Today I want to talk about a different muscle group that most people don’t even train too often, but if you develop it, it will have a huge effect on your size. The chest is one of the most recognizable muscle groups, no matter what you wear, it’s very noticeable and one of the first things people will notice when you walk through the door.
There’s a good reason why Monday is known as International Chest Day, when you see most people working like crazy trying to build their pecs, but big back is what separates men from boys.
Why big back make people look so big
Maybe, because it’s hard to admire in the changing room mirror after you exercise, you might not notice it all pumped up and swollen during training, but a strong back adds depth and form to your body and also a key to doing a big squat, you can’t move a big weight without a big back support.
It is also important for athletes who participate in sports that involve stretching, climbing and also in real world application, a large sturdy back is very functional in lifting and carrying things from one place to another. A large broad back is absolutely essential to develop a quality muscular physique and has always been considered as a measure of a man’s strength.
You can be big everywhere, but you will always look small if you don’t look thick in your back.
This is true.
I’m familiar with a lot of guys in the gym who have great arms, pecs, lats, shoulders, and so on, but their backs are underdeveloped, making them look ridiculously small.
Remember that when you are talking to someone, you are looking at their face. As a result, your peripheral vision will scan the area around their face, including the neck and back.
When a person with a small back turns around, he appears crooked. Simply observing the guys at the local gym will reveal that it is 100 percent accurate.
Let us say Mr. Small Back opted for a tank top. He will appear to be quite small. I can assure you of that.
As a result, work your back and work it hard. Perform a variety of shrugs, pulling variations, and rows.
Top reasons to build a strong back
- Lower back pain is alleviated by having a strong upper back, which is especially beneficial for office workers.
- Maintaining proper posture requires a strong back.
- Osteoporotic fractures in the middle back are common, but strength training can help prevent them.
- The back muscles, which are the largest and strongest in the body after the legs, are trained to expend a lot of energy, which helps maintain body composition and blood sugar levels.
- You look better with a big strong back.
Big Chest, Small back Remedies
-
Get 3D Deltoids
A person with 3D delts will always appear to be carrying a large amount of muscle. It appears right in front of your eyes and is difficult to ignore.
As a result, if you want to appear big on your own, you should follow suit. To do so, simply concentrate on developing your back and shoulder delts, which you can see again in the back.
Face pulls with bands/cables, rear delt fly, side rise, crucifix hold, and other variations will do the trick.
Adding rear and side delts to your shoulders will make them appear fuller, shaped, and wider, giving you a beefier appearance.
-
Get wide lats
If you can get your lats to flare like a bodybuilder, you will look great in a shirt 100% of the time. Similarly, if you have a zero back but a huge chest, wearing a T-shirt will make you look smaller unless you are viewed from the front.
Last time I checked, looking big and muscular did not mean looking narrow; it meant being wide, which is what makes you look big and muscular.
So, work those lats like you have never worked them before. Gaining strength in weighted pullups, lat pulldowns, and rowing variations will suffice.
-
Mind muscle connection
If your goal is to build a big back, you need to feel that the muscles are working. So, you need to establish a mind muscle connection with the working muscles which is very important in muscle development.
A recent study, a 2019 study by Schoenfield and colleagues, showed that focusing on the mind-muscle connection of the biceps during arm curls resulted in twice the height of the biceps compared to just trying to lift weights. Therefore, it is important to focus on feeling your back during workout.
-
Eat more calories
One of the biggest factors that determines the shape of your body is the way you eat. If you want to build a bigger back, you need to have a healthy diet and you also need a high-calorie diet to gain shape. Adequate nutrition combined with excellent back workout will enable you to reach your goals faster.
-
Squeeze your muscles
Don’t just lift the weight and lower it, while the weight is being pushed, squeeze your back for a moment before performing the negative.
-
Hand Grip Placement and Width
The placement of your hands basically controls which muscles you will be working. There are three things that determine your grip: hand position (upper hand and bottom arm) and the width of your grip (wide or narrow).
-
Full range of motion
Don’t shorten your range of motion just for more reps. Always use good form and keep your back straight during your workout, rounding your back during your workout can lead to injury. Pushing the weight all the way up so that it contracts can help improve the details in the back.
-
Warm up
Make sure you warm up before starting the workout routine, as this will help your body to get used to the workout routine, so that your body does not get tense and sore during the workout as it becomes difficult to work out.
-
Isolate the back
Like any other part of the body, you may find that some areas grow better and faster than others. Isolation exercises will help some stubborn muscles grow faster and also correct any muscle imbalances.
-
Use Proper Form
The most common problem is that people fail to develop the type of back they want by not using the right process. This will not only hinder your progress but will also hinder growth over time. Proper form is critical to success in lifting weights, not only in training the back but in other muscle groups as well.
-
Recovery day
If you’re working out properly, you’re pushing your muscles to the brink. That means, your muscle fibres are breaking down and they need enough time to recover before working again.
Think recovery days are for the weak? think again. Recovery days are really where your muscles build their mass, not just when you’re in the gym. Trust us, take time to rest before your next back day. If you really have to go to the gym, work your lower body in between back days.
-
Experiment with representative ranges
You can study as much science as you want, but in many cases, you’ll still be as confused as ever in terms of practical application. For every study showing high reps are bad for muscle growth, you’ll find another saying that they are optimal.
The best experiment you can do is on yourself. Try high reps and low reps and see what you enjoy the most.
In fact, you’ll probably get the same results no matter what rep range you work in, so you might as well enjoy the journey of building proportional body by getting some pleasure out of your training.
-
Is having a big chest, small back bad?
Well, it’s definitely normal. Although that should not be the ideal goal size, having a proportional body is the way to go.
So yes, if you have a big chest but a small back, I think you should try to change the disparity. After all, you’ll never look worse by improving your back. A big back is one that everyone admires. If you want to take your training to the next level, start training the right way for best results.
Final Thoughts on Big Chest, Small Back
First and foremost, if you have a large chest and small back, you must make sure that your technique is solid.
The best back workout will give you an overall stronger back which is just as important as showroom muscles. A big back makes you stand out. Of course, there’s no shortcut to the real thing, so keep working hard and reap the benefits of your effort.
