TMUSCLE.com | Advice You Don't Want to Hear Vol 2

Mike Robertson: Your Upper Back Strength Sucks

If most people trained their upper back as hard as they should, we\'d have a lot fewer geek physiques and jacked-up shoulders roaming around the local fitness facility.

If you\'re looking for an analogy, upper back is like the leg workout for your upper body. If you\'re serious and pushing yourself, it\'s a damn hard workout.

Think about it like this: Are you always willing to do that extra chin-up? Or to add another five pounds to your chest-supported row? If you\'re like most guys and gals out there, the answer is probably \"no.\"

The cool thing is, when you get serious about your upper back strength, everything seems to get bigger and stronger. Without even trying, you\'re adding mass to your arms. Your squat and your deadlift are suddenly much more stable.

And your bench press? Well, I\'d bet that your bench would really shoot through the roof if you trained your back — the stabilizers of your bench press — as hard as you trained the bench press itself.

If you want to take your back strength and development to the next level, try prioritizing it in your training for several months. Increase the volume. Place a big exercise like chins or chest-supported rows first in your workout. Better yet, place them at the beginning of your workout and at the beginning of your training week.

Get serious about your upper back. You\'ll be amazed at the results.