Back to Basics

In today’s modern gyms, it’s so easy for a beginner to get easily confused on what exercises to perform to meet their training goals. For instance, a newbie to the gym walks in and sees a massive, 275 lb , 5% body fat bodybuilder doing iso-lateral pull downs for at least 15 reps. So, obviously the new comer is gonna try and perform this same exercise (less weight of course) in hopes of obtaining a similar physique to the bodybuilder he had previously seen performing the exercise. The iso-lateral pull down is not the only “Cool” machine in the gym, but what is important for beginners to understand is that they don’t need all the fancy equipment to get started.


If the goal is to add overall mass and thickness to the back, I have selected four main “Basic” exercises you might want to give a try for your next back workout! The first exercise is the deadlift! Nothing fancy about this at all. You have a barbell on the floor loaded with weights, you bend down and pick it up off the floor! Sounds easy, right? Well, ask any hardcore lifter and they will tell you right the opposite! This exercise is ideal, because it works pretty much your whole body. As you pull the bar off the ground, your back, traps, glutes and hamstrings are all being hit at once!

The second exercise is my personal favorite, Chin Ups! This exercise targets the Latissimus dorsi (upper back) and is very difficult to perform. Start out using your own body weight as resistance, as you will find, this will be plenty to start with. This will help develop width in your back as well as thickness. There are many variations to the chin up, however, as a beginner, I suggest doing a wide over –hand version to help bring out the width of your latissimus dorsi (lats). If you’re a competitive bodybuilder, this exercise is a must! Go on and try it! You’ll be surprised at how much better your relaxed pose will look!

The Bent Barbell Row is also another old school classic that is hard to beat when it comes to packing on slabs of lean mass to the mid-back! This simply involves gripping a barbell (palms down), leaning forward with knees slightly bent (keep head up) and pulling the bar up to your waist. For an intense burn on this exercise, be sure to squeeze your mid back for one to two seconds upon contraction. Last, but not least are lat pulldowns using a high pulley with a rope. These are good for developing thickness down in the low-mid back and giving an over all “Christmass Tree” appearance to the back. Simply grab a rope from the high position on a cable machine, keep knees slightly bent , back straight and neck neutral with spine. This is not an exercise you should go heavy on unlike the other back exercises I have discussed. I prefer to keep my reps on this particular exercise in the 12-15 range.

So, in a ever changing fitness world where gyms are always introducing new exercises and machines, just remember you don’t always have to  join the latest “fad.”