A strong back is crucial in sports and overall life. No matter the sport, a powerful back will be a determining factor to your success. Too often, the Lower Back up through the Lats and Traps get neglected due to the old "Mirror" dilemma (only hitting the muscles you can see in the mirror aka Biceps and Chest). Below 3 training plans that will cause your back to grow and your weakest areas to become dominate muscle groups
Pull-Ups: You got to add these in. Being able to hit the Lats and handle your own bodyweight is going to play a major role in your back development and your success in your sport. For such a major muscle group, the lats are neglected too often which can lead to an athlete's shoulders pulling forward and not only destroying their posture but also leading to long term neck and shoulder pain.
Can't do a pull-up? I personally prefer dead hangs over assisted pull-ups. I've seen many athletes go from zero to 10 pull-ups in a short time just by adding dead hangs at the bottom, mid-section, and top. At the same time, I've seen athletes spend way too much time messing around with resistant bands, hanging them from a bar and just springing up and down for YEARS. If you are at the same level Freshmen year and Senior year, you did something wrong.
I suggest adding this either in the beginning of the workout or throw them in at the end as a way to challenge your teammates for longest hold.
Rows with Holds: I love these and will add them in multiple times a month. This is not only a great exercise to build the back muscles, but it will also give you a chance to really squeeze the lats and learn how the back muscles feel and operate. Being able to squeeze a muscle during the lift can really add a lot to your growth, the problem is too many athletes just speed through their workout and neglect learning how to control the body. A solid routine of 3x10 with a 2-3 second hold and squeeze will get the lats pumping.
I suggest throwing these in mid workout, maybe 3-4 exercises in.
GRIP: You can't handle a weight that you can't hold. While there are many amazing Grip exercises that we do, I would suggest Farmers for any athlete that is working on building their back. You'll get all the of the benefits of the Deadlift, but now you can either walk or hold at the top for time. This not only builds your grip up, but also gets you used to a heavier load while hitting your core, back, traps, and arms. Whether you are going for a walk or holding for time, you're going to want to get HEAVY with these.
These I would suggest as close to the end of the workout as possible. A dead and tired grip will destroy any chances of you being able to finish a workout, so doing it at the end ensures that you got a pretty solid day in.
Suggested Equipment
Electric Blender Bottle
Naked Whey Protein
Farmers Handles
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