Goeth27

Hi, my name is Donnie i am 5'9 weigh 170 and i currently bench my weight and have been working out steadily for 7 months on a tight schedule i do all pushing motions in one group and pulling in another. Pushing one night for chest shoulders and tri's. And pulling another night for back and bi's. then a rest day and then i go back in my cycle of pushing and pulling nights. Then every once in a while i throw a legs work out in every other week.

I have been having problems with finding a good back work out. I have a olympic weight setup with the lat pull downs, but im thinking maybe i need a good free weight lift for my lower and upper back anyone know of any good lifts i could do ?

Also i dont use any supplements, but have been recently thinking about trying some because i feel i have hit a slow down in results and energy for workouts. I am 16 and am looking for the least side effects possible.

Thanks in advance.

Crashsti

deadlifts are a monster back exercise. actually its a total body exercise but alot of emphasis is placed on the muscles around your spine and your lower back. a real strength builder. supplements are good as well, EAS makes a product called Myoplex that is good. a meal replacement shake really. i've used it with excellent results. look in the Topic- supplements and nutrition and you will find a thread about what people on this forum use.

Billdolfski

Here is my opinion on back training:

Upper back: pullups, sure you didn't want to hear this but unparalleled in obtaining upper back strength.

Middle Back: T-bar rows, if you have access to a gym. If not, one armed dumbbell rows, and keep the action strict.

Lower Back. What he said, deadlifts. Not only are deadlifts the best lower back exercise, it is fantastic for total body power. Great exercise, i suggest you study correct deadlift form though as you can easily injure yourself with it.

Hope my information is useful.

Goeth27

Awesome, thanks for helping me, I am not really going to be able to try any out because i had to work today, and Monday i need to hull some rock for land scaping, but ill tell you how i liked them in about a week or so.

Thanks.

SmashingMachine

With Free weights you have a lot of possibilities.

For Upper Back I do:

Bent over Rows...wide grip palms down, and narrow grip palms up.

T-Bars are good...somebody else mentioned them too.
Whole Back/Low Back:

Deadlifts are great!, They build your whole back side...but be sure to hold your shoulder blades back a little to get max. benefit.

Straight leg deadlifts...do with very little weight(maybe just the bar at first)...keep your legs straight(slight bend at knees) bend over and raise back up SLOWLY...BE SURE TO GO SLOW WITH THIS ONE.

With all strengthening you should incorporate some core stabilization exercises too. To strengthen the muscles in and around your spine...strong core muscles cut down on injury a lot and will boost your other lifts too.

As far as supplements go, take in a supply of carbs within a half hour after you work out. Then within one to two hours take in some protein. I use a protein powder mixed with skim milk or water. Make sure it's whey protein and low to no carbs. If it has amino acids listed, look for L-Arginine and glutamine as the two major ones you want. However, if you cant get powder, eat some tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, or egg whites...they're all high in protein. Creatine is another good supplement to take. As it is the stuff that transports energy to your muscles so to speak. Creatine, as long as you have no kidney problems, is safe and effective. A good multi-vitamin is a plus too. Drop it in some vinegar to make sure it'll dissolve within 20-30 minutes after you take it. If it doesn't get a different vitamin. Make sure to drink lots of water everyday(80 ounces or so). Eat six times a day to boost your metabolism. Good Luck.

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Goeth27

I got some time in to try all these, the deadlifts work perfectly and is what i was looking for, thank you for all your help.