CREATING BACK DETAIL FOR BODYBUILDING

I am a 52 year old man, and I have been training for over 30 years. I have competed in bodybuilding contests and although I have always placed high in the rankings, everyone says I do not win because my back does not have “enough detail.” I do everything there is to do; Pull-ups, Pull-downs, T-bar-rows, Low-Pulley rows, and One Arm-rows; even heavy Dead-liftts. I have done every routine, from every book and magazine that has been printed; and, yet nothing has worked—my back gets wide, but it lacks depth and detail. Since you have helped others with similar problems; is there something that you could recommend?

If you look at a complete picture of the musculature of the back on a large chart in an anatomical book; you will notice that the back has many muscles that crisscross over one another, often in diagonally opposing insertions. This makes the back an extremely intricate muscle group by design. Having said that however, I have seen guys who do exactly what you are doing and create a wide, deeply cut, and detailed back. On the other hand, some men, such as yourself; try everything and can not get depth and detail, but can create width. This particular problem is usually rooted in a fundamental flaw of the spine. That is, the shape of the spine is the first major problem that you must address. If you look at your spine from the rear (with someone holding a mirror up so you can see the entire back), and, then looking at your profile of the spine; I think you will probably notice that your spine is either slightly, or possible greatly, Kyphotic. Kyphosis[1] is most often a spinal deformity; that is often over looked during a child’s growing years. It is when the middle of the spine comes outward too far (and loses its lordotic profile and shape). Kyphosis can also be the result of poor posture; and ironically, one generally leads to the other.

When you say that there is a lot “width,” to the outer-edges of the back; (That being the lattisumus and teres major muscles), I am even more convinced that your problem is congenital). Fear not, though, for where there is a will, there is a way.

 Noticing your lordotic shape in the mirror, (or the spinal profile—being Kyphotic) is why your “detail” has been so difficult to grow and create. The muscles around that area are only worked properly when your shoulders are back far enough to engage them. This means that all of your back exercises will be of the squeezing nature. In other words, it is more important for you to get your shoulders back and squeeze the lower traps, scapulas and the inner muscles that run down either side of the spine. In order to do this, you want to do the following:

1. Three sets of Lat-pull-downs to the back of your neck. You want to be sure not to let the bar go all the way up and your want to focus on squeezing the scapulas inward as you pull the weight down to the back of your neck. (Everything that you do from here on should be done with the idea of squeezing your scapulas together as much as possible). Forget about the “stretch” part of your back exercises—you are stretched too much already. From now on, you must focus on, “shoulders back, and squeezing the scapulas.
2.  Seated low-pulley rows: You want to find a weight that is heavy enough to put a strain on your muscles; and yet moderate so that you can get your shoulders back and your scapulas together. Again, it is not important to “stretch” all the way—you need to squeeze those scapulas together on every rep!! Do 12-15 reps for three sets. At the end of each set, do as many “squeezes” as you can. To do this, merely keep contracting the back muscles and never letting the bar go back towards the weight rack more than two inches and then squeeze again. This is really important for you to do a lot of.
3. Upright, Seated Pulls: This exercise is done by setting the seat low enough to ensure that your arms come back high enough to engage the higher portion of the muscles on either side of the spine; and allowing you to also squeeze the lower part of your traps. You want to do at least 15 full-reps and as many, short, squeezing-type reps as you can do. Three sets of 15 and then to failure at the end of the set.
4. Finally, you want to take a set of Lifeline cables (some thick multiple rubber cables with handles) and wrap the length of the cables around a pole or other structure that is upright. Sit on the floor and grab the handles. Pull them in so that your hands (and handles) are back as far as you can go. (This should be so that your handles are at least back far enough that your shoulders are back and your scapulas are together). Now, just allow the  cables to go back 2-4 inches, and then squeeze your scapulas together as you bring the handles back again—doing this over and over. You want to do this as much as you can, at least for 40--60 seconds. At first, you will do this every other day until you begin to see your shoulders literally being brought back to where they should sit. (This will take 4-6 months for most people; depending upon the severity of the kyphosis). Once your shoulders seem as though they are sitting even with the center of your neck (profile view); then do this after your other back exercises, only once a week.
1. There are two more things that you might want to do outside of the gym. First, find yourself a Feldenkrais practitioner. Make sure this person has been taught and has a certified degree in this science/art-form. The person will begin by having you lay on your back on a very flat and hard-wood surface. You will see how severe your congenital problem is by simply seeing how many parts of your body are not flat, touching the floor of this apparatus. Each time you come; this professional will teach you how to reprogram your nervous-system and your neuromuscular signals. You will find within a couple of months, that your shoulders will site back naturally (from the way you are exercising and the way that you are retraining your neuromuscular feedback during Fledenkrais sessions.
2. Lastly: Ask your Feldenkrais Practitioner for a 4foot log of Styrofoam that you will roll on at home in your spare time. This will help a bit as you roll back and forth on your back atop of this simple device. Over time this will help the curve become a bit less severe.

It is most important for you and anyone else with this type of problem to be sure to do exercises that help pull the shoulders back and pull and grow the muscles closely to either side of your spine. You may never have the detail of someone such as Victor Martinez; however, what you will do with this workout is not only build yourself a great, thick, detailed back; but you will also save yourself from potential musculoskeletal damage as you age. Most people have various musculoskeletal problems that may not be evident until they cause a problem. The key is to identify them and work them properly. Learn to look at the shape of your entire musculoskeletal system. Whenever there is question; ask to see a Physiatrist and have them look at the problem and they should have some exercises that you can do to increase proper usage.

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[1] (Greek - kyphos, a hump), in general terms, is a curvature of the upper spine. It can be either the result of bad posture or a structural anomaly in the spine.

In the sense of a deformity, it is the pathological curving of the spine, where parts of the spinal column lose some or all of their lordotic profile.