Back:Overview

Break through plateaus you have with your weakest body part

GET BACK

For this 12-week training series, you’ll follow your regular workout program, reorganizing it to prioritize development of the muscles of your back. This includes your lats (latissimus dorsi), traps, rhomboids and many smaller muscles.

Each week, the workouts will get more challenging, but I want you to put all of your effort into every back workout. If you need to adjust your training volume, then do so with other bodyparts rather than back.

Here’s more about how each of these crucial back muscles works. This, along with the anatomy chart, will help you better address the specific weaknesses in your back.

Latissimus dorsi (lats): Your lats are the broad muscles in your back that create the V-taper. It’s important to train them for both width and thickness, and I’ve included moves that target making both of these improvements in your back.

Traps: This is the large butterfly-shaped muscle in the center of your back that also comes up and attaches atop your shoulders near your neck. Many bodybuilders have weak trapezius muscles and including moves such as shrugs and upright rows help you overcome this common weakness.

Spinal erectors: These small muscles not only help stabilize your spine, but they also create definition in your lower back, helping you bring out the infamous “Christmas tree” that bodybuilders strive to develop.

Rhomboids: These muscles attach along your spine in your upper back and to your scapula. They help you retract and stabilize your scapula for more complete back development. Improving these muscles helps increase back definition and thickness.

FUEL YOUR BACK GROWTH

In addition to beginning your week with back training, you should increase your calorie consumption by about 200-500 calories on and around the day when you train your back. Get in these extra calories in the 24-hour period that begins with the last meal of the day before, continuing through your morning and through your meal after your workout.

Here’s an example of what you should add to your Sunday night late-night meal and your consumption throughout your Monday back training day.

Late-night meal

Add one scoop of Kasein® to the one you always take, and a piece of fruit such as plum, apple or peach. Or you can add an ounce or two of nuts such as almonds. This will add a total of about 200 calories.

Breakfast:

Eat one slice of whole-grain bread. That adds about 100 calories.

Lunch:

Get in about 2-3 ounces of brown rice. That adds about 100 calories.

Dinner

Go with a very large sweet potato rather than a medium one. That adds another 100 calories.

TRAINING SPLIT

Note that I’m “beginning” your training week with the weekend rather than ending with that. That’s because Mondays will be your “focus” day for your lagging body part on Shattered! Since we’re targeting back for this 12-week training split, you not only want your back to be well rested itself, but you also don’t want to have performed challenging workouts the day or two before you train back. So, I’ve set up cardio and abs on Saturday and active rest on Sunday so that you’re well recovered to go full out with back training.