[duckfish12]

my weak point at the moment are my lats i just cant seem to get them to grow has anyone had the same problem and does any1 know of a orsome back routine that will bulk my lats up all help appreciated thx

[Mygeeto]

prioritse them..put them at the front of your routine..hit them with barbell rows, deadlifts, one arm dumbbell rows, cable rows
just do everything with medium weights/ medium reps except for barbell rows and deadlifts..do them last and do them heavy

[tjbentham]

Originally Posted by duckfish12

my weak point at the moment are my lats i just cant seem to get them to grow has anyone had the same problem and does any1 know of a orsome back routine that will bulk my lats up all help appreciated thx

theres no one routine that is the secret its not that easy, and of course everyone is different, so one person might need 6 work sets another might need 20...this is where u have to experiment, and when u find what works for u its a very rewarding thing.

from my experience, i prefer a medium range of sets around 9-12 sets on back day, ive tried from dorian style to arnies, but this has given me best results so far.....

typical back day:
deadlifts pyramid up to warm up over about 4 sets til get to our first work set,

first set is heaviest go to failure with about 3-6 reps
2 more sets in that range, usually need to take bit of weight off the bar for 2nd and 3rd sets

then we take 1 or 2 rowing movements choosing from barbell rows t bar rows db rows etc, and pull ups or pull downs for width and we do 3 sets of 6-10 reps for each exercise starting heavy and taking about 5% off each set.

u cant however do deads to failure every week for instance so we have to do some cycling and also use exercises like hyperextensions, and good mornings from time to time.

i have to say this tho: USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!!!! do u really thing ur the only person ever to ask this question?

[tjbentham]

Originally Posted by Mygeeto

prioritse them..put them at the front of your routine..hit them with barbell rows, deadlifts, one arm dumbbell rows, cable rows
just do everything with medium weights/ medium reps except for barbell rows and deadlifts..do them last and do them heavy

this is flawed: do the heavy stuff FIRST when u are at ur strongest

[Mygeeto]

just go strait to the heavist set of the deadlift the moment u walk in the gym without warming up? is that wat ur trying to say, that warm ups are flawd? coz imo EVERYTHING is just a warm up till u get to the big 3

[tjbentham]

reread my post, i do 4 or so lighter sets adding like 50lb a set or whatever til i get close to my worksets, and u cant go around warming up for 40minutes on other exercises what the hell. warm up on bike or treadmill then do some light sets of deads in this example, stretch between sets then get go balls to the wall. You're telling me ur not going all out for most of ur workout?

[Sparky_dustin]

how bout you guys compromise and do the heavy stuff in the middle of the workout? warmed up but not fatigued enought to affect the workout

[tjbentham]

well warm up thoroughly first, at least 5 mins gentle cardio and like 4 warm up sets pyramiding up in weight then let rip.

[Kommando]

Make sure you get a good stretch and then squeeze and hold for a second in the contraction.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together and feel the contraction.
Slowly release the contraction and reverse the movement, let your shoulder blades relax, let the weight return to the starting position and streeeetch!

Once you really feel the muscle working, focus on its contraction and relaxation. You'll really work the muscle much harder even using less weight.

Don't just go through the motions, and don't use too much weight until you can really FEEL the muscle working.

Focus + Intensity = Huge!

[lwb357]

I'm confused. The question was specifically about lats (upper back) and right away everyone launches into heavy deadlifts. I don't care what anyone says, deadlifts work lower back and won't do anything for lats. Ever. No matter how much of a purist you want to be.
Rows with both regular and reverse grips and wide grip pulldowns are the way to go.
Then you finish up with deadlifts so that you have hit both upper and lower back.

[gym_addict]

I do
Steated close grip rows x 4
Wide grip pull downs or pull ups x 4
Bent over barbell rows x 4
Single arm d-b rows x 4
Reverse grip pull downs x 2 (wide/narrow)
High intensity pyramid the seated rows.
Heavy with lot.
Love it

[Kommando]

Originally Posted by lwb357

I'm confused. The question was specifically about lats (upper back) and right away everyone launches into heavy deadlifts.

Everyone? That being said, I have to defend deads.

Deads most certainly work your WHOLE back, including traps!
If you're not getting gains from doing deads, and your low back is smoked at the end of your 3-5 sets, you're just plain doing them wrong.

Just like the guy in my gym who says barbell rows work his lower back more....

I watch him, and his form is crap, and he's going WAY too heavy for his ability, which further reduces his form, and puts increased stress on his lumbar region.

Do you HAVE to do deads to have a huge back? NO

Should you do deads if your low back HURTS? Of course not!

Should properly executed deadlifts be a part of an OVERALL back program? ABSOLUTELY.

[Freak]

Don't forget pull-ups. I know that not everybody can do them but we all start from somewhere no matter the exercise. If you can't do 1 get someone to spot you and hold your feet. Imo pull-ups are one of the most effective yet underrated exercises.