i know this is heresy around here, but try using straps. they can be a great help in trying to remove the arms as much as possible, and letting you concentrate on squeezing the intended muscles.
the best back pumps ive gotten have come from using rest-pause, might be worth a try if your hell-bent on getting a lat pump.
Learn to contract your back at will. Begin with a very light first set and use a range of motion that allows you to keep constant tension on the target back muscles. This probably means you need to shorten the range of motion and add more reps per set. Then Pyramid up on every set to find out what’s the cut-off point where you don’t feel the correct muscles doing the work. You may need to stay on that weight and then build up again paying mindfulness to the working muscles.
I know I don’t have to be super pumped at the end of every workout. I also know I don’t always have to be sore the next day, but I’ve been really trying to sort out what works well for me, and using the pump and soreness from a workout is probably the best indicator I can use.
Using a heavy, low-rep first movement followed by higher-rep volume work on a bodypart split has accelerated my gains recently. The only body part I haven’t made awesome gains on in the last three weeks is my back, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s also the only part I can’t seem to get pumped or sore.
I’m very strict on form, especially on compounds. I don’t use any gear at all. I’m not lifting enough yet to need it. I do understand what you mean, though, hypnotoad. I might consider straps later on.
Let’s see, what else. My mind-muscle connection is pretty good. I flex all the time, trying to flex particular muscles. I can focus on almost any major mover effortlessly. I also understand the importance of flexing when it comes to development.
Apologies for the long post. Not ranting or anything, just trying to give some background.
If your mind-muscle is fine and you’re doing both high and low rep sets then it’s probably the need for more volume - more sets. It seems you’ve discounted everything else(unless your perception is wrong). You give it enough work and it’ll get sore no matter what.
Much better back workout today. I just need to focus on squeezing more on my bent rows to hit my mid-traps harder, and I’ll be good to go. I used a wider grip (pinkies on the rings) because I’ve always used a narrow grip and it hasn’t been working that well.
That hit my traps harder, but I used too much weight, and I couldn’t focus on squeezing.
Also need to increase the weight on DB rows. I do them explosively, and the DB was hitting my chest pretty hard today.
Deads 5x5
half-rep pullups 5x5
wide grip bent rows 3x10
super-set:
Pullovers 3x10
DB rows 3x10
Thanks a lot for the help, guys. I appreciate it.
out of curiousity, how high do the DB’s go in your gym? B/c in my gym now they only go up to 95lbs and I can hit 20 reps on those fairly easily (and I’m not the strongest guy in the world).
You might want to consider doing just one all out set with the DB rows (heaviest DB you can find for reps ala Matt Kroc).
Home gym. 90lb DB. If I use my arm to help, and I’m fresh, I can do a lot of reps. I just use my hand as a hook, though, and let it dangle from my elbow. I only used 60lbs today because of not knowing how tough they were gonna be in a superset after pullovers.
The DB rows are just for volume. My main focus in my back work is deadlift. Everything else is just a means to that end.
I actually have done rest-paused, as-many-as-you-can-do, heavy DB rows and they work really well. The way my routine is right now, by the time I get to them, I’m just about toasted. They will find their way back into it when I’m ready.
I found a great trick to use to help isolate and learn to contract and flex the lats on command. It works best in a chair with no padding on the back ( like a metal folding chair) The idea is simple. While seated, try to contract your lats to slightly push each side of your body away from the chair individually. It really doesn’t take long to feel it. Your shoulder should dip down and back a little bit, and you’ll actually feel the chair pressing on the contracted muscle.
It only took me a few days after finding this trick to really be able to work the back much more effectively.
OK Jay I totally understand your problem as I have struggled with it myself for a long time. What I realized from having so much trouble getting a pump in my back is “if you can’t flex the muscle with no weight, then why shoudl you be able to flex it with weight?”
Here is a great fix:
While you are sitting in your computer chair or going about your daily business practice flexing your back. Do the rowing motion and pulldown motion with no weight and just keep practicing flexign your lats as your elbows get drawn in. Eventually after doign it enough you will have the coordination.
[quote]1morerep wrote:
try a little pre-exhaust. you don’t have cables so try a set of stiff arm db pullovers immediately followed by either chins or rows. i can’t imagine you not getting a good pump then.[/quote]
Do this, it’ll certainly work, what i’m doing right now is those lighter arc DB rows you mentioned immediately followed by heavy DB rows.
I find feeling the stretch before contraction is important as well