How To Build A Bigger Back

[b fold the truth]

Ok...I have trained from ages 16 to now 24. I went from 152 to 305lbs naturally. Anyone can do anything. I am not an expert, but I do have a solid base of knowledge.

All of this talk about the angle and placement of your hands when you do a row is for the birds. Don't worry yourself over this petty little stuff because in the end...it's not going to make a hill of beans worth of difference. It seems as if the people who spend their time worrying about tiny little things in their programs end up still benching 300lbs, squatting 400lbs and deadlifting less than both of them. They still have 17" arms and 26" thighs. The main thing is to find the most difficult exercises and kill yourself on them.

So, dead lifts do not increase muscular development? Ok...but what about my back? Do you think that doing deadlifts have increased the development of the muscles in my back? Just curious, because it seems that I am probably wasting my time by doing them if I am not going to increase my muscular development. I mean...if I get stronger in deadlifts...and "dead lifts greatly impact the lower back" and they do not "increase MUSCULAR DEVELOPEMENT" then it must all be in my head then huh?

I did ask my chiropractor about deadlifts and he did suggest them. He also suggest things such as squats and flat bench press and standing overhead presses. Did I mention that he is also an athlete? My doctors also told me at age 15 that I was going to die and if I lived I would always be skinny and fragile. Just because they say it doesn't make it absolutely true. Deadlifts do impact the lower back...but it does not mean that they are bad for the lower back.

Are they too dangerous? No. Nothing is too dangerous. Any exercise that may be seen as dangerous is also an exercise that will make you bigger and stronger. If you only stick to the "safe" exercises, then you will never excel in your given sport. Go ahead and stay in your comfort zone...I don't mind.

Furthermore MALE......your measurements indicate nothing to me. I have a friend that has a back as wide as a door frame, but I also leave out the fact that he is 5'6" and weighs 335. He also squats 900+lbs.

Yeah...ok...so I have no definition in my back...but it is not important to me either. What is important to me is that I can lift very heavy odd objects.

Congrats that you haven't done deadlifts in 5 years, but from your measurements...there seems to be no indications of thickness. I have a straw that is 24" long...but it's not very thick. Your measurements still tell me nothing, as far as they go...I could stand you at 50 yards and couldn't hit you with a 12 g shotgun.



B True

 

[Chris V.]

Ok...I have trained from ages 16 to now 24. I went from 152 to 305lbs naturally. Anyone can do anything. I am not an expert, but I do have a solid base of knowledge.

All of this talk about the angle and placement of your hands when you do a row is for the birds. Don't worry yourself over this petty little stuff because in the end...it's not going to make a hill of beans worth of difference. It seems as if the people who spend their time worrying about tiny little things in their programs end up still benching 300lbs, squatting 400lbs and deadlifting less than both of them. They still have 17" arms and 26" thighs. The main thing is to find the most difficult exercises and kill yourself on them.

So, dead lifts do not increase muscular development? Ok...but what about my back? Do you think that doing deadlifts have increased the development of the muscles in my back? Just curious, because it seems that I am probably wasting my time by doing them if I am not going to increase my muscular development. I mean...if I get stronger in deadlifts...and "dead lifts greatly impact the lower back" and they do not "increase MUSCULAR DEVELOPEMENT" then it must all be in my head then huh?

I did ask my chiropractor about deadlifts and he did suggest them. He also suggest things such as squats and flat bench press and standing overhead presses. Did I mention that he is also an athlete? My doctors also told me at age 15 that I was going to die and if I lived I would always be skinny and fragile. Just because they say it doesn't make it absolutely true. Deadlifts do impact the lower back...but it does not mean that they are bad for the lower back.

Are they too dangerous? No. Nothing is too dangerous. Any exercise that may be seen as dangerous is also an exercise that will make you bigger and stronger. If you only stick to the "safe" exercises, then you will never excel in your given sport. Go ahead and stay in your comfort zone...I don't mind.

Furthermore MALE......your measurements indicate nothing to me. I have a friend that has a back as wide as a door frame, but I also leave out the fact that he is 5'6" and weighs 335. He also squats 900+lbs.

Yeah...ok...so I have no definition in my back...but it is not important to me either. What is important to me is that I can lift very heavy odd objects.

Congrats that you haven't done deadlifts in 5 years, but from your measurements...there seems to be no indications of thickness. I have a straw that is 24" long...but it's not very thick. Your measurements still tell me nothing, as far as they go...I could stand you at 50 yards and couldn't hit you with a 12 g shotgun.



