i do rows and stuff, ive got no chins bar yet, but tho i feel strong in my upper shoulders and back, but lower down, i feel like theres boniness. how can i work this better? ive started doing deadlifts recently. is there a method of consciously contracting the lower back during the exercise? cheers
Your lats aren’t exactly your lower back. Your lower back is primarily the spinal erectors.
You can hit your lats with exercises like pull ups, lat pulldowns and especially straight-arm lat pulldowns.
Try skimming through this article named Back Specialization:
http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-082-training
Just try some of the exercises that you think will help you. In my opinion, the Rope Lat Pulldown is a great LAT isolation exercise. Try it for a couple weeks or so and see how it works for you.
Best of luck man.
[Side Note] If you’re talking about your “Lower Back” in general. Then try good mornings…
For the rows, trying pulling more toward your abdomen than your chest. Sometimes a supinated (underhand) grip helps with this. If they’re bent over rows, bend over more. You should be able to feel it then in the lats more than the traps. Good luck.
cheers people thats really helpful. kailash, thats what i thought (guessed), glad uv suggested a few more degrees horizontal, so its not that ridiculous after all. by the way do u like the k-lash (terra firma)? i havent got access to lat pulldowns, never did.
so iv just got to try the hypers/good mornings etc, in synergy with my current work on upper-upper back. i was definitely feeling it in my traps more, which i always thought must be bad. now i know. ill give it a go, hopefully my posture will approve also. thanks a lot il be in touch
[quote]dannyrat wrote:
i was definitely feeling it in my traps more, which i always thought must be bad. now i know.[/quote]
It’s not bad to feel it in the traps. Rows are a way to work the entire back, from the upper traps to lats and even the lower back. It all depends on where you’re pulling to, the angle, the grip, whether it’s bent over rows or with cable, rowing machine, t-bar, etc. etc. - there’s endless variations. Just target the entire back with row variations, and you’ll do fine. Two or three different rowing movements should do it nicely. Good luck.