Best things to widen your back?

[Tman2002]

I try to concentrating on lat pull downs with the widest grip I can get and all pull ups with the widest grip I can get. But it doesn't seem to do it. what else can I do?

try vbar pull downs and tbar rows. Dumbell rows are good too.

edit: listen to phil

 

[Future]

Considering the Silverback that you are I am doing this for sure. Thanks! I love picking up practical tips.

Forget the stretching betweeen sets, it wil make your recovery time slower and you will not be as strong. You are stretching each rep, lets not overkill this thing. Do pullups, not pull downs. Yes, shoulder width grip ALWAYS. On rows, keep elbows OUT because now we are targeting a different set of muscles. I like to use dumbells for rows, two at a time just held at my side, palms facing my calves the whole time. Remember to keep YOUR BACK ARCHED, CHEST OUT and get parallel to the ground. Also, no need to monotonize the routine. Do DB rows and forget the cable rows, and never take a narrow grip, always shoulder width. With a narrow grip you are so restricted with movement that it basically becomes a good brachialis movement and not much else.

 

[oldfella]

Phil, This is some of the best back advice I've seen. It is about working a muscle through it's full range of motion. Lots of people believe that the wider the grip the wider your back! it does not work this way. I tend to use a grip just outside shoulder width for pulls and chins. The double d/bell bent over row is a brutal back builder. It will build width and thickness. One of the best for rowing!

 

[edge250]

think yates and how he did his movements, nothing wide. full range of movement, peak contractions, full stretch.

 

[thebrick]

Phil's advice is dead on. One of my favorites is narrow or shoulder width pull downs with a underhand grip concentrating on pulling at the elbows, not bi's. I really feel it in my lats. Good genetics with low lat insertions help too.

 

[km2000]

Whats the cost on something like that per session? Im sure health insurance doesnt pick up anything on it, right? I would like to look into it too, but wondering how I would go about finding someone that can really work the muscles like you describe.

health insurance wont cover it....

your prob lookin at 50-75 dollars an hr session, I am fortunate and trade for training with my therapist so the cost is nothing to me....

again make sure you find someone good, or it will be a waste of money....

 

[anabolicfan]

another thing to do is to get a deep tissue massage 1 to 2 times a week, you will need to find asomeone that knows their anatomy, and has a eye for bodybuilding....

my guys is 6'3" 290lbs, so he is able to get some leverage on me as well, I get this done 2x a week, 3x precontest... by far one of the most important factors in my routine next to training and nutrition. the firsd few times you get it done you will be wiped out and not be able to train for a day or 2(if it is done correctly), also it shoud hurt, like really hurt...(I have to bite a rag sometimes) if they are making it feel good it is not being done correctly... getting rid of some of those knots and increasing blood flow will really make the muscle pop when you flex as well...

you wll have to shop around though and find someone that is good, a male preferably so they have the strength to get into the muscle deep....

THIS WORKS AND HURTS!!!!

 

[littleguy]

ok so to be clear on this. pullups elbows forward. On rows, elbows OUT. always shoulder width

 

[anabolicfan]

I PAY 50 A VISIT.....

 

[gten79]

Forget the stretching betweeen sets, it wil make your recovery time slower and you will not be as strong. You are stretching each rep, lets not overkill this thing. Do pullups, not pull downs. Yes, shoulder width grip ALWAYS. On rows, keep elbows OUT because now we are targeting a different set of muscles. I like to use dumbells for rows, two at a time just held at my side, palms facing my calves the whole time. Remember to keep YOUR BACK ARCHED, CHEST OUT and get parallel to the ground. Also, no need to monotonize the routine. Do DB rows and forget the cable rows, and never take a narrow grip, always shoulder width. With a narrow grip you are so restricted with movement that it basically becomes a good brachialis movement and not much else.

Great post Phil!

 

[Big Danny]

rows, reverse grip pulldowns, deadlifts

 

[pupeye]

I thought this was mentioned before, so i did a search. I was under the impression wide grip was best for lat development, and lats are what make your back look wide. The following quote is from a thread 3/06/06.

I recently suffered a tear of the Teres Major while doing deadlifts. While searching for articles about injuries of the teres major I found this study:**broken link removed**
It records via EMG which form of Lat Pulldown gives the best muscle stimulation. The conclusion:
"To summarise, the wide-grip-anterior form of the lat pull-down was the clear favourite from the perspective of the latissimus dorsi muscles. During both concentric and eccentric phases of the pull-down, the latissimus dorsi displayed greater electrical activity with the wide-grip-anterior position, compared with the other three variations of the lat pull-down."

 

[Moen]

That probably because there is less bicep action in the wide grip version thus a larger proportion coming from the lats

It should be about the biggest total action wich will always be greater with a reverse small grip eventhough a larger proportion of biceps will come into play (this is a good thing!)

 

[littleguy]

I tried lat pull downs shoulder width elbows out and I felt my lats spread out more. I also watched others do the same exercise and most used the wider grip

 

[Conan21]

Phil is right about the the narrower grip targetting and stretching the back muscles better. I like to do the rack chin better though with my feet up. Takes away the swaying motion and I can focus more of the effort into pulling with the back.

Personally I think the best back exercises are always rowing movements.

Proper form is important too. Even more important if you have large shoulders and arms and a weak back. When that happens, people have a tendency to pull more with their arms and shoulders than back.

 

[lionel]

rows

Phil is right about the the narrower grip targetting and stretching the back muscles better. I like to do the rack chin better though with my feet up. Takes away the swaying motion and I can focus more of the effort into pulling with the back.

Personally I think the best back exercises are always rowing movements.

Proper form is important too. Even more important if you have large shoulders and arms and a weak back. When that happens, people have a tendency to pull more with their arms and shoulders than back.

I keep seeing a lot of this.. row = meat and potatoes of back exercises. But i've always had the toughest time with them.. solutions like not cheating the weight up, pendlay rows, elbows in/out etc just don't seem to work. Going light is ok, but there'll come a point where you're lifting sissy weight and when you try and increase a little, you go back to the same lousy form.

Is there anything i'm missing here? Would appreciate some tips/pointers on building a good mind muscle connection when doing rows

 

[Moen]

You have to make sure to do rows explosively, it's only logical you turn it into a sort of drag curl when you do it slowly

The lats are big explosive muscles (generally the bigger = the more explosive they contract) so you must train them as such