Looking to beef up your upper back or increase your bench and squat numbers? Of course you are. Check out Dave Tate’s best advice on how to structure your routine to best gain upper back strength.
It seems that lifters do not understand the importance of the upper back or how to use it in the three main lifts. The lifters I judged at a recent meet and just about all of my clients prove that to me, so let’s fix that.
Can you deadlift 600 pounds but can’t budge a 225-pound stone off the floor? If you didn’t know, the upper back comes into play in nearly every strongman event; therefore, a weak upper back will surely decrease your chance of winning and advancing in the sport.
If you think you’re getting a solid upper back that’ll improve your bench press, deadlifts, and squats by using hard, forceful rowing exercises and lat pulldowns, think again. When you realize that, you’ve figured out that you need to change the way you train. Not sure what you should do? Let me explain.
This part of my program has got your back. Literally. This time around, we’re going to focus on the back. We’re gonna send it shooting off like a rocket. Blast-off!
This article will cover everything you need to build a big deadlfit as a raw lifter, from needs analysis, to the role of specific muscles, to choosing your best stance.
Elitefts™ Advisor and Owner of Mountain Dog Training performs a shrug variation at the S4 Compound using elitefts™ Pro Strong Bands.
Jo Jordan working with Mike Robertson with Rotator and Upper Back Work
Blast From The Past: Matt Kroczaleski discusses his training and the “Kroc Row” at the 2007 Boston Seminar.
Remember when Beavis and Butthead came out and everyone said, “I could have thought of that?” Well, the Monkey Chin Up Bar is the same way, although I’m not sure that its going to have the same appeal and cash flow as Mike Judge’s characters did.
This is a great movement for those dealing with lower back pain or have a hard time keeping their back arched while squatting and/or pulling.
The only advice that I have for those of you that want to try this exercise is this; make sure you have a strong and conditioned lower back that has very good static strength.
These are the same as “fat man rows” except the grip is taxed to a much greater degree.
Flex elbows and retract scapula until upper arm is approximately level with torso
One of the biggest weaknesses I have seen over the years is the upper back
Another plus is that there truly is no resisting the bells on the way down.
In the gym, you know that one bar where the end collar is always loose?
The Rickshaw deadlift is very similar to a rack deadlift in that it is a limited range of motion.
The Rickshaw is a devise originally designed for strongman training for different lifts and walks.
I prefer the athlete to grab the keg slightly below the mid line to extend the range of motion slightly.
Application of Powerlifting technique to a Strongman implement.
You ever get tired of trying to come up with snappy exercise descriptions?
This is a great exercise to build your deadlift and teach you to maintain proper position when squatting.
This movement is performed the same as the regular box squat except you will be using the Safety Squat Bar.
Work the entire posterior chain. Lifter performs a back hyper extension and then rows the barbell to their midsection.
Setup in a GHR, Back Extension or Roman Chair. Extend hips and lock into place close to parallel to the floor.