by Adam Knight

Created on: June 29, 2008   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

Training your back is exceedingly important for your overall strength and muscular development.

I will go so far as to say that it is the most important area to work on and the one people tend to overlook or under train. I understand this, heck I used to ignore my back the time. After all, when I look in the mirror I tend to focus more on my pecks, shoulder and biceps. Don't look at me like that. Everybody does it. It's all I can see dang it all.

What I eventually discovered through my research (re: trial and error) was that an underdeveloped back is detrimental to not only my proportional muscular development but also my long term health. Think about it. If you do nothing but train the muscles in the front of your body it will pull your posture forward every second of every day, and that will cause you pain and discomfort. Besides, I also noticed that my body plateaued like crazy until I started blasting my back in the same manner as the rest of my frame. Remember, your body needs to be in balance for continued development.

So let's talk exercises.

Deadlifts No matter the variation, the deadlift is king when it comes to a strong back. Form is crucial on this exercise, much like the squat. Improper motion will cause an injury if you are not careful or familiar with the movement. So ease into the big weights with this exercise, make sure you've got the motions down and are comfortable with them before you try to set records. Nobody likes to spend time in traction.

As I mentioned there are several different variations to the deadlift, so I'll just describe the standard one at this time. Start with the barbell already loaded up and resting on the floor. Step up to the bar with your feet just outside of shoulder width. Bend at your knees to get in position, gripping the bar at or just past shoulder width. Without arching or bending your back (keep it as straight as possible) lift the bar off the floor until you are standing upright. Keep the bar as close to your body as possible on the lift, some people like to drag it along their legs to keep it in tight. At the very peak pop your shoulders back to get a full squeeze on those latissimus muscles. It'll feel weird at first until you get used to the motion, but that squeeze at the very top is the key to the whole exercise, without that this becomes strictly a leg builder. Lower the weight to the floor in a controlled motion, do not bounce the bar off the floor that's cheating.

Chin-Ups Wide-grip, hammer grip,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>