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Maximuscle | Guide to building a better back
Because you can't see it, many people devote little time to training their back properly. To build a complete, balanced physique, you need to spend time on all of the muscles in your body (including the ones you can't see). The most effective exercise for developing the back is the chin-up. Unfortunately, many people find they can only perform two or three chin-ups, and rely on the lat pulldown to train their back.
If this sounds like you, try using negative chin-ups. Here's how:
- Place a small box underneath the chinning bar. Step on to the box, and pull yourself up until your chin is level with the bar.
- Then, while holding yourself in this position, step off the box, and bend your knees (curling your heels up behind you).
- Take 4-5 seconds to lower yourself down until your arms are completely straight. Hold the fully stretched position for 2-3 seconds.
- Then, step back on to the box, and repeat the process 5-6 times.
To get the maximum benefit, make negative chin ups the first exercise in your back routine. You will need to warm up first though. Two or three light sets (10-15 reps) of lat pulldowns should be enough.
This technique takes advantage of the fact that you can usually LOWER more weight than you can LIFT. After a few weeks, you'll find that the number of normal chin-ups you're able to perform has increased significantly.
