There are numerous factors that make the back the most difficult area of the body to develop in terms of muscular hypertrophy and strength.
Lack of good back development amongst physique athletes in most cases is never a manifestation of lack of training and effort, but rather incorrect techniques and limitations of an understanding of anatomical functionality.
With innumerable ‘fitness experts’ and personal trainers posessing limited education, it’s no wonder the basics of back training are often misinterpreted or marred amongst the proclamation of ‘revolutionary techniques.’
Advanced movements are by no means unacceptable in terms of implementation into your routine. There is, however, much to be said concerning the importance of focusing on the basic principles, in order to target specified areas of the back, with the optimal resistance desired.
Anatomy
The back is composed of a large variety of muscle bellies. In bodybuilding, the ‘lats’ (latissimus dorsi) receive the greatest amount of attention due to their excessive size when compared to the remaining musculature.
The lats span both sides of the back, from the superior and medial part of the ilium (pelvis), the lower spine via the spinous process of the lumbar spine and lower thoracic spine, all the way up to attach to the lesser tubercle of the humerus – after passing and attaching to the inferior angle of the posterior scapula.
Unlike the pecs, the lats present differences in fiber directions and movement resulting from several joints. These, of course, can ultimately determine the specificity of movement patterns to determine which area of the back receives stress during resistance training.
Lats function for several joints, as mentioned.
Such include:
• Retraction, depression, and downward rotation of the scapula
• GH (glenohumeral) joint extension, internal rotation, and adduction
• Lumbar and thoracic extension
• Side-bend and rotation
The other main constituents of the back relative to a bodybuilder include the Teres Major, which attaches from the lower, lateral, posterior scapula, to the humerus – as well as the Trapezius, which attaches from the thoracic / cervical spine / skill to the scapular spine.
The Trapezius, commonly referred to as the ‘traps’, are itemized into upper, middle, and lower divisions. Lastly, the Rhomboid (both minor and major) attach from the upper thoracic vertebrae to the scapula (medial).
These given attachments will allow us to have knowledge concerning how to structure our back routine. They will assist in exercise selection and execution.
Exercise Selection
Developing a back routine can be an exhausting task for some given the nearly infinite number of possible combinations of movements.
Experience levels, goals, and personal mechanics should all play a pivotal role in your selections. Keep in mind that there are no ‘secret’ exercises that will ultimately lead you to an increase in hypertrophy, more so than simply following the basics with concentration on form and function.
Often times, the problem of ‘basics’ lies in the fact that they can NEVER be emphasized enough. Often the blame can lie with the failure of the many trainers to iterate their importance.
Below is a list of common mistakes, as well as accompanying corrections, that will yield an increase in results if followed:
Ignoring Motion of the Scapula
Lat involvement in a given exercise is primarily influenced by scapular movement.
Due to the body’s inevitable struggle to make movement patterns ‘easier’, proper scapular movement is essentially impossible unless a mindful effort is made to do so.
In exercises such as traditional cable rows, barbell rows, and machine rows, the scapular motion should call for retraction during the concentric portion of the movement. This method recruits both the traps and the rhomboids to emphasize the contraction of the lats (amongst other, secondary muscles).
Whenever an athlete changes the plane of motion (e.g. lat pulldowns), it is important that scapular motion parallels the respective movement pattern. Scapular motion should remain directly in opposition during a given exercise.
In the pulldown example, ideal movement of the scapula is downward rotation and depression.
This process is often arduous for those lacking experience.
A common way to help alleviate this is to focus on scapular motion and humeral motion as two separate entities. Each rep is seemingly two separate movement patterns formed into one. Through progression, exercise execution will ultimately become more fluid and will become a single motion.
Handle Selection
Handle selection during cable exercises is specific to the individual, however there are general rules that apply. For most athletes, the traditional close-grip attachment is sufficient for both row and pulldown variations.
A common issue arises when individuals enter the concentric portion of the movement, as the arms inadvertently leave the sagittal plane.
