the opposite motion?
I’m not CT but I’m guessing he will recommend the snatch grip high pulls and deadstart rows. Snatch grip high pulls have significantly improved my overall mid and upper back thickness, along with traps and entire shoulder girdle. Snatch grip high pulls are one of the best exercises you can do IMHO.
[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
Primarily strength is the weakness? How is the size would you say? Can you give some typical loads that you use for the back, with the loads you use for the opposite motion? [/quote]
At the moment, the only real strength I do for my back is Bent over rows, with my body nearly parallel to the floor, generally for this I do 5x5 at 75kg - my body weight fluctuates around 97-105kg throughout the week depending on what I eat. Strength wise thats all that I use, generally a back session starts with 3 sets of wide grip pull ups, which normally go like this :
1st set x 8
2nd set x 6
3rd set x 5 / 6
Then I move onto bent over single arm rows, with my hand on a bench and balancing on my toes, ie me facing the bench and one hand on it for support. This is also done 5x5 then the bent over rows for 5x5 (75kg), then ill do 3 sets of chin ups till failure. And then ill add in some lat pulldown /w a bar on cables, with the widest grip I can do, this is normally done for 8-12 reps at a load of around 50kg.
[quote]jtbrown0511 wrote:
I’m not CT but I’m guessing he will recommend the snatch grip high pulls and deadstart rows. Snatch grip high pulls have significantly improved my overall mid and upper back thickness, along with traps and entire shoulder girdle. Snatch grip high pulls are one of the best exercises you can do IMHO.[/quote]
Last time I tried snatch grip high pulls it felt really awkward on my shoulders, after two or 3 sets I stopped doing them in fear or injuring something. This was with an olympic bar and no weights.
Forgot to mention my main goal for my back is to get more width, Its width to thickness ratio is appalling!