Help Creating Chest/Back Routine

Training Bodybuilding
1

Hey everyone- I recently read that excessive work of the chest (in relation to the back) can cause postural problems i.e. shoulders pulled forward, hands in “pocket position”. Basically, after concentrating on the chest for the last year and 1/2, the same postural problem has happened to me.

I’d like to design a routine in which I do maintenance work on the chest and really work the back (the muscles I want to target are, I believe ,called the scapular retractors) so I can correct the postural problem. Since I’ve never been in a position like this, I’d a appreciate some help.

More to the point, I’d like to know how many exercises/sets are necessary for maintenance, and how many exercises/sets are needed to really help bring up that inner portion of the back. Also, im familiar with most of the back exercises, but maybe someone can help me pinpoint the ones that will be most useful to help me reach my goal.

Thanks for the help
-straightdraw

2

These can help you get started with some back exercises:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=248big2

and

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_85back

3

I think Ian King (or maybe Poliquin) reccomeds a 1:3 ratio of volume in favour of the lagging muscle group i.e. for every one set of chest work, you do three sets of rhomboid/mid trap/post. delt work. You could do 1:3 sets or 1:3 execises. So long as the greater volume is in favour of the weaker body part it should be fine.

Check out Neanderthal no more by Eric and Mike (last week or maybe the week before) for an excellent postural rehabilitation workout which should help you maintain you current strength levels.

Good luck.

Patch.