The Back. Part 1 of 4
The Trapezius is the flat, triangular muscle that extends out and down from the neck and then between the shoulder blades. The basic function of the Trapezius is the raising of the whole shoulder girdle.
The Latissimus Dorsi are the large triangular muscles that extend from beneath the shoulders to the small of the back on both sides. These are the largest muscles of the upper body.
The Spinal Erectors are several muscles in the lower back that guard the nerve channels and help keep the spine erect. They are also the slowest muscles to recuperate from a heavy work out.
Developing a broad, thick and massive back is absolutely necessary in the creation of a quality physique. Strong back muscles are essential for lifting and carrying heavy weight and a highly muscular back has always been considered the measure of a person’s strength.
Upper Back
The central muscle of the upper back is Trapezius; a triangular muscle that extends to the shoulders from either side of the neck, that then comes together over the spine about halfway down the back. Exercises that specifically work the traps include anything that involves lifting the shoulders: shrugs and upright rows, also rowing in certain positions work the Trapezius.
Lats
The most impressive area of a fully developed back is the sweep of the lats. The traditional v-shape of a bodybuilder: wide shoulders descending to a firm tight waistline is dependent on the right kind of lat development. Any kind of pull down movement, such as cable pull downs or chins develop the width of the lats. The precise way that the pull down movement affects the lats is determined by the angle you are working at, how wide apart your arms are and whether you are pulling down to the front or to the rear. Close grip and wide grip movements as well as front and rear chins and pull downs are key to total lat development.
Lower Lats
To develop the lower lats you need to do your back exercises with a very narrow grip. Narrow grip chins, narrow grip pull downs as well as one arm cable rowing and one arm dumbbell rows are great exercises for developing the lower lats. It is also very important to do stretches between sets, grabbing hold of something and pulling until you can feel the lower lat almost down to your hip.