# Exercises for a wide back



## Trojan369 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi all,

My main back exercise is the cable pull down, ive tried pushing my shoulders back and pulling down to chest with a wide grip, same with close grip. Pulling down to back of me neck.

But I can never seem to feel the workout in my back, the most I feel is in my arms.

Can anyone suggest what im doing wrong or offer me alternitives.

Cheers


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## shaunmac (Aug 13, 2010)

Generally wide grip pulldowns/wide grip pull ups do the job, but sure there's more that others will recommend


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## Trojan369 (Sep 13, 2011)

shaunmac said:


> Generally wide grip pulldowns/wide grip pull ups do the job, but sure there's more that others will recommend


Should I be feeling the burn in my back or is it normal to feel it in my arms??


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

ive recently started putting alot of focus on pull ups and chins in my back routine then finishing up with rows. ill do what chins i can on my own then move onto assisted with a wide`ish grip


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

i dont always feel it in my back at the time but the next day you`ll know if you hit ur back


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## ditz (Jun 5, 2012)

I find if you strap your wrists to the bar it takes a bit of bi's out of it.. Mainly mind/muscle though


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

Chins are the best for upper back width....


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## Mr Zed (Sep 9, 2011)

I used to get this when I trained with gloves. Try this... Get yourself some lifting straps, go to the chin up bar in the gym and place like a step up underneath it and stand on it and strap yourself to the bar wide grip, step off and just hang and I find to get the best squeeze out of my back I imagine trying to push my elbows behind my back and touch them together.

Give it a go. It may/may not work but I found straps have helped me a lot to get that squeeze.


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## Trojan369 (Sep 13, 2011)

Pscarb said:


> Chins are the best for upper back width....


Palms facing or away mate?


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Trojan369 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My main back exercise is the cable pull down, ive tried pushing my shoulders back and pulling down to chest with a wide grip, same with close grip. Pulling down to back of me neck.
> 
> ...


With back exercises you generally want to minimise movement at the elbow and maximise it at the shoulder... try to feel the arms as hooks attached to the shoulder which is a pivot... try to feel the back pulling the arm towards the body.

To isolate the lats as much as is possible and get a good feel in them, either do medium grip straight arm pulldowns or bent arm close grip or db pullovers across a bench. Both of those hit the lats very hard and generate a good feel.


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

Don't pull it down to your chest. Pulling the bar to your chin area will keep it focused on the back rather than arms. Try lowering the weight and pulling with your lats rather than pulling with the arms as most people do.


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

Trojan369 said:


> Palms facing or away mate?


chins are palms facing away. pull ups are palms in


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## Ginger Ben (Oct 5, 2010)

eezy1 said:


> chins are palms facing away. pull ups are palms in


Other way round imo although this is a contentious subject, people always disagree.


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## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

In terms of width as Paul has said chins. Looking at your avi though it looks like complete development is needed so don't neglect a solid rowing movement, a solid deadlift movement and some work for the rear delts and upper back.

It will come with time but you will learn to feel the excercise as you are doing it, your not pulling with your arms as such but aloing your upper arm to be pulled with your back.


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

Trojan369 said:


> Palms facing or away mate?


away mate if you do them facing you the biceps take alot of the work....


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2012)

chins are palms toward you

pullups palms away


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## Franko1 (Nov 19, 2008)

Arch your back and pull with the elbows. Hands are just hooks.


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## Matt 1 (May 8, 2010)

heavy ass deadlifts, seated rows and widegrip pull ups


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

Franko1 said:


> Arch your back and pull with the elbows. Hands are just hooks.


All the movement should be at the shoulder, not the elbow. If you're pulling with the elbow, it's the arms doing the majority of the work.


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## big vin (Apr 18, 2010)

wide grip chins then when you cant do anymore straight to lat pulldowns to finish off and get the extra few reps


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

chins and deadlifts as heavy as you can go without injury


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## Mish (May 1, 2011)

eezy1 said:


> chins are palms facing away. pull ups are palms in


lol

Chins are palm facing you, pull ups are away. Basic


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## IGotTekkers (Jun 6, 2012)

I have a pretty wide back for my size, I got it from doing lots of heavy bent over rows, Iv just started doing pull ups which I feel in my last, anything else though I just don't feel it at all.


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## jaycue2u (Jul 23, 2011)

Wide grip weighted pull ups, once you have failed at one weight drop it down slightly, as many sets as you need to get to failure on body weight. Burn baby burn :surrender:


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

deadlifts

bor

chins

nuff said .


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## cub (Jul 14, 2011)

I'm glad people are saying deadlifts because being a fat fvcker I can't do even one chin up :laugh:


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## anabolik (Aug 19, 2010)

Chinups, pullups and heavy deadlifts will give you the width you're looking for.

Just make sure with the chin/pullups to concentrate on squeezing at the top of each rep and slow on the negative. Straps definitely help to keep the focus on the back too.


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## jaycue2u (Jul 23, 2011)

anabolik said:


> Straps definitely help to keep the focus on the back too.


 :beer:


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## Monkey skeleton (Jul 8, 2012)

I had the same problem when I started chins (palms facing away). I just kept going till my biceps strengthened up enough that I could get a good workout in my lat's.

It's a compound exercise, and your biceps are the weak link in the chain.


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## Pike1 (Jul 19, 2012)

I've also struggled with this, what worked for me was pre-exhausting my back with my strongest exercises. 1 arm dumbell rows or seated low pulley rows first seem to work my back more than biceps, then into heavy close grip pulldowns as they give me more range of movement. Felt more of an ache in my lats next day when I switched to this, it may work for you as well.


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

Personally width was from wide grip underhand chins, pullovers, heavy one arm rows done Kai Greene style and heavy rack pulls. Deads hit my glutes too much to use as a back builder.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

So what are hands facing each other pull/chin ups classed as?


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

Jd123 said:


> So what are hands facing each other pull/chin ups classed as?


Gorilla chins


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

RowRow said:


> Gorilla chins


What they good for? Been using the closer grip ones for bi's and wider for back?


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

Jd123 said:


> What they good for? Been using the closer grip ones for bi's and wider for back?


Erm Jack all as far is I'm concerned. More a functional strength movement than anything.

May be useful after failure on wide grip pull ups/chins to try and get a bit more back stimulation from chins but that's about it.

Joel Stubbs does 3 different grips on pull ups and he has a freaky back so ya know.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

RowRow said:


> Erm Jack all as far is I'm concerned. More a functional strength movement than anything.
> 
> May be useful after failure on wide grip pull ups/chins to try and get a bit more back stimulation from chins but that's about it.
> 
> Joel Stubbs does 3 different grips on pull ups and he has a freaky back so ya know.


There is a normal pull up bar so might go swing on that one instead


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)

Jd123 said:


> So what are hands facing each other pull/chin ups classed as?


Hammer grip


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## DutchTony (Sep 25, 2011)

Jd123 said:


> So what are hands facing each other pull/chin ups classed as?


Hammer grip


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## inferno66 (Jun 28, 2012)

chins, Barbell rows, cable pull down to the chest with a wide grip, and then deadlift, or rack pull, and that's it!!!

I can't compare my back workout to for example my chest workout. While chest workout, I allways have massive pump and feel the muscles( their work). Back workout I usually feel one-two days later. The most important thing is to be focused on your workout!


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