Building Your Wingsuit: My Biggest Tips for Your Biggest Back

It's not touched often, it isn't touched hard and its something that can be accomplished alone; of course I'm talking about your back.  Overshadowed by the biggest "Bro exercises" such as the flat "Bro" bench, "Bro" shrugs and "Bro" dumbell curls it seems overshadowed what a big back can do for the rest of your routine.  While "Bro" shrugs can help get you decent traps it takes more to build your Trapezius (traps) and Latissmus dorsi (lats) muscles.

Keeping in mind that the back muscles (when used correctly) are also incorporated into solid benching and chest training.   For myself it has also generated a very strong core and provided a basis for not only busting any moderately fitting dress shirt but granted the ability to carry through many exercises that are heavy on core stabilization (big squats anyone?)

While I admit it might be one of my favorite muscle groups to train, because of its strength I have been able to breeze other muscle groups up with greater confidence and encourage others to do the same for their backs.  I have my reasons for this and here are some tips to keep in mind.

Don't Be Afraid
This is the most important in my book and should be top for everyone else as well.  It is easy to keep in mind that any type of back work should be kept fearless.  What does that mean?  The majority of the exercises going into building your lats and traps are a type of pulling or rowing exercise in which the weight is pulled toward you.  Whereas most exercises are pressed away and might require a spotter (or serious balls if you want to do it on your own), exercises like squats or chest pressing can be intimidating and worrisome when trying to work to your limits.

Most negative motion of back work is typically falling away from you making it easy to stick with limit smashing lifts or endure longer repetitions without being afraid.  The same goes for incorporating your biceps into a routine; the weight is generally pulled toward you and leaves little room for dropping it on yourself.  While none of this isn't meant to forget about muscle contractions and form it is certainly a key element in telling your mind to shut up and let you lift.

Getting A Grip

Antoine Vaillant uses em... like a boss.

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome while building your back is your grip.  The muscles in your forearms will let your grip fail way before your desired rep range for working your back; unless you have forearms bigger than your biceps then maybe.  The best way to work around this is to invest in some decent lifting straps. 

They can be had for under $10, or even free when shopping with some sites, and will drastically improve your back game.  Mostly made of padded neoprene they can wrap around any bar giving your grip a better chance of hanging on while moving through your routine.

Don't just limit it to dead lifting either.  Rows, pulldowns, pullups and even moves like romanian dead lifts (for legs) will help you up the weight and use your target weight.  Personally I've even gone so far as to keep them on for heavy curls or even high rep curls, once fatigue starts setting in, as my biceps will outwork my grip any day.

Speaking of grip this is a good place to mention the grip position itself for bar work.  Many people go as wide as they possibly can while pulling down or not wide at all.  The beauty of working your back is that different grips will have different effects but so long as they make the contraction in the desired muscle groups.  If it's too far and you can's completely contract your back, ditch it and go narrow.  If you're not squeezing you're not gaining. 

Working With Your Elbows
Wait.... what?  
You heard me..... I said ELBOWS.    In between sets I people watch and one of the biggest flaws I see while performing exercises such as the pulldown or any kind of row is there people put their hands.  The majority of the time is spend trying to push their hands farther down than their chest or ram them into their stomach.  Watching this makes my shoulder hurt as well as pains me to see people take the load off of their backs and transfers it to well.... I don't want to know.

The best bet is to start focusing on how deep your elbows go through the movement and how hard the contraction is rather than how far the bar can be pulled.  I've found by bringing my elbows next to my lats (on any pulling or rowing motion), sticking my chest out and contracting my back (squeezing traps and widening lats if possible) gives me the best possible contraction.

Do It One Handed ;)

This one speaks for itself.  By using one arm for the same exercises you can help focus each side when you might be prone to giving a certain arm the favorite treatment (we're all guilty of it at times).  Not only will this knock your pride down a bit into focusing on the contractions than weight but can also serve to pre-fatigue. 

