We all want that god/goddess-like chiseled back that you mostly see on statues at the Met. But what most people fail to realize is that in order to reveal those layers of muscle underneath, you have to grow the foundation enough. A big misconception is that you should first focus on losing fat to show off the underlying muscles, and while that's not always a bad idea- in most cases there isn't a whole lot of muscle to show off yet.
Strengthen your back with the following exercises and build the back of your dreams!
Training
You can train back with a full gym, a pair of dumbbells, or nothing but a mat. For the sake of simplicity, I'll go through just dumbbell exercises, which can be replaced with water or milk jugs if that's all you have available! Some of these can also easily be done with no weight at all, just make sure to increase the repetitions until you can feel the burn.
Pull-Ups/Weighted Pull-Ups
Dumbbell Rows
Pullovers
Manmakers (Total Body)
If you need visual representations for any of these movements, check out this video by Athlean-X, which includes some great supplementary exercises as well!
Nutrition
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to nutrition is enough protein. Regardless of whether you're trying to grow your back, or you're going through a cut and want to preserve all the muscle you've worked hard to build- sufficient protein is key. Everyone will be a bit different, but a good rule of thumb is 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Recovery
The body requires time and rest in order to fully rebuild those trained muscles. Work in at least two recovery days throughout your week, and keep your training split evenly separated (ie don't train back two days in a row, train back on Mondays, etc).
If you're still struggling with the speed of your muscle recovery, we highly recommend the VPod. This wireless EMS unit has 24 different functions and completely customizable intensities. To learn more about this new technology, visit VPod.Life.
VPOD Wireless TENS, EMS & NMES Unit
$149.00
$175.30
Pain sets limits. You deserve to be limitless. Our VPod Wireless TENS Unit is a lightweight, portable device that will provide natural pain relief for all of your aches and pains. Break the boundaries and live a limitless life with… read more
Happy Healing!