what have you done for your physique this year? Always say you are too skinny and use lack of time as an excuse to build muscle? But there is no shortage of little ones who have worked really hard and have been persevering, seeking ways to break through themselves. In terms of back training alone, there are many ways to get thicker and stronger like a master.
there has actually been a lot written about how to strengthen your back, and a lot of it is telling you to train your muscles from a relatively different perspective.
If muscle building is the training goal, the approach is of course to maximise the mechanical tension of the muscles while minimising the stress on the joints. When training the back in particular, targeting the spine, the movements should subject the spine to minimal contraction, torque and shear forces.
all back movements expose the spine to a certain level of force. This force is kept to a minimum and allows the bones and tendons to perform continuous positive adaptations without overloading them. When training the back, feel the stimulation from the muscles rather than having the spine feel the squeeze.
Avoid the cost of incorrect movements. We have selected 8 movements at the right spinal pressure. These movements are not in "Best to worst" Order, but are simply an explanation of movements that are designed to build muscle effectively.
1. Prone machine row
this movement is a staple in many training programmes. The overhead row is easy to complete, easy to progress and back friendly, even for those who have not been exposed to it. There are various ways to do the overhead row, which can be done with ropes, dumbbells, t-bars or other equipment.
complete 2-5 sets of 5-20 reps each, depending on conditions.
2. High/low rope rowing
perform a full body workout with all possible contraction angles that can be achieved. By performing rope rows in the high or low position of the gantry, in a multi-angle manner, specifically targeting the upper, middle or lower back in a way that traditional dumbbell and barbell rows cannot.
the higher the reps of this movement, the better the results. Do 2-5 sets of 10-20 reps each.
3. High reps barbell good morning bow
is this a spine friendly movement? Yes. The barbell good morning bow has not only been found to be very effective for muscle building, but is also a better way to make adaptations throughout the erector spinae, especially the lumbar spine and sacrum.
go from 10 reps all the way up to 30 reps. It is required that the weight used is light enough. You can start with an empty bar and do the maximum weight just adding 10kg on both sides.
High reps and light weights are suitable for almost everyone. 2 to 3 sets of 10-30 reps per set are very effective.
4. Single arm dumbbell stationary row
this movement requires the trainer to pause at the highest point for 3 seconds during each movement and return to the starting position, requiring a stable back and a firm grip.
this movement can be corrected if the rowing movement is still unstable. For this movement, prioritise doing low reps as it quickly fatigues the muscles. Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps each. Decreasing sets can also be used for this movement and are very effective.
5. Overhead barbell stationary row
the overhead barbell stationary row is an old-fashioned workout. Similar to the dumbbell, the barbell forces the correct stimulation of the sides of the back in each movement and is also a self-correcting movement.
use a relatively slow pace to complete the movement. Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps each.
6. Weighted pull-ups
although weighted pull-ups can be criticised for being unfriendly to the shoulders, this is more likely to be due to people neglecting to train destructively for shoulder health rather than the exercise itself being faulty.
weighted pull-ups are difficult, take time to complete and progress slowly through the workout. You can use a weighted belt to do them at first, 5kg is all you need, then gradually increase the weight. Do 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps each.
7. Meadowshrug
the meadows shrug has a 3 second contraction at the highest point of each movement. So this can only be done using the actual weight to complete the movement and also significantly prolongs the time the muscle is under tension. Complete 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps.
8. Dumbbell hard pull
this movement incorporates the romanian hard pull, the straight leg hard pull and the single leg hard pull. The dumbbell hard pull can be used as a "Maximal strength" Move for those who are new to fitness, and can be a particularly useful muscle building move for old timers.
stimulates the entire posterior chain of the body by changing the trajectory of the movement. It is easier to emphasise the latissimus dorsi, upper back and grip strength when doing this movement. Complete 2-6 sets of 6-10 reps each.
Finally
this movement may not be the most exhaustive, but these movements do make up the 10 most effective and spine-friendly movements available. It also brings some new food for thought to the training routine. A new approach to long term gains, strength and muscle development in the back.
if there is a problem with the method, improve it immediately. There is a limit to the amount of time you can spend training each day, put in what works so that your back can get thicker and thicker.