Handle width should be correlated proportionally to an individual’s shoulder width (e.g. those athletes with wider shoulders should utilize wider handles).
Using a handle that is too narrow will lead to resistance of GH joint internal rotation as well as decreasing the available range of motion. Ideally, an optimal situation would call for an athlete to use a parallel grip handle that is at least shoulder width.
Trunk Instability
A lack in sufficient trunk stability, especially during back training, will lead to an inability to experience maximum resistance whilst still maintaining desired form. What’s more, such deficiencies (or at least the lack of consciousness concerning stabilization of the trunk) can lead to injury.
The anatomic location and function of the lats presents a dilemma: traditional exercises (all rows, pullovers, pulldowns, etc.) are unable to simply apply forward resistance solely at the glenohumeral joint. In addition, resistance is experienced by the entirety of the spine. A limiting factor will often times be observable through inadequate hip strength or underdevelopment of the spinal erectors / abdominals.
Generally, motion at the hips should be limited (if not eliminated completely) during rowing exercises to maximize effectiveness as well as safety. Using an excessive amount of resistance does nothing in terms of benefit to the lats, or the accompanying muscles.
Those who lack trunk stability (and are preferably working to alleviate this deficiency) can benefit from lying prone during rowing exercises (such as on an incline bench or T-bar row machine with a pad). Furthermore, limitations in spinal rotation should be observed and worked to correct during one-arm rows and similar movements. Despite the common belief concerning the perceived benefits of ‘stretching’ the lats, spinal motions can lead to injury and again do essentially nothing to benefit the back.
Lack of Machine-use during Back Training
Back, perhaps more than any other muscle group, presents the highest inclination to benefit from the use of machines. This, of course, is due in large part to injury prevention and maintenance of ideal resistance / form as discussed above.
Machines offer the ability to create and manipulate different resistance profiles, which is essential to optimizing hypertrophy over time. An exercise’s ‘resistance profile’ is an analysis of where the movement is difficult, and where it is easy (i.e. where the highest resistance is experienced).
During free weight movements, gravity causes the resistance profile to be exclusively downward. Machines allow the athlete to experience variations in resistance profiles by offering changes in resistance at the extremes of the movements.
Pullups and Pulldowns – Hand Positioning
Common ‘gym knowledge’ presents the notion that using wider grips has an effect on the width of one’s lats. This fallacy can lead to extreme reductions in back stimulation. Fixed bars will ultimately determine stimulation as well as movement.
Pulldowns offer several options with regard to handles and grip-width, which therefore leads to options in planes of motion. Most commonly, we utilize the frontal plane (experienced when doing traditional, wide-grip pulldowns / pullups).
Specificity and precision in grip-width is very important to optimizing stimulation. Lack of adequate width, or too much width, can lead to limitations in range of motion. If the hands are too wide, range of motion is limited during the shortened and lengthened end of the movements. If the hands are too narrow, range of motion can be displaced by the elbows, thusly leading to limitations at the shoulder.
Optimal hand positioning requires that hands be positioned at slightly less than the width of the elbows while the shoulders are at 90 degrees.
Some individuals have structural frameworks that are inclined to ‘foldability’ (generally those with narrow shoulders and long arms), and can thereby be at a mechanical disadvantage. These athletes will typically experience the most benefit from using a shoulder width-grip, which will transfer motion to the sagittal plane.
Many individuals present an active range of motion (AROM) that is less than 180 degrees, or directly above the head. This causes an undesirable amount of stimulation of the lats. It’s imperative that one monitors active shoulder flexion prior to selecting a pulldown angle. Backward lean (without swinging) is advisable for those who are unable to access 18º degrees of flexion.
Conclusion
There isn’t a document or article in the world that can definitively summarize all the important aspects and recommendations for back training. This though can serve as a great tool to guide you into making informed decisions about the structure of your routine, as well as the nuances associated with optimal exercise execution.