Focusing on one arm at a time for the first two sets can really work your back early.  Following this up with an additional one or two sets with both arms involved will help push each side past their failure points.  It's kind of like productive cheating....

A good dual pulley lat pullown machine, hammer high/low row or even single pulley can be improvised with the right handle.  Don't forget to look for plenty of dumbell work as well as one handed pullups for the daring.

Bring The Gun Show
Through these motions you are using a good amount of bicep effort to help power the weight around making this a prime opportunity to hit them at the end of your back routine.  Warm-up will be minimal as they are already heated from your back workout and can easily be fatigued in as little as two exercises long as the motion is full and the contraction is proper. 

With being said, this is a sample workout of what I've been using to shock myself out of Y3T and get my heart rate higher and will be part of my new secret split (coming pretty soon.)  Everything can be substituted for another piece of equipment and yes, there will be pre-fatiguing.  Give it a try if you dare ;)

-Pq

• 4-5 minutes of foam rolling
• T-Bar Row (substitute low pulley row)
• 2-3 warm-up sets
• 3 working sets reaching failure between 8-12
• Lat pulldown (everyone has this)
• 3 Working sets of 15-20
• Low hammer row (substitute bent over dumbell rows)
• 2 working sets 20-25
• Focus on 1 arm at a time
• Pullups (keep rest short; appx 30-45 seconds)
• 3 sets until failure changing grip each time
• Wide, medium/neutral and then narrow
• Pullup assist can be used so shoot for 10-12 reps with adjusted weight
• Bicep curl machine
• 2 Warm-up Sets
• 2 Working Sets of triple drop sets
• each drop should achieve between 12-16 repetitions
• Dumbell Curls (the big finish!)
• 3 working sets of 18-20 reps per arm
• Note:  I sometimes cut this down to two sets and go for two sets of spider barbell curls depending on my mood :)
• Finish strong with 3 sets of oblique work (twisting situps rock or weighted side bends)
• 7-10 Rounds of Hiit cardio

Focusing on the Fascia: Opening up for bigger gains

Look at this handsome bro.

Who doesn't love muscles?
Who doesn't love science?
Now you're going to get both!
Check this out!

As we've talked about before (if you paid attention) there are different fibers that make up your muscles but unfortunately there is one more thing we didn't tell you about yet; that's the fascia.  Your fascia is almost a sort of webbing that surrounds the muscular fibers, enclosing them and it too can expand, stretch and become damaged just as the type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers would during a workout.  This makes the muscle grow over a period of time, cool right?  So what do we do about the fascia?  Do we just let it sit and have it stretch during the workouts just like and fibers?  You can but if you want to be proactive you need to take matters into your own hands and start stretching.

This was much more appealing than the old yoga lady.

Here are a few methods to help open up your fascia, prime your fibers and encourage more blood flow and prevent injuries from overworking your muscles before, during and after your workout.

1. Manual Stretching
  - We've all done it at one point or another and we might have even hated it but this is the most simply way of stretching your muscles.  Bend and over touch your toes, do what this chick is doing to the right, arms across your chest, you get it.

Even this old bro does it.

2. Foam Rolling
-  A foam what?  I know it looks ridiculous but give me a minute.  Dropping anywhere between $15+ for a decent foam roller will do wonders for your muscles and general flexibility.  Hamstrings, quads, lats and traps; a foam roller allows you to actually roll your body across a round dense piece of madness in order to stretch.

It has its advantages before a workout as it allows you to feel where your muscles are most tense (could even be a patch of built up scar tissue) and "roll" them out until they are loose.  While it works great accompanying manual stretching, this massaging tool (yes it's a massaging tool and cheaper than a therapist) can help reduce built up lactic acid on those painful and sore off days allowing for faster recovery.  Don't say I didn't warn about pain because it does hurt but you'll be glad you did.

3. Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger points and mohawks make you a badass.

