Best Back Exercises For Men
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Training the back and lats to build lean muscle is something I have always loved doing. In fact, its my favorite muscle group to work on, and has been ever since I started training nearly 25 years ago. The best back exercises for men are often the exercises that many men do not like to do. The reason for this is that they can be challenging.
Generally speaking, training your back and lats is approached from two different perspectives:
One is for thickness, and the other for width.
Both are important for a balanced physique, however its really important to look at your back and determine where your focus should be.
In simple terms, back exercises for thickness are concentrated around rowing movements. These movements include the following exercises:
- Seated machine rows
- One arm dumbell rows
- Bent over barbell rows
The following exercises are for back width:
- Lat pull downs
- Chin ups
These are the basics. There are multiple variations of these exercises. In my own experience, I have always had a preference for functional basic movements. By this I mean exercises that replicate what it is you do in your daily life, or exercises that enhance those things you do in your life.
Chin ups are one of those exercises. Lifting or pulling your body weight upwards is something that is applied and applicable to your daily life. Chin ups can be performed any number of ways. They are the best back building exercise for men when it comes to width and building lean muscle.
Another one of my favorite back exercises is the bent over row – a challenging exercise to perform correctly. What it does is it teaches you how to lift weight the right way. You need to keep your back straight, keep your knees bent, and pull and squeeze the barbell into your rib cage.
Think about how often in life you have to bend down and pick up something – bent over rows are great to get you into the right lifting habits. Its one of the best back exercises for men in building lean muscle and back thickness.
What does functionality in daily life have to do with muscle training? The focus of Lean Muscle For Life is to help you make the necessary connections in your life about your training, your body and the mind and muscle connection. By making those connections to functional daily and life tasks, these exercises take on more meaning – and importance.
The best back exercises for men to build lean muscle are those exercises that build both thickness and width. You need the right combinations to get a well rounded physique. Back is a major muscle group. Ensure you don’t take short cuts – stick with the basic movements.
