All the ladies reading this know that one of the fastest ways to separate genuine jocks from pretty-boy posers is to look at a guy’s back. Rock-hard biceps and chiseled abs are nice to look at, sure, but let’s be honest here: women are looking for more on the firemen and construction workers you see in bad deodorant commercials. We want a guy with a back we can hold onto. A strong back is the sign of a functional man—a man who can not only carry us across the threshold but who can also chop and hammer the wood used to create that threshold. Luckily for you, you don’t have to spend your days toiling in the summer sun to get a centerfold-worthy back. Perform each of the following exercises at least once every week for 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps, and you’ll be camera-ready before it’s time to hit the beach.
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Weighted Pull Ups/Chin Ups
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The key to remember here is that wider grips work your lats better than narrower grips do. The shoulder angles created by wider grips make it nearly impossible for your biceps to engage hard enough to pull yourself up, so your lats step in to help out. The wider your hands get, the more your lats take over for your biceps, and the wider your back becomes. As for performing pull ups vs. chin ups, this one’s really your call. Most people find that an underhanded grip is easier, but it also works the biceps more and the lats less than an overhand grip does. Also, some people have found that wide-grip underhanded work puts undue strain on their elbows. If underhanded wide grips are uncomfortable, stick with overhanded movements. Finally, if you can’t do more than a few pull ups or chin ups at a time, do as many as you can and then supplement the work with a few sets of wide-grip lat machine pulldowns. This will allow you to practice your pull ups/chin ups while ensuring you get a complete lat-busting workout.
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Deadlifts
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This one’s (hopefully) a no-brainer. Make sure to keep your chest out and your back flat throughout the entire lift, as rounding your back on heavy deadlifts is a sure-fire way to injure yourself. To help keep your back in the proper position, imagine yourself pinching a penny between your shoulder blades. It’s almost impossible to round your back if your shoulders are in correct alignment.
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Barbell/Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows
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Personally, I prefer barbell rows because they feel more stable and balanced, but dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion. You might find dumbbell rows to be more practical for you, especially if you prefer to do these leaning against or laying on a bench. Regardless of your tool of choice, make sure to keep your elbows out. In order to get the best upper back workout, your forearms should remain perpendicular to the floor throughout the exercise. Bringing your elbows in toward your body will transfer the workload from your back to your biceps.
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Hyperextensions (Hypers)
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Nothing will get your erectors burning like hypers will. To avoid flinging all the blood in your body straight to your head, make sure to do these slowly and controlled (try counting to three on both the way down and the way up) and stand up slowly. To make hypers more difficult, hug a weight to your chest or hold a weight behind your head and pause at the top (body is parallel to the floor) for 20-30 seconds.
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None of the exercises listed above are particularly novel, and chances are you’re already doing variations of some, if not all, of them in your workouts already. If you aren’t, making these four exercises a staple of your workout regimen will help you develop that rippling back that women will melt over. Sometimes all it takes is a slight widening of your grip, a few extra reps, a repositioning of the elbows, or a 3-count to turn your current workouts into back-busting hypertrophy sessions. But if those modifications don’t appeal to you, there’s always that all-day, hot summer sun wood-chopping idea.
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Rachel Crass – Born into a weightlifting family, Rachel learned the value of fitness and nutrition early on. She has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Colorado and is a 4-time member of USA’s Jr. World Weightlifting Team. She continues to balance motherhood, work and weightlifting in her drive to make the 2012 US Olympic Weightlifting Team. Rachel can be reached at r_crass@yahoo.com.