This is the back program you can use in conjunction with the bench/chest program I already laid out. Because the back is a much larger muscle than chest, training it requires more focus for more sets for a longer period of time. If your just beginning try a basic beginner's routine to build some conditioning before you try any of my programs (unless your particularly gifted).

Click Image To Enlarge.
Latissimus Dorsi.

The back is the second largest muscle in the body, and has a variety of angles at which it can be developed for a complete, well refined physique. You need to have wide lats, a trim and powerful lower lumbar, a thick middle back with the rhomboids and trapezius and all of the smaller muscles clearly developed and separated from the others.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Trapezius.

Having each of these muscles clearly separated gives the back that "rippling" look, where each muscles flexes and flows into the next as the bodybuilder is moving from pose to pose or just walking around shirtless.

Because the back is so large, so impressive, and makes you look really BIG because of the width it adds to your upper body, its the one body part you do NOT want to neglect. If there were two body parts that make a physique look aesthetic and appealing, it would be legs and back because the create the "X" shape when developed to their fullest.

Many people kinda fall into a rut in back training, because for most its hard to "feel" the muscle working. Often after a few workouts they get discouraged and quit, going back to the simplicity of chest training, where all they have to do is press the bar up and their chest gets hit pretty hard.

I know, I was one of those guys, and my back has suffered a lot for it. I wish I'd been working on it as hard as my chest, I would look a LOT better right now. As I trained with Jason, the weakness in my lats was becoming more and more evident, and I couldn't ignore it. I wanted a V-taper badly, and it didn't come naturally to me because I have naturally wider hips (34 inches) so I'd have to work for it.

The pics you see me in are pretty old, before I trained my back seriously at all, now my lats have widened considerably, and I have a much more complete physique. My chest measurement is actually going up because of the hypertrophy in my back, which is making my 34 waist look smaller in comparison. All in all, I'd say serious back training has done wonders for my physique.

The important thing I have learned while training my back is that form and feel are paramount. You have to FORCE the muscles to work, otherwise you'll just move the weight with momentum. Cheating is too easy on most back exercises, so you have to learn to pull with your elbows instead of your arms, or you'll just get a bicep pump.

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[ Click here to learn more. ] Killer Back Training! Training back is probably one of the most complicated yet one of the most rewarding bodybuilding training experiences. Learn why and how to build a great back!	Author: Jim Brewster

Chins are also paramount, never do pulldowns when you can do chins. When I first started though, embarrassingly, I couldn't do 8 strict chins, so if your in the same boat you should try what I did.

I started off EVERY back workout with one set of chins to concentric failure, then did a negative.

	What Is Concentric? The lifting phase of an exercise, when the muscle shortens or contracts. For example, When you lift the weight in a bench press, press-ing it from your chest to the lock-out position, that's the concentric, or "positive," phase of the exercise.

	What Are Negative Reps? One or two partners help you lift a weight up to 50% heavier than you would normally lift to finish point of movement. Then you slowly lower weight on your own.

I'm also going to write a second chest training article for a more advanced routine to build the pecs after a satisfactory bench is accomplished. I'll continue to try new routines as my old ones get too easy and continue writing the new ones that work the best here, so that my training articles will go in a series from basic to more and more advanced. So, without further introduction, here's my basic back routine:

For those with weak lats/ weak chinning strength:

Start out with 1 set of chins to concentric failure, then perform a slow negative.

If your a strong chinner, start with dumbbell rows and do chins instead of pulldowns.

Back Routine

Sets / Exercise Reps 3 / One arm dumbbell rows 3 / Pulldowns w/ drop set 3 / Close reverse grip pulldowns 3 / Seated straight bar rows 3 / Seated close grip rows 12, 10, 8 12, 10, 8, strip 25-35% and go to failure 12, 10, 8 12, 10, 8 12, 10, 8

Ok, this is just a template, you should change things every few weeks, just like in chest training, you can put in barbell rows for dumbbell rows, T bar rows for close grip seated rows, throw out the pulldowns and let a partner spot you on full sets of them, instead of straight bar seated rows you can do continuous sets of one arm seated rows, etc. Use your imagination.

The one guideline that is vitally important is to get this workout done in about 40 minutes. Yep, keep the intensity, maintain that pump and keep your wind goin'. The second guideline is to go to failure, which I always do, there's no other way.

After this I normally train traps, side and rear delts, and lower back. I never train my front delts directly because they seem to grow easily. The way I like to train these body parts is with a giant set, because side delts, rear delts, and lower back just don't get up a lot of intensity if you isolate them correctly alone. So after I finish seated rows I do this:

• Shrugs
• Lateral raises
• Weighted hyperextensions
• Bent lateral raises

for three sets nonstop.

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That leaves your whole body feeling weak and is a great way to pump you up before you leave instead of leaving cold. If your looking for a more advanced routine just hold on I'm workin' on it! That's about all on back training, talk to you guys later.

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