B True

AMEN...
Preach the gospel brotha

 

[Imnotdutch]

Re: dutch and fold

I talk to docs who deal with powerlifters alot (one of the benefits of living in a good sporting university in a city with alot of the UK's top powerlifters)......these guys arent your run of the mill chiro or sports doc who usually ends up talking to people who dont know how to lift with good form and therefore develop some strange opinions. The guy I go to deals with alot of powerlifters so I would think that he would know whether deadlifts hurt your lower back or not. His opinion is similar to Bfold's.....of course they are "impacting" your lower back. But if you do them right this happens in a good way. I really dont understand why people insist on treating their lower back with kid gloves.

Regarding your comment about perfect form....if you dont have good form in every exercise you are using more weight than you can handle. If you have to cheat....lower the weight. It only takes a couple of seconds.

If your posts were not meant for discussion you should have emailed them to the appropriate person. This is a discussion board and if you post then your comments will be discussed.

BTW Bfold has a few pics up.....believe me when I say that he is big and that back is pretty impressive. Also my chest size and lat spread are of similar size to yours.....and I dont consider myself even remotely impressive and I certainly dont train for "muscular development".

I'm not meaning to cause offence here.....but you talk to me like I have never made the effort to talk to anybody about this. Deadlifts are one of the three main lifts in powerlifting so you better believe that I have done my homework on them (and I'm still learning!!).

Is you dont believe that dead lifts greatly impact the lower back consult your chiropractor and sports ortopedic Dr. Oh if you have perfect form everysingle lift never cheating NO EXERCISE is a problem.

 

[b fold the truth]

Ok...this is totally not me...but I am extremely down right now and for some reason...MALE's post hits me really personally.

MALE...I do not mean to attack you personally, I honestly do not. I just disagree with you. There are tons of things that can be done to build a big back. In fact...I often hook a chain and a parallel grip attachment to the bumber of my Suburban and pull it backwards. That really works the back a lot. Doing the atlas stones really works your back. Ever try flipping a car? What about a clean and press/jerk?

I look at the fact that you seem to have put me down (or my back development for that matter) in your post because of my pic. That pic was not meant to go on elite. I was not flexing at all (surely you can tell that). I also weigh 290 in that pic.

Also...can you explain this to me? You say that deadlifts can "greatly impact the lower back", yet in another post you go on to say "Bent rows put serious torque on the lower back. No way around it." Hmmm...so...if deadlifts greatly impact the lower back and bent rows put serious torque on the lower back...then can you explain to me why you do bent rows and not deadlifts?

I'm just taking a stab here, but deep down inside...the reason people do not do deadlifts is because they are the toughest exercise out there. It requires grit. You don't see a guy in nice clothes and expensive shoes, totally clean doing hardcore deadlifts. Doing a deadlift takes something deep inside...very deep. Something that I can't explain. I think, after looking at your pics again, that you could greatly gain from doing deadlifts. Maybe...add some thickness to your body.

Good luck and check out my site sometime.

briefcase.yahoo.com/bfoldthetruth

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

Notice the little back that is barely showing through the 2 shirts that I am wearing...the 3x shirts...

B True

 

[liftah]

big deadlift = big back, I agree 100%.

No muscular development from deadlift? I've never head a bigger load of crap in my whole life. I rate the deadlift the king of all exercises.

But I will say that whatever you do, you MUST have good form for back exercises. Every time I go to the gym I see guys trying to, for example, db row with weights which are just way too heavy for them, and it makes you wonder whether their back is doing any of the work at all, or its just another bicep day.

 

[frorider6]

I added deadlifts into my routine about 2 months ago and I think it has added to my bodyweight increase and overall thickness.

But what I can't figure out is how. I can feel my lower back getting a workout, along with my legs, but I can't feel anything up in the lats. I do feel it on my traps, mainly because I pull my shoulders back at the top of the movement. I'm just wondering what muscles are directly affected by the movement. It just seems a rowing movement is the only way to hit the lats.

Before the flames start, I'll add this. I'm using proper form. I've researched the movement and ocasionally have a physical therapist critique my form. I'm using the correct weight. Going as heavy as I can with good form and pushing myself until I literally see stars.

As for personal goals, I have a wide back but need to develop thickness.

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

I have recently refocused my training to doing the nastiest exercises that can be found in the gym: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead barbell presses, and pullups.

I am not overly strong yet and my poundage is low for now, but damn, once you make progress I don't think there is a better way to see it.

The funny thing is even though my poundages on squats and DL aren't that impressive, nobody does them in my gym anyway. Most people get on with their dumbell curls or cable this and that.

I've only seen chicks do squats and deadlifts regularly, I guess they aren't concerned with not appearing strong, and just go for the exercises that have been recommended to they.

Props to those of you who make me believe in lifting heavy and hard for size!

 

[fiatconspiracy]

it is all about the deadlift, done right it can help burn fat..... the deadlift is a great overall workout

 

[bignate73]

fold youre so sick. pulling trucks and buses. geeeeeez.