A Wide Back? What to do

[Montego1]

It all depends on YOU. If u weigh 160lbs and can do twenty pullups do heavy pulldowns instead. Wide grip for width, Close grip/reverse grip for lower lats and middle back thickness.

Heavy tbar rows. Heavy dumbell rows. Heavy reverse grip bb rows. I've always gone with the thought that ur back grows from the middle outwards so I hit a lot of close grip at the start of my session then finish off with wider grip action.

[Spaniard]

It all depends on YOU. If u weigh 160lbs and can do twenty pullups do heavy pulldowns instead. Wide grip for width, Close grip/reverse grip for lower lats and middle back thickness.

Heavy tbar rows. Heavy dumbell rows. Heavy reverse grip bb rows. I've always gone with the thought that ur back grows from the middle outwards so I hit a lot of close grip at the start of my session then finish off with wider grip action.

Agree to disagree on that one... I weigh 180 for extra weight use a dip belt. I throw a plate on and I'm at 225, simple.

- Valdez

[Spaniard]

I actually like rack chins more than pull-ups when doing them regularly. Much easier on my shoulders, easier to progress on, feel them more where I should. I attribute a lot of back width to them.

I do see a lot of people turn rack chins into more of an inverted row which I feel is a different movement entirely.

They translate well into pull ups as well imo.

Rack chins are just such a pain in the ass when you lift solo... I know, I know you and your partner train together but otherwise dude its a pain in the tits

- Valdez

[Frank Reynolds]

Rack chins are just such a pain in the ass when you lift solo... I know, I know you and your partner train together but otherwise dude its a pain in the tits

- Valdez

Leave my life partner out of this..lol

But seriously I actually always trained alone until this past year, and never found them difficult. Strap my left hand in, throw a db on my lap, strap the right in, feet up on the bench.. Pretty easy.. Even when RP'ng them I would just kick my feet down, count to xx, and get back at it.
Just like this. Except easier as he has to use 2DB's..

[Rodja]

what do you mean by lower stance? Keep my grip wide, like keep my hands far apart? how far though? Like to each end of the bar? Why does the wide grip on the deadlift work your upper back more? So many questions lol, i love this stuff.

You will have to squat down lower to get to the bar due to the wider grip. I put my index finger on the outer rings and it favors the upper back because of the position of the torso in relation to the bar.

[retrofitted]

Snatch grip high pulls might be a good one to throw in as well.

[EatMoar]

It all depends on YOU. If u weigh 160lbs and can do twenty pullups do heavy pulldowns instead. Wide grip for width, Close grip/reverse grip for lower lats and middle back thickness.

Heavy tbar rows. Heavy dumbell rows. Heavy reverse grip bb rows. I've always gone with the thought that ur back grows from the middle outwards so I hit a lot of close grip at the start of my session then finish off with wider grip action.

If your doing T bar why both doing DB row , its the same movement .

[Rodja]

If your doing T bar why both doing DB row , its the same movement .

Similar, but not the same. T-bar is within a fixed place because of the grip (similarly to BB rows), but a DB does not have this same restriction.

[EatMoar]

Similar, but not the same. T-bar is within a fixed place because of the grip (similarly to BB rows), but a DB does not have this same restriction.

i love learning

[Montego1]

I also get a much better stretch with DB's and its not as hard on the lower back IMO

[EatMoar]

I also get a much better stretch with DB's and its not as hard on the lower back IMO

Agreed, BB rows always murder my lower back. Then when I try to dead lift ... i die :P

[Rodja]

Agreed, BB rows always murder my lower back. Then when I try to dead lift ... i die :P

Another reason to sub in snatch-grip. You won't be able to pull nearly as much since the leverage is far from favorable, but it targets the upper back better compared to sumo or conventional deadlifts.

[DrDeca]

for dat V,

pullups
partial deadlifts,
WG BB row
WG pulldown
single arm db row
pullups to finish....squeek whatever else in there that u want but that workout plus other ones gave me a pretty dece V

[EBroser]

For pure V-taper do not forget to include one of these every workout for back:

-DB PULLOVER
-MACHINE PULLOVER
-CABLE PULLOVER
-STIFF ARM PULLDOWN

These can be used to pre-exhaust at the beginning of a workout or finish the upper lats/teres at the end without involving the tired biceps. They also work great in a superset - pre-exhaust or post-activation.

[EatMoar]

I actually did DB rows and snatch grip dead lifts today and my lats and upper back feel destroyed. I love it . And deca, Im not a fan of doing BB rows anymore. It kills my lower back. But i pretty much do exactly what you outlined, minus partial dead lifts (i do full dead lifts) and I do low rows, to hit the middle/lower back to add some mass there.

[kbayne]

For pure V-taper do not forget to include one of these every workout for back:

-DB PULLOVER
-MACHINE PULLOVER
-CABLE PULLOVER
-STIFF ARM PULLDOWN

These can be used to pre-exhaust at the beginning of a workout or finish the upper lats/teres at the end without involving the tired biceps. They also work great in a superset - pre-exhaust or post-activation.

I love doing stiff-arm pulldown and squeezing at the bottom. Definitely feel it in the back. Great exercise. I do wish my gym had a machine pullover though, but I still for DB pullovers to replace it.

[EatMoar]

I love doing stiff-arm pulldown and squeezing at the bottom. Definitely feel it in the back. Great exercise. I do wish my gym had a machine pullover though, but I still for DB pullovers to replace it.

Hmm things to think about for my bext back day. How do you like pull overs? Work the lats well?

[kbayne]

Hmm things to think about for my bext back day. How do you like pull overs? Work the lats well?

I like stiff arm pulldowns the most. I can feel it working the best. And ya I definitely feel it in the middle/lower lats. Make sure to squeeze at the bottom. I see many people do them and throw their body into and they don't get the full benefit.

[DrDeca]

stiff arm pulldowns are great gunna include that in my next back workout

[EatMoar]

Okie sounds good to me. Yah I see people tossing around weight all the time. Sounds like a bad way to get hurt. Its all about the squeeze and slow movement . Pull downs it is!