Recommended upper back exercises?

[purbeast0]

So my upper back exercises are starting to get boring to me and I'm really sick of using machines for back. Right now I do lat pulldown, the t-bar, and then the hammer strength for lat rows. My lat pulldowns are pretty strong but my lats don't really stick out. I just do not like the feeling of these anymore and want to change it up. I also want to just all around get my upper back bigger if possible.

yesterday I tried the dumbell rows where you lean over and have your back basically paralelle tot he ground and just pull the dumbell up. I liked the feeling of those.

I think I'm going to doing the bent over row w/the barbell because I haven't done it but it looks like it would be a good exercise to start doing.

also i'm still steering clear of deadlifts for time being because my back still is not 100% and I am just steering clear of those and squats until it's 110%.

so what exercises do you all recommend for thickening the upper back and helping get the lats stick out more? also try to remember I'm trying to stick to free weights as much as possible. thanks.

EDIT:

oh and I do shruggs as well.

 

[theLION]

try weighted pull-ups

 

[Megatomic]

I do push up rows with the heaviest dumbells I can row up in good form. That's currently 35lbs. That seems to be working for me.

 

[alexeikgb]

I find that bent-over barbell rows are great i like them a lot , you can also switch up your pulldowns (different handles, reverse the grip), heavy dumbell rows, or if you have a cable machine- seated cable rows with the close grip (triangle) handle.

I think for a thick upper back, the best stuff would be T-bar and bent-over rows.

 

[JAG87]

on of the best things you can do for your upper back is the cable pulley.

cross your arms, grab the two handles, and pull from the center outwards. its a killer workout for tricepts, traps and the muscles just below the neck. try it!

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: alexeikgb
I find that bent-over barbell rows are great i like them a lot , you can also switch up your pulldowns (different handles, reverse the grip), heavy dumbell rows, or if you have a cable machine- seated cable rows with the close grip (triangle) handle.

I think for a thick upper back, the best stuff would be T-bar and bent-over rows.

Yah I think I'm going to just do the bent over barbell rows (the ones the T-bar one emulates) instead of the T-bar. I just feel that the barbell will be better overall cause it's freeweights. Machines for my back just don't seem like they are doing much for me even though I seem to be doing pretty heavy weights on them.

One thing I noticed with machines and my back is that when I do machines i feel it in my biceps A LOT. I feel it to the point that my biceps get tired before my back does sometimes. I've tried focusing on my back while doing these to try and get my back to tired out first but other than pulldowns, I feel like the machines I've used for my back make my bi's get tired before my back does.

 

[thespeakerbox]

Try developing your lats as well with some pull down exercises. Look into multiple grips to change it up and dont forget bent over rows on a smith machine.

 

[BigPoppa]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: alexeikgb
I find that bent-over barbell rows are great i like them a lot , you can also switch up your pulldowns (different handles, reverse the grip), heavy dumbell rows, or if you have a cable machine- seated cable rows with the close grip (triangle) handle.

I think for a thick upper back, the best stuff would be T-bar and bent-over rows.

Yah I think I'm going to just do the bent over barbell rows (the ones the T-bar one emulates) instead of the T-bar. I just feel that the barbell will be better overall cause it's freeweights. Machines for my back just don't seem like they are doing much for me even though I seem to be doing pretty heavy weights on them.

One thing I noticed with machines and my back is that when I do machines i feel it in my biceps A LOT. I feel it to the point that my biceps get tired before my back does sometimes. I've tried focusing on my back while doing these to try and get my back to tired out first but other than pulldowns, I feel like the machines I've used for my back make my bi's get tired before my back does.

Couple things you can do.

1. Pull with your elbows, not your hands. Sounds strange, but concentrate hard on doing it and you'll see a difference.
2. Avoid the machines that are becoming bicep dominant. Stick to dumbell/barbell rows until your lats catch up.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: BigPoppa

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: alexeikgb
I find that bent-over barbell rows are great i like them a lot , you can also switch up your pulldowns (different handles, reverse the grip), heavy dumbell rows, or if you have a cable machine- seated cable rows with the close grip (triangle) handle.

I think for a thick upper back, the best stuff would be T-bar and bent-over rows.

Yah I think I'm going to just do the bent over barbell rows (the ones the T-bar one emulates) instead of the T-bar. I just feel that the barbell will be better overall cause it's freeweights. Machines for my back just don't seem like they are doing much for me even though I seem to be doing pretty heavy weights on them.

One thing I noticed with machines and my back is that when I do machines i feel it in my biceps A LOT. I feel it to the point that my biceps get tired before my back does sometimes. I've tried focusing on my back while doing these to try and get my back to tired out first but other than pulldowns, I feel like the machines I've used for my back make my bi's get tired before my back does.

Couple things you can do.

1. Pull with your elbows, not your hands. Sounds strange, but concentrate hard on doing it and you'll see a difference.
2. Avoid the machines that are becoming bicep dominant. Stick to dumbell/barbell rows until your lats catch up.

yea with your #1 that's what I mean how I tried focusing on my back over my biceps.

and your #2 is part of the reason i've decided to change it up and try these new exercises. the dumbell bent over rows definitely could be felt in my back a lot more than my biceps, which I liked. i'm also goign to switch to close grip pulldowns instead of wide grip pulldowns. i also am going to start the bent over rows w/the barbell (the one the tbar emulates) next week, I need to get the form down though before I try any real weight.

 

[paulxcook]

Take this with a grain of salt, but several body builders have said their best lat-building exercise has been the simple wide-grip pullup. Ronnie Coleman was one of them, I think. I'm skeptical of a lot of things bodybuilders say, as many of them are liars or stupid, but this is pretty straight-forward.

 

[Sentinel]

Try 5x5 circuits of different exercises @ 90% maximum load (e.g. leave one rep in the tank).

For me I would do cable rows/lat pulldowns/weighted pullups.

 

[StageLeft]

Pull ups are king. THey are almost all I do, go weighted if you need more resistance.

 

[brikis98]

check out the list of back exercises and especially the lats section.

some suggestions:

* wide grip & close grip pull ups
* weighted pull ups
* bent over dumbell row

 

[ubercaffeinated]

pull ups will get you big quick.