When it comes to weight training for specific body parts, many will agree that training their backs is the most challenging. Weight training legs is often challenging considering the amount of energy we expend on heavy leg presses and squats. However, our giant back muscles provide an entirely different obstacle in terms of achieving desired results. Let's discuss some of the common issues and possible tips to get the best out of your back days.

What's so difficult about training my back muscles?
First off, we are all different in the way we respond to particular workouts. Some people have no issues with certain movements and workouts, while others struggle to achieve similar results even though they are doing the exact same thing. Training your back generally involves pulling motions such as rowing exercises. The main issue most people face is that their biceps, forearms or both tire out before their backs even begin to feel the workout!

That is exactly what happens to me! Why is this?
These exercises involve both the biceps and large back muscles. Since our biceps muscles are much smaller than our back muscles, it's inevitable that they produce less force and fatigue much quicker! These muscle groups work in a chain-like fashion and any chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

So how do I fix this problem?
The first thing anyone needs to do is find a suitable weight for each of their back workouts. One of the biggest errors people make is using far too much weight for their sets. If the weight you are using is too heavy, your biceps will fatigue extremely fast and you can forget about your back. Find a weight that allows your back to be making the movements for you as opposed to your biceps struggling to pull the weight. Really focus on activating your back muscles throughout the entire range of motion. Another tip that helps for certain back exercises, such as rows and pull-ups, is the following: use a grip in which your thumbs are not wrapped around the bar/handles but rather rested beside your index fingers (call it an overfinger grip if you will). This helps your arms and biceps to act more like anchors and forces your back muscles to do more of the work.

Are there any particular exercises I can do?
One of the best things to ensure you really target your back is trying out some pre-exhaustion exercises. This involves doing an isolation exercise such as pull-overs and going right into a compound exercise such as pull-downs without any rest between each exercise. This causes a pre-exhaustion of your back muscles and ensures that your back muscles fatigue before your biceps do when you perform the pull-downs. It is somewhat difficult to explain in a brief article, but feel free to stop by the gym for a visual explanation. In the meantime, get BACK to work.