How to Build a Better, Stronger Back
by Ronald and Shahid
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Consult a general practitioner before attempting this exercise |
| 2001-04-12 |
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If I asked you to picture the ideal body, you'd imagine someone lean, strong, muscular (not "oversized"), and symmetrical. A person with broad shoulders, a "V-shaped" back and a narrow waist.
Now to develop this upper body yourself, you cannot get away with just training the muscle groups you can see in the mirror. You must make regular, intense back exercise a priority.
When this large group of muscles is properly trained and well developed, will it help you develop a great-looking physique, it will also improve your posture, help you prevent injuries and help you avoid back pain.
The wide-grip lat pulldown is a classic machine exercise with many shaping and strengthening benefits. By changing the width of your grip, you can target different muscles in your back, especially those which are underused in other exercises.
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Starting position
* Sit at a lat-pull down machine and tuck your legs securely
under the pads with your feet firmly on the floor
* Firmly grasp a wide bar with your hands facing forward-
your hands should be almost double shoulder-width apart.
The Exercise
* Pull the bar down on top of your chest, arching your back slightly
* Focus on keeping you elbows directly below the bar
* Pause briefly with the bar in position on top of your collarbone.
* Slowly raise the bar to the starting point |
| TIP:
stretch periodically between sets. This will help your
lats (large muscles of the back) grow and keep you focused on
the muscles you are working
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