Your back contains 70% of the total muscle mass in your upper body. Anybody can build a wider back with the right blue print.
In this post we look at the exercises, movements, muscles and more that are necessary to build a thicker, wider back.
A cobra back starts with a narrow waist with back muscles that bow out wiiiide like the hood of a cobra.
This post is designed to create a masculine V-taper, complete with wide, sweeping lats that connect to broad shoulders.
Striving to develop a cobra back is one way to build an impressive torso. Here’s how you get a wide back like a cobra.
The back muscles and how to train them
Latissimus dorsi (lats) – The back ‘wings’ that connect from your lower back to your shoulders. Respond well to all kinds of pulling motions like pull-ups, chin-ups and rows.
Erector Spinae muscles – Run vertically along the spinal column. Stimulated by lifting the torso up and back, and by maintaining a stable posture. Deadlifts and back hyperextensions are suitable exercises to build up the Erector spinae muscles.
Trapezius – Upper and middle back muscles that span to the neck and sweep out to the shoulder blades and down the middle of the spine. Shrugs and deadlifts of all kinds.
Rhomboids – Middle back muscle that pull you shoulder blades together. Cable rows work well for developing the middle back muscles.
How to Get a Wide Back
Train back twice per week. One training day with a strength or powerlifting style workout and the other day with a hypertrophy bodybuilding style workout.
Your routine should be balanced and build your physique from the ground up. Heavy lifting and high volume leg training is important to build a strong foundation to set you large back upon.
After you established a balanced workout routine with full body training. And have some experience with strength and hypertrophy blended hybrid workout. Then it’s time to focus more intensely on the best exercises to target the back muscles.
Top 5 Exercises For Building A Cobra Back
- Pull-ups and chin-ups.
- Deadlifts – sumo, conventional, and everything in between.
- Seated cable rows – keep your elbows tight to your sides.
- Bent over barbell rows
- High-rep double overhand deadlifts – so good they need their own category.
- Bonus: Wide grip deadlifts and rack pulls
Sample Cobra Back Workout
50 pull-ups or chin ups – Complete in as few sets as possible. Or in as little time as possible.
Deadlifts – 4 Sets 5 Reps
Bent over barbell rows – 4 sets of 10 reps
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down Superset with Close Grip Under Hand Lat Pull Down – 3 sets of each 10+ reps per set
Build your own Cobra back workout
Pick 2 pull up or pull down motions (meaning exercises that move your hands from over head toward your crown.
Exercise that pass through the frontal plane are:
- Pull ups and Pull downs of all variations
- Chin ups with wide grip, medium grip, and close grip.
Benefits add width to your back.
Then pick 2 pull-in motions – Exercises that bring the weight in toward you and back out again. Or in other words exercises that move your arms through the frontal plane toward, and away from, your chest.
- Barbell Rows
- Dumbbell rows to get an extra stretch and concentrate on one side.
- Penley rows – reset weight on the floor before beginning each rep. pull the bar to your chest.
- Seated rows
- Close Grip Seated Cable Row
- Pullovers (Dumbbell or barbell)
And of course, deadlifts. Always do deadlifts. Lots of deadlifts. Conventional deadlifts, Sumo deadlifts, etc.
Back training tips
In rapid fire fashion and in no particular order:
- Focus on isolating the back muscles and lifting with the back muscles primarily. Train the muscles not the joints. and be aware of your posture so your back stays in a safe position.
- Arms and shoulders will come into play as you begin to lift heavier weight or when you fatigue near the end of a set. Your forearms will grow to from gripping and moving the heavy weight. Use straps if you have to but not too much. You want to train your grip as well.
- Fully extend each rep to stretch the back muscles. Especially what training the lats. Stretch, expand and fully contract the lat muscles. That’s a good way to get wider back.
- Breathe deep each rep to expand the rib box and fully stretch the back muscles.
- Train with intent. Focus on each rep and feel your muscles working. Building mind-muscle connection is key to building a back just like any other muscle.
- Make each movement count. Don’t just go through the motions. Feel the muscles working and moving the weight.
- Train to failure occasionally.
- Rest 30-60 seconds between sets for hypertrophy workouts and to 2-3 minutes between sets for powerlifting and strength workouts.
- Adjust movements, grips, exercises according to your unique body mechanics and training goes.
- Train from different angles once you get a feel for the exercises to unlock more gains. and muscle stimulation.
- Pulling motions. Work your back for a balanced body.
- Stretch Stretch between sets for 15-30 seconds and after workouts to lengthen the lat muscles.
- Mix up your grip – Palms facing you palms facing away or palms facing each other.
- Focusing on form and keeping tension on your muscles.
- Mix high reps and low reps. Heavy weight and low weight. Slow reps and fast reps. Powerlifting and strength training. Variety is good!
General training tips to build a cobra back
I’ll say it again – Full. Body. Training. Train your entire body to have a big back.
Balanced. Training. Routine.
Legs. Squats. Lunges. Don’t skip them!
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