My upper back is really weak and pretty non existant. I thought i was training it well but for some reason i wasn’t and it has very little development. Do any readers or coaches have any advice on movements i can to do buff it up relatively fast?
Power cleans, power snatch, deadlifts, rack pulls and jump shrugs. Rows and chins are great, but you are probably already doing these, so it might be time for a change.
It’d help if we knew what exercises you’re doing now… 
well my rotator cuff on my right shoulder was messed up, so thats why it doen’st have much development. I used to do a lot of cleans and I didn’t grow probably because of the rotator cuff. I went to an ART guy and he fixed it right up. Now I have to strengthen my back to make my posture better. I want some good exercises to make it get bigger. I do some of the stuff in top 7 upper back exercises and other articles i found around here, but a lot of the stuff i can’t do cuz its too weak.
This is a good topic BoxCar. I experance the same problem. My chest, arms and obliques are comming along really well, but my lats are still pretty small. Currently i am doing bent over arm rows with 25 - 30Kg, 3 sets of 10 reps. I also do wide arm chinups and squats. I hear that the heavier and less approach is better for building the back? Is this true…i would really like some come back on this, as this is one area that i, and i belive a lot of others, struggle with. Thanks. Paul Govier
My back didn’t grow until I implemented some rock, steel iron training ala Steve Justa. I now do his keg program and that has really shot my size up on my back. It has also brought up to speed my shoulders. I too had major tear in my rotator.
Balance your back now!!! I finally got around to checking my muscle balances a couple of years back and the were way off (check the articles on the site). So in 1999, I started down the road to correct my balances (example Bench Press to Seated Hammer Rows) I reuded the amount of chest work I ways doing to a maintance level and focused on my back and rotator cuffs. Well, It was slow, but it hads played off. My shoulders don’t hurt all the time, just after heavy workouts and then it is gone the next morning. So by all means balance out now!!!
Best of Luck.
Interesting stuff about rotator cuffs. I have always lacked the strength to do more than 7-8 wide grip pullups, although I can do about 15 chins. Also, I’m weak on wide grip pulldowns. I am also pretty strong in rowing movements. I hurt both rotator cuffs in high school, the right one twice (10 years ago). I cannot do behind neck presses or upright rows with out alot of pain. Could my rotator cuffs be holding me back? Has anyone else experiences this?
One arm barbell snatches, as prescribed by Coach Davies in a recent issue of test. are currently working the shit out of my middle and upper back.
I dont know if i can do any cleans or snatches because my ART guy told me not to for now.
Try 6 second negatives with the pull up bar. You’ll probably need a training partner to help you get to the top each time. It works whenever Im sick of normal pull ups.
Do what Jason Norcross said and read Strong and Healthy Shoulders by John Paul Catazarro (sp). I have found close push presses to work well for rhomboids.
Yeah, i have that problem to TJ. I can do normal chins fine (15 - 20) but the wide grip (knuckle facing me) for back, i can barley squeeze out 5 - 6. I must admit, i increased my weight on bent over 1 arm rows to 30Kg (66lb) and do 10,9,9,8 on both arms. My chest is feeling a lot more tense now. So hopefully if i keep this up then i should see some Improvements. Would anyone reccommend say trying 40Kg (88lb) and try doing say 4,4,3,2 or is it just not worth it ? thanks. Paul Govier
here are two I refer back to for rotator cuffs:
www.testosterone.net/html/52balan.html
www.testosterone.net/html/body_145shldr.html