Of all the muscle groups in our body The Back Is The Largest And Most Complex. The glutes are the largest single muscle but the combined mass of all the back muscles is even bigger! So why then do so many people neglect this huge area? Simple answer – you can’t see it.

You may have heard of the phrase ‘Beach Muscles’. These are the chest, the biceps and the abs. The display muscles. The show-off muscles. The most trained muscles in human anatomy. They are always in our view so we focus on them to the point of neglecting other more important areas.

This unbalanced approach to training can cause many negative outcomes:

• Muscular and postural imbalances leading to pain and dysfunction
• Training injuries
• Limits to strength and power
• Ugly, unbalanced physiques

The muscles of the back require a lot of attention and if anything should be trained with a far greater focus and dedication than the chest, shoulders or arms. I train my back twice a week focusing on a ‘Horizontal’ direction on day 1 and a ‘Vertical’ direction on day 3. The rest of my upper body, however, receives only one session per week.

Splitting back training into two workouts allows you to intensify your focus on the two main areas and movement patterns of the back muscles. No angle or muscle will be left untouched.

Pictured below is Joel Stubbs: a man who trains his back properly...

Workout 1: Horizontal Back Workout

This workout consists of Rowing and Rear Delt exercises that are implemented for adding thickness to the entire back complex with a focus on the upper, middle and lower back muscles. The exercises performed on this day gives the back muscles detail and completeness. This workout can be performed on it’s own or you can superset it with Chest exercises in a ‘Push-Pull’ or Agonist-Antagonist workout where a set of back is immediately followed by a set of chest.

My Last Horizontal Back Workout:

Note: the ‘+’ symbol denotes a Superset…..see www.AustralianWeightTraining.com.au for detailed exercise video descriptions

Workout 2: Vertical Back Workout

This workout centers around Lat (Latissimus Dorsi) exercises which are used to build width. The V taper that you can see on muscular athletes and bodybuilders is due to this muscle. It is the largest part of the back and is therefore important to develop correctly and can be very impressive. This workout can be performed on it’s own or you can superset it with Shoulder exercises in a ‘Push-Pull’ or Agonist-Antagonist workout where a set of back is immediately followed by a set of shoulders.

My Last Vertical Back Workout:

Note: BW = Bodyweight (95kg)….. see www.AustralianWeightTraining.com.au for detailed exercise video descriptions

Weekly Training Schedule

If you are going to keep your muscle groups separate then I would suggest the following setup for your weekly training schedule:

Day 1 – Horizontal Back Workout/Abs
Day 2 – Chest/Calves
Day 3 – Legs/Abs
Day 4 – Vertical Back Workout/Calves
Day 5 – Shoulders/Arms

If you would like to make your training week more efficient by performing Agonist/Antagonist supersets then I would use the following format:

Day 1 – Horizontal Back Workout + Chest
Day 2 – Quads + Hamstrings/Calves
Day 3 – Vertical Back Workout + Shoulders
Day 4 – Biceps + Triceps/Abs

Note: the symbol ‘/’ means ‘followed by’….. see www.AustralianWeightTraining.com.au for effective training programs

This back training program will amaze you with the fast and effective results. I have had a 100 percent success rate with it. The back muscles have no choice but to grow. All bases are covered. It is now up to you to implement it correctly with intensity and strict technique supported by good nutrition, supplementation and sleep.

Have fun, train hard and never look back…except to admire your new, unbelievable V-Taper…

For more information check out my website www.AustralianWeightTraining.com.au

Regards,

Joey Sheather

Unleash The Inner Mongrel...