What is the best way to work out you're upper back?

[GoldsGymDamon]

I need some advice on a good technique to use to shock the upper back. I need help in my upper back and right below my traps like the back of my shoulders. it just sort of drops down. I NEED more definition and mass there. Also...what is the best way to get a wide back...people say do pulldowns heavy...others say light...what should i do?? and when doing pullups is it really that important to attach weight to yourself??? and how effective are pullovers?
.
.
.

 

[roccodart440]

Bent over narbell rows and deads

 

[SteelSouth]

My upper back/traps really woke up when I started doing heavy deads.

 

[Vegas]

What are you doing now that is not effective?

 

[GoldsGymDamon]

Well I wok out my back once a week. I pretty much do different exercises every week. I do t bar rows...I use the stripping method alot. I have done deadlifts before...but let me ask you something...how wide should your feet be...shoulder width apart? and where should your hands be positioned? Normally I do pullups...wide grip and close grip...I don't attach weight very often however. Then I go to the t bar rows. Then the lat pull downs to the front...I don't go extremely heavy...then I do 1 arm dumbell rows...or cable rows...also wide grip cable rows...I stretch lats between sets...Then I do this pullover machine. But it just seems my upper back is not really getting bigger or more defined...my mid back kinda just slopes down...I want it to be big without me having to flex. What should I do? How does this routine sound?

 

[Vegas]

How many total sets is that?

 

[GoldsGymDamon]

Pullups-wide=4X10
CLOSE GRIP=SAME
T bar rows= 3 sets..adding weight as i go up...stripping on occasion
Pull downs(front)=3 sets...1 warm up...heavy to heaviest...sometimes strip down for 4 sets
1 arm dumbell rows or cable rows=3 sets...adding weight each set
wide grip rows=4 sets...heavier on each set...strip down on final set
pullover machine=3 sets heavy

What do you think? Remember, every week I change the exercises...one week I way to dumbell rows...next week I may do cable rows...Or sometimes I do barbell rows...

 

[ManOfMuscle]

There is no way you need 24 sets in a back workout. My back workout yesterday was 5 sets.

 

[GoldsGymDamon]

Yeah but I'm sure you can't have an adequate back workout by doing only 5 sets. Maybe I am wrong. But the back needs to be hit from different angles. Upper back...Lower lats...outer lats...inner back...lower back...
T bar=mid back/lats-3 sets
pulldowns=lats-3 sets
cable rows=inner back-3 sets
wide grip=outer-3 sets
Maybe you are right but I always thought this was the way to go. But anyway I want to her feedback from Aboot.

 

[roccodart440]

5 is clearly not enough but 24 may be overkill.

THink about it if you do deadlifts how can you only do 5 sets? IT is my belief that you are better off doing 4 sets of 3 excersizes than 3sets of 4 excersizes. Lets say you do deads, pulldowns and some other rowing excersize whether it be lawnmowers, seted rows etc. YOur looking at 8sets plus deads which if you can deadlift a measly 300 or so your already at 7 sets or more. THeres 15 serts which just happens to be right about the middle ground between 5 and 24.

 

[Behemoth]

The back can handle a lot, but you don't need to kill it. My back is probably my best part and it grows just great from BB bentover rows, weighted chins and deadlifts. I also do good mornings, which hit the back a bit as well, but not the upper back so much.
If you are doing different exercises every week, maybe you should stop switching so often and instead only switch every few weeks instead. I don't see how you can progress in a lift if you only do it once a month... and really that's the key to gaining mass, to keep increasing your strength and the weights you can use.

 

[pullinbig]

Bent over narbell rows and deads

nothing like narbell rows for a nice phat back

 

[jcp2]

nothing like narbell rows for a nice phat back

Yes, but you need to learn to hit your back when you do these, harder for some, than you need to not have them be all lats. Harder for some again.

My favorite for for upper back is probably face pulls, Kelso shrugs, Rows done off the ground, and good old deads. Rack deads may be good as well, you can screw around with rep ranges.


If you are doing 24 sets for back something is wrong. I can probably get a pretty efficient back workout in 6-7 sets.

2 sets of pullups

2 sets of deads

2 sets of bent rows/dumbell rows

 

[rookie03]

these guys pretty much hit the nail on the head... my back day goes like this.... bent over bb rows 4x4-6 reps, t-bar rows in the corner 3x6 reps, pull downs 3x4-7 reps, If i dont feel satisfied i throw in the row machine upper grip as well....sometimes i do weighted pull ups instead of pull downs...i do deads on leg day.

 

[Melbourne]

Try supersetting back exercises with push ups. Killer.