Training session - Back day

Work out for the back

This is something that many people don´t like to do. Maybe because it is "boring" exercises or some might even be afraid of looking dumb. The exercises for the back is often free at the gym while the benchpress and the dumbbells are crowded.


Here is a list of a few exercises and links to videos showing how they are done:

- Barbell Deadlift http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html
- Barbell Bent-Over Row http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/BBBentOverRow.html
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html
- Chin-Up http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/WtChinup.html
- Cable Pulldown http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBFrontPulldown.html
- Cable Seated Row http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/CBSeatedRow.html
- Dumbbell Shrug http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/TrapeziusUpper/DBShrug.html
- Lever (T-Bar) Bent-Over Row http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/LVBentOverRow.html

Like when I wrote about chest training, you can´t do all exercises in the same training session obviously. There are however some exercises that hit the same areas of your body. If you want to do your back training in one session you should try to hit every part of the back. 
But you might as well have a different split for your different training sessions. We will talk more about how to split your body into different training sessions later.

How do I train my back?

Since the back is such a huge part of your body I am careful before I engage in heavy exercises. I want to warm up properly by using lighter weights. When I got my biceps warm I often go to the Deadlift and play around with lighter weights, occasionally doing Barbell Curls for the biceps. Showing the people around me that I am just fucking around with these weights and warming up!

During the warm up part of I mess around with Deadlift, Bent-Over Row and some similar stuff just to get my body ready to go to war. Well, it is actually already. Just walking through the gym makes me fucking pumped up and ready to go. 

The first exercise I usually do is Deadlift. The reason for that is that it is such a big one. Depending on tecnique you can hit a big part of your body. There are one tecnique where you stand up straight with your legs in order to hit your legs more. I use the one on the video above though. How heavy I lift will depend on how I feel right there and then. Usually I go many repetitions on lighter weights at first to warm up properly and then I go for the heavier sets with fewer repetitions. 

Sometimes I use straps for the grip and to be able to lift heavier. I am however aware that by doing that I am not training my wrists to actually lift those weights. But to hit my strong back muscles I often go a few sets with straps. The back is stronger than my wrists which makes straps valuable to be able to lift as much as the back can handle.

Then I go Barbell Bent-Over Row since I am already holding the barbell. And I go lighter weights at first and then a few sets of heavier ones. 

Now it is time for the Romanized expression. Lats-gasm! Referring to the word orgasm, but here the feeling is in the lateral muscles. After I have been doing the Bent-Over Row I go to the Cable Pulldown. And since I have already done some exercises my back is pumped up. By doing the Cable Pulldowns I can feel the muscles work and it feels fan-fucking-tastic! 

This is another exercise where you can use your straps to hit the back harder. But it is good to do some repetitions without them as well.

After this I might finish with T-bar or the Cable Seated Row. Since the back is such a massive area of the body you can definetly do more exercises during your session than you can with for example biceps.

I do Shrugs somewhere in between the other exercises. I don´t use very heavy weights on that exercise and because of that I use it to relax a bit between heavier exercises.

The Deadlift is the major exercise for your back. If you think about it, it is the one exercise that is similar to lift something off the ground in real life situations. It also hits so many different muscles that makes it a really good basic exercise. Be careful and pay attention to your form in a mirror before you lift heavy.