Back and Bicep Workout - Tuesday
There are a few points that are worth emphasizing when it comes to working out the biceps but back in particular.
When exercising the back it is important that when you contract your back you really squeeze your shoulder blades together. The back is an elaborate network of muscle fibers that zig zag in different patterns. It's not like the chest where the muscle fibers are built in a predictable pattern.
When working the chest you just need to push as hard as possible to get the most out of your workout but the back is a different story. You need to make sure you focus on really squeezing your back muscles together as much as possible.
It is also important that you take on extremely controlled and coordinated movements. Make sure that you don’t use momentum just so that you can pull more weight. It is better to practice a slow coordinated movement with less weight so that you can really squeeze the back rather than sloppy jerky motions with relatively more weight.
Lastly, like all parts of the body, you need to make sure that you work the back from all different angles. This means that you need to have lots of variation in where you place your hand in these exercises and which exercises you do in general.
For instance, when you do pull ups you need to make sure that you focus on doing a forward facing grip for some sets followed by a grip facing your body for other sets. You might not think this change would mean a whole lot but believe me, it makes all the difference in what parts of the back you exercise.
In addition you check out my guide on how to workout two hours a week.
For instance, when you do pull ups you need to make sure that you focus on doing a forward facing grip for some sets followed by a grip facing your body for other sets. You might not think this change would mean a whole lot but believe me, it makes all the difference in what parts of the back you exercise.
In addition you check out my guide on how to workout two hours a week.
Bent over row- 4 sets 8-10 reps
Grab a barbell with your palms facing towards your body. Your arms should be about shoulder length apart. Lift the bar off the rack, and let it hang directly below your shoulders as you bend slightly over at the waist. Keep your back straight as you bend at the waist. In one fluid motion pull the bar towards your torso while you keep your elbows tucked at your sides. From that position slowly lower the bar back down to your starting position. For more info on how to do bent over rows click here.
Pull-ups – 4 sets 6-10 reps
Grab the pull up bar with your palms facing outward. Your hands should be positioned a little wider than shoulder width. While hanging on the bar pull your self up to the point where your chin just gets over the top of the bar. From there, slowly lower your body back down. Be sure to focus on using your back muscles to pull your self up and not just your arm. In addition, you must also be sure to focus on controlled movements. Don’t just yank yourself up to get your chin over the top of the bar. Pull yourself up in a controlled manner and lower your self down slowly. For more information on how to do a pull-up click here.
Rows- 4 sets 8-10 reps
Use the close grip extension at the row machine for these. Sit slightly tilted back with your back straight. Pull the handles to your sternum area forcefully and then slowly let the handle pull its self back to the original position. You may sway your torso a little bit but concentrate on using your back muscles to do all the work.
Bicep curls- 3 sets 8-10 reps
Stand with your arms at your sides with dumbbells in hand. The palms of your hands gripping the dumbbells should be facing your sides. In one fluid motion bend your elbows as you curl the dumbbells to the point of maximum contraction and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to your sides. As you curl your arms up you must rotate your fists so that your clenched palms are facing your torso at the peak of the contraction. Be sure to keep your shoulders secure in place so that you are only working your biceps and not other parts of your arms. For more information on how to do a bicep curl click here.
Hammer curls- 3 sets 8-10 reps
Stand with your arms at your sides with dumbbells in hand. The palms of your hands gripping the dumbbells should be facing your sides. This time when you raise your biceps up you should not rotate the dumbbells inward. Rather you should keep forearms locked throughout the entire movement. For more information on how to do hammer curl click here.
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