Forgotten Back Exercises
We all know the best exercises for your back are deadlifts, barbell rows and pull-ups, which are sufficient for all the powerlifters out there. However, for the bodybuilders among us, we need that extra bit of isolation and focused intensity to really draw out the definition and striations in your lats and the rest of your back.
The problem
After completing your multiple joint, compound movements as above, it is highly likely that your forearms are over pumped and your grip strength is fatigued, making it difficult to complete a good work set on your back using exercises such as cable pulldowns, cable rows, hammer strength pullovers and their variants, etc. as your grip can give way before your back muscles have received the extra stimulus required to trigger muscle growth.
The solution
If you are lucky enough to have the Nautilus Pullover machine in your gym, then 3 high intensity sets on this awesome apparatus will get your back pumped on a completely full range of motion. If not, the alternative is to perform sets of Serratus Pulldowns for the fully contracted range of motion and dumbbell pullovers for the fully extended range of motion. All three exercises require no grip strength and can be completed with a high intensity even when you have skin bursting forearm pumps and can’t even close the grip on your hands. On the Nautilus Pullovers, you are pulling with your elbows, which does not involve grip strength at all.
Try these exercises out for sets of 12, 10 then 8 slow reps all to failure on the same weight, with a 30 second gap for maximum muscle pumps. As a side effect of the Serratus Pulldowns and the Dumbbell Pullovers, your abs get a good workout at the same time.
An explanation of how to do the Exercises
- Nautilus Pullover Machine – a seated pullover, where your elbows rest on a pad, which you pullover from above your head at full extension down to past your sides for full contraction. This exercise isolates the back muscles, removing the grip/arm involvement. The machine has a seatbelt to keep you in place if you use extra heavy weights.
- Serratus Pulldowns – Using a high setting on a cable crossover machine, or equivalent, use the T-bar and stand on your knees 2-3 feet back from the machine, reaching up so you can just grab the bar. Pull the weight down smoothly using an arcing motion until the bar hits your hips, then allow to raise back to around eye level taking about 2-3 seconds, then pulldown again. Adjust your setback from the machine to find the most stable position.
- Dumbbell Pullovers – Lay across a bench, with your upper back resting on the bench and your body perpendicular to the bench. Put both hands round a dumbbell, with hands overlapping, holding the dumbbell on the plates, rather than the handle. Using an arcing motion again, lower the weight behind your head until it touches the floor (if your range of motion permits) and arc back up until the dumbbell is nearly above your head (maintaining constant tension) and then lower again slowly and smoothly. Start with a light weight to avoid neck injuries and increase the weight as quickly as your lats can handle it.
Regards,
Promart Supplements