-Now if mommy and daddy will foot the bill for this, it's a trigger therapy kit.  Much like the foam roller it is designed in order to "trigger" smaller and more detail orientated parts of your body that a foam roller isn't up to the task of rubbing down.  For instance calves, front/rear/outer deltoids, pectoral muscle groups, biceps and triceps can all be loosened up via the use of one of these kits.  The bad news is that they start at around $60 (I know right?  Looks like bad pottery.)

However there are solutions around this as racquet balls are sold in packs and can be bought for a few bucks.  Tennis balls may also be beneficial but preferably something with a bit of give and the ability to be rolled into more precise areas.  Try a small racquet ball or tennis ball and if you love it, go buy the kit (Kris Gethin did.)



4. Stretch During Your Workout
- All of the previously mentioned methods are great and everything around your workouts but what about during? All of this soft muscle tissue is typically flooded with blood during a workout and sometimes an intense pump gets in the way of stretching the fibers and fascia to their limits.  A favorite practice of mine if to stretch in between sets as well as during a set.

Stretching during an exercise, like lat. pulldowns (handing limp and stretching left and right lats), can really help in allowing blood to drain from your muscles for a few seconds before filling them back up.  The same principle applies in between sets as well and can help prevent failing prematurely to ensure your optimal rep range has been met. 

The ultimate idea here is to allow for maximum blood flow to the muscles and nutrient intake during your workout.  You might even find that you are able to make the most out of each repetition as well as prolong the inevitable fatigue.

Besides, nothing looks more menacing than a pumped up bro delicately stretching muscles.

P.s.  This is something we will look to get pictures of and explain further in the near future so hang in there.

-Pq

Fitness... it's maddening

If there was any profound quote that carries into my training as an adult, from my childhood, it's "Don't get upset, get mad."  When you're hanging around the age of ten this has a profound effect on you when said from either your father or master (tae-kwon-do or otherwise) and you get pissed.  Even at the fact that it's even said, you feel something drive you.  But I digress....  At one point or another, you've been asked to push yourself  and it might have pissed you off somehow; then what?  Did you curl up into a ball and stop or did you want to prove to yourself (or even someone who pushed you) that you were better than that.  This is what I would call "constructive rage" and it's the most important tool, above anything else, that comes along with me when I train.

People who might know me in my day-to-day life might not expect it because there it a time and a place for it while in the gym.  It isn't when you're driving to the gym and running people off the road to pump up, or standing in line at the grocery store, or at your job; it's in the gym and you call on to push yourself harder when necessary.

Go ahead and watch that clip with the big black guy in the hoodie, he's IFBB professional bodybuilder Kai Greene (2x Arnold Classic champion and 2011 runner-up Mr. Olympia).  Watch it.... I'll wait.....

Intense right?  But absolutely true and essential.  This doesn't mean that you have to be a hot-head in the gym or an angry person in the day to day life, but don't take for granted the ability of your mind.  Everybody has been hurt at some point in their life and when you're getting down to the nitty gritty of your workout and it starts to hurt, is when you start to try and hurt it back.  It becomes about being able to call on your anger and frustrations in order to use it as energy.  Whether it's about a traumatic childhood or running over your toe while wheeling around an incline bench, everyone's been angry at least once (Finals anybody?).

Whether it's pressing 15lb dumbbells or 450lb rack pulls there comes a time and a place to realize what your goals are, let go and push harder than your body will let you.  One point I must add is that this this doesn't mean be reckless or get to the point where you might make others uncomfortable or upset.  This is about you and the place you need to go in order to get done what is necessary. 

Out of the 168 hours in a week you might spend 6-8 in the gym while the rest is your normal and maybe boring life (sleeping, eating, school, work).  All I'm saying is you don't spend a whole lot of time in the gym in comparison, but when you're there harnessing this "constructive rage" is sometimes essential to get work done.  This isn't a powder you mix or a pill you take but we all own it, so call on it.

-Pq