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YOU’LL NEVER BUILD A THICK,
strong back unless you
create a foundation with basic, tried-and-true exercises.
This routine combines four of the best. Use this for at
least three months, once per week, before moving on to a
more advanced programme.
>> For the bent-over row,
start light and increase the weight slightly set-to-set. >>
For the remaining three exercises, choose a weight with
which you can get 12 reps, but is challenging enough that
you couldn’t get more than 2–3 reps beyond that if you
continued the set.
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#1 |
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EXERCISE |
SETS
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REPS
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Bent-Over Barbell Row
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3
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15, 12, 10
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Wide-Grip Seated
Cable Row |
2 |
12 |
| One-Arm DB Row |
2 |
12 |
Wide-Grip Pulldown
To Front |
2 |
12 |
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BENT-OVER BARBELL ROW
START: Bend forward from
the hips, keeping your torso just above parallel to the
floor and your chest lifted to maintain the natural arch in
your back. Take an overhand grip on the bar, hands just
outside shoulder-width.
MOVE: Strongly pull
the bar into your abs, contract your lats and middle-back
muscles hard, then slowly lower the bar all the way down to
full arm extension.
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WIDE-GRIP
SEATED CABLE
ROW
START:
Sit at a row station and take a shoulder-width,
palms-down grip on a straight bar. Bend your knees
slightly and keep your back straight.
MOVE: Pull
the bar all the way to your upper abs and squeeze
your lats. Then slowly return the bar to the start,
leaning forward just a bit to stretch your lats, but
not so much that it causes you to round your lower
back.
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WIDE-GRIP
PULLDOWN
TO FRONT
START: Take a wide grip on the bar and
position yourself on the seat with your chest up.
Lean back slightly.
MOVE: Squeeze
your lats to initiate the movement, pulling the bar
down in a smooth motion to nearly touch your upper
chest. Hold the peak contraction for a moment, then
slowly return the bar all the way up to get a good
stretch through the working muscles. Don’t rock back
and forth as you rep — stay relatively upright
throughout.
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ONE-ARM DUMBBELL
ROW
START:
Grasp a dumbbell in one hand and rest your free hand
on a bench, keeping your chest slightly lifted as
you bend forward from the hips, one foot just ahead
of the other for balance.
MOVE: Keeping
your torso stable throughout the movement, pull the
dumbbell all the way up to touch your chest, moving
your shoulder backward as your elbow comes toward
the ceiling. Then lower the dumbbell straight down
to the start position.
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Source:
One
of the
magazines of MUSCLE
& FITNESS
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