Train Like an Athlete by ATHLEAN-X (Video Podcast)

If I could give you one tip for your back workout that would improve the results you see on every back exercise you do, this would be it. I’m calling this one the back workout “master tip” for good reason. In this video, you will see how you can instantly fix one thing about every back exercise you do that will increase the results you see from doing the exercises.

It starts with an understanding of what we are trying to accomplish when we train our back muscles. The lats are located on the back side of our body and in order to fully contract them, we need to get the arms (where the lats are attached to) behind our body closer to the origin of the lat muscle on our spine. This means that we need to get our elbows behind our body and our arms into extension. When you think about the easiest way to do that you quickly realize that if you can get your spine into extension (mostly your thoracic spine) then you can get your arms back a lot easier.

In order to do this, there is something we can do without even touching a weight that is going to allow us to feel what it should feel like when we get it right. I call this the superman move. Place your hands on your chest and pretend that you are ripping open your t-shirt to reveal the big “S” on your chest like Superman. Notice, in order to do this right, you don’t just pull your elbows out to the sides but you pull them back and behind you at the same time. Beyond that, you also need to actively push your chest (sternum) forward as you do this to make this even easier.

This same movement can be translated over to every single exercise you do in your back workouts and help you to get more out of them in the process. Starting with a lat pulldown is probably the easiest. Notice in the video that you aren’t just trying to get your elbows down and behind you. That won’t be enough. In order to get the lats maximally contracted you need to push your chest out as your pull your elbows back. You will instantly feel the intensity of the lat contraction go up when you do this right.

The same can be said about a pullup as well. Don’t just let pull down with the elbows (as you have likely been told by many experts) but pull down and back with the elbows at the same time that you are pushing your chest bone forward. If anything, you should feel as if you are at least not letting your chest bone cave in when doing the movement.

Rows are even easier to get this movement down right. As you pull the bar or dumbbell up to you, be sure to actively and consciously push your chest away from you. The two points should be moving in equal and opposite directions. This is not necessarily a leverage move since you don’t have anything to post your chest on to gain a mechanical advantage. This is simply a biomechanics move that allows your back to get into thoracic extension which makes the extension of the arm behind the body even easier and ensures a peak lat contraction (maybe for even the very first time if you have not been doing this all along).

Finally, even a straight arm pushdown can be done with this technique. As your arms are traveling down towards your sides and slightly behind your body, be sure to stick your chest out. Using ropes here will allow you to get the arms behind the body even more than a straight bar would. Either way however, without the pushing of the chest forward you won’t be getting everything there is to be had from doing this exercise so make sure you get this part right.

You see, everyone of us can do the same exercises but that doesn’t mean that we are going to see the same results from our efforts. If you want to