Only the best practical recommendations for the training process in bodybuilding for a set of maximum muscle mass. Well-developed back muscles perfectly adorn the upper body. If you have narrow shoulders, then thanks to a developed back, you will visually eliminate this problem, and you will also be able to improve your posture. With the correct technique for performing the movements, the athlete can independently shape his figure. Now we will focus on the practice of pumping muscles in bodybuilding.
The structure of the muscles of the back
All back muscles have two things in common: a diagonal direction and an attachment to the spine. As a result, the muscles are involved in extending the spinal column, maintaining posture, moving the arms back and pronating them. In total, it is customary to distinguish four groups of back muscles, and now we will dwell on them in more detail.
Trapeze
The trapeziums converge in the area of the scapula, and the fibers of these muscles have different lengths, since their shape resembles a triangle, the base of which is the spine. The group owes its name to a shape that resembles a trapezoid. However, if you look at the anatomical atlas, then these muscles are more like a rhombus of irregular shape, the acute angle of which is directed to the lumbar region.
Since the trapezoid fibers are directed radially, their different parts do not perceive the load in the same way. It depends primarily on the vector of application of the effort. The task of the trapezium is to move the scapula, as well as tilt the head to the sides and back.
Lats
It is the lats that are often referred to as "wings". These are the widest muscles in the back and cover most of this area of the body. The lats are attached with one side to a special tubercle of the humerus, and the other to the lumbar and sacral vertebrae, as well as the ribs.
It should be noted that the width of the lower section of the muscles is due to the presence of long tendons, and not fibers. This fact also affects the function of the muscles, the main task of which is to pronate the shoulder, pull the body to the shoulder joints, and during intense breathing - displacement of the ribs upward.
Rhomboid muscle
This group consists of two muscles - large and small. For bodybuilders, the main feature of the rhomboid muscles is their ability to push the traps outward, which makes it possible to create beautiful bumps. The rhomboid muscle controls the movement of the scapula.
Straightening muscles
This group is essential for maintaining posture and consists of three muscles. Any tilt of the body engages the erector muscles.
Features of training back muscles
The back muscles work very actively not only during strength training, but also in everyday life. This makes them powerful enough and resistant to stress. However, athletes often have problems with their back, although they are primarily associated not with the muscles, but with the spinal column.
Among the most common injuries of the spinal column, it should be noted pinched nerve endings, curvature, as well as herniated disc. In most cases, the cause of these injuries is the same - high loads and violation of the technique of performing exercises.
Anyone who decides to engage in bodybuilding needs to learn to hear their body. Gaining mass is not a simple lifting of weights, but is a rather complex system, the basis of which is two phases - muscle work and rest. If in everyday life your work is connected with physical activity, then your muscles need more time to recover. In order to progress and avoid overtraining, you need to use less loads in the gym compared to people who are inactive in everyday life.
We have already said that the muscles of the back affect the posture and harmony of the spinal column. For this reason, it is important to develop them symmetrically. If you have one side lagging behind (say, the right hand turned out to be stronger than the left), then you need to switch to using dumbbells. Start training from the lagging side in this situation. Also, many athletes train back straighteners at the end of the session, when there is very little energy left. For this reason, you are not able to properly load this group of muscles, but it, in turn, is very important for protecting the back from damage.
Best Back Exercises
When choosing exercises for your training program, you can refer to the experience of pro-athletes. At the same time, it is quite possible that you will need to tweak the angles a little in order to improve the pumping of the muscles. As we have already said, the lats are the basis of the back. There are four excellent movements to work on this group.
Row bar in an inclined position
This is a basic and highly effective movement that allows you to work well on your lats. It is important to ensure that when performing it, the body does not bend, and you can rest your head on a comfortable plane. This will eliminate the deflection of the trunk.
In addition, you can perform movement at different angles:
- Upper Section - Pull the projectile towards the chest.
- Lower Section - Pull the bar towards the abdomen.
This exercise will be a great addition to horizontal pull-ups on a low bar. And if you don’t have enough strength for pull-ups yet, then the recline deadlift is a great substitute for them. In one approach, 5 to 10 repetitions should be performed.
Dumbbell Rows
The movement is similar to the previous one, but it is designed for the work of each hand separately. To make it comfortable for you to perform the exercise, place the knee joint of one leg and the arm of the same name on a bench. Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows you to increase the amplitude and, as a result, work out the muscles better. Do 5 to 10 reps per set.
Pull-ups behind the head
Pull-ups can be replaced by work on a high block. This is quite convenient, since it becomes possible to qualitatively progress the load, changing the weight of the blocks for this. If your shoulder girdle muscles are not well developed, then it is best to start with regular pull-ups or pull-ups in the direction of the chest. Choose such a working weight so that you can do 12 to 15 repetitions in one approach.
Pullover
To increase the range of motion, do this exercise on a bench. In addition to the lats, the pectoralis major muscle is also actively involved in the work. If the pullover is performed with a barbell, then in one approach, 6 to 10 repetitions should be performed. When using dumbbells, the number of repetitions should be increased to 10-15.
Trapeze training
The most effective for the development of trapeziums are shrugs, which allow you to almost completely isolate the load and effectively work out the trapezoid. This is a fairly simple exercise in technical terms. It is important to remember that when performing it, the hands should be lowered down. And the movement is performed only by the shoulder joints. Do 8-12 reps in one set.
Lower back
For training the erector muscles, the best exercise is a tilt with a barbell located on the shoulders. The exercise is quite simple from a technical point of view and you only need to follow two rules:
- Knee joints should not take part in the work.
- The back should remain straight.
The tilt should be completed when the body is parallel to the ground. Do 10 to 15 reps per set.
Back workout from Stanislav Lindover in this video:
