Back Routine question for 2Thick

[badgermilk]

Hey guy's I was going to send 2Thick an email but I thought some of the other Bros might be able to get something out of this as well!

I noticed in your picture 2Thick that your back is well developed. I have no problem with my back growing as far as my upper lats, when the guy's see me with my shirt off there always commenting on how huge my lats are. The problem that I'm having is the lower lats. My lats are very wide up top but only come down maybe half way down my back.

I am doing wide grip pull downs for my upper lats
Cable rows overhand and underhand pulling them in as low to my legs as possible
Close grip pull downs on the Hammer strength
I also do bent over rows with no more then 225lbs so I can control the weight and bring it in close to the waist.

Any suggestions are welcome!!! And no I don't have any pics to post of my back it is too wide to get it all in the frame.........LOL just kidding...

 

[natural-mike]

Also take into consideration, genetically your lower lats may insert higher up, thus giving youa wider upper. I'm sure you can improve the appearance regardless.

I've seen guys do like a combo lat pulldown / tricep pushdown type exercise, hard to explain in words. The stand up and grab the overhead cable wide and then they pull down without bending their elbows until the bar hits your waits. Like a reverse front lateral raise. Again hard to explain in words.

Peace,
Mike

 

[badgermilk]

Thanks natural-mike I know exactly what you talking about, I call them stiff arm pull downs! I do them every now and them but don't usually include them in my regular workout, why I don't know.....

 

[MadCow1]

Lat connections are genetic - you can make them bigger or smaller with training/not training but you can't move them.

Rather than that funky lat exercise why not use dumbell or barbell pullovers - good compound exercise and makes the lats really flair from under the arms.

Since upper back is developed why not focus on deadlifting to add some thickness - this might help create a better look where your lats don't overshadow the rest of your back. Just do them from the floor and don't bounce the bar - reset after each rep (saw another juiced up fool in the gym yesterday thinking he was a bad ass with horrible technique and a big bounce on every rep - maybe the sound of the plates bouncing makes him think he's cool, oh well).

 

[badgermilk]

MadCow1.....Every article that I have read on pullovers stated that after the age of 24 pullovers are ineffective! I am 31.

As far as dead lifts I don't do them because I don't want to widen my hips. I'm 6'3 250 with a 35 inch waist....

 

[The Ranger]

N. Mike has the best suggestion, and as for the front lat presses, place your back against the support bar of the universal machine(in other words being backwards), bend slightly at the waist(taking pressure of the lower back), elbows slightly bent....slow and squeeze...

A very good exercise Bro

Ranger

 

[Nathan]

Hey Madcow1, from what I've been told (just started seriously incorporating deads into my routine a couple months ago), deads shouldn't widen the waist, they mostly hit upper back. That is especially true if you use a belt. Deads are too effective an exercise to not be doing in my opinion.

 

[MadCow1]

MadCow1.....Every article that I have read on pullovers stated that after the age of 24 pullovers are ineffective! I am 31.

As far as dead lifts I don't do them because I don't want to widen my hips. I'm 6'3 250 with a 35 inch waist....

Regarding Pullovers - I don't know where you are getting your information and what sources you are reading. I would stop listening/reading them immediately. Age does not determine an exercise's effectiveness. Perhaps you have missinterpreted the theory that beginners supersetting squats and pullovers get great full body gains (may be true - never tried when I was a novice). Regardless the exercise is good and very effective no matter your age.

Regarding Deadlifts - this is arguably the best exercise for growth (the squat has an argument also). Nothing even comes close to these 2 exercises. Being tall you will probably get better results with the DL than squat. If you aren't doing them then you are shortchanging yourself both naturally and on drugs. It should not considerably widen your waist unless you are striving to have zero hip/glute development. Pro's in the 80's used to believe this and that's why they didn't squat or deadlift. Look at Franko and Arnold - DL and Squat were core for them and their waists are not wide.

 

[bigmag]

if you're doing wide grip pull downs behind your head try doing them in front of your head....and visa versa

 

[gtaman]

I've seen guys do like a combo lat pulldown / tricep pushdown type exercise, hard to explain in words. The stand up and grab the overhead cable wide and then they pull down without bending their elbows until the bar hits your waits. Like a reverse front lateral raise. Again hard to explain in words.

Peace,
Mike

So that's what that 6'2" 150 lb. guy was doing in my gym yesterday. And I thought he was just taking up valuable gym space.

I like the Hammer Low Row machine. For some reason I can feel it lower down in my lats. Maybe it would have a slight effect. Great machine all around anyway.