By: Sean Nalewanyj
Submitted: 2009-10-31 00:48:43 | Word Count: 985
Many people are misguided when it comes to bodybuilding.
Almost everyone is desperate to gain muscle fast, but few people really know how to properly do it.
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Most lifters just want a huge chest and arms.
Week after week they kill themselves performing bench presses and barbell curls hoping to do it.
Obviously, their dream of gaining muscle fast doesn't happen.
Although gaining muscle fast in your arms and chest seems important for creating a good physique, these muscles don't do that much if you compare them to other major muscle groups.
The muscles of the back: traps, lats, spinal erectors, rhomboids, and lower back muscles are so much more important.
It's clear why these muscles get neglected by most lifters…
1) The back is not a "showy" muscle and you can't see it in the mirror.
2) Training the back is far more stressful to the body than training your chest or arms.
3) Most lifters don't know how important the development of these muscles really is.
Let me tell you a little secret…
A well developed back is what will make you look wide, thick, and powerful in no time.
A whopping 70% of your upper body muscle mass is around your back!
Nothing can replace the upper body thickening effect of gaining muscle fast in your back – resulting in big, bulging lats and a set of wide, tall trapezius muscles.
You need to get off that bench press, put down that EZ-curl bar and allow me to share a simple, step-by-step workout for you to use that will not only help you in gaining muscle fast, but will also build a muscular back.
here are four major movements to properly develop your back…
1) Deadlifts
I cannot stress the importance of this lift enough. When gaining muscle fast is a priority, there is not a single exercise out there that can even come close to matching the effectiveness of a basic, bent-legged barbell deadlift.
The deadlift will work you from finger to neck to toe and is irreplaceable in developing strong, thick back muscles.
Since the deadlift will stimulate growth throughout the entire back complex, it should be the building block of your routine.
2) A vertical pulling movement
This will give you that wide, v-tapered look from behind since you are targeting your lats.
Try chin-ups, lat pull downs, and v-bar pull downs.
If your goal is gaining muscle fast, it's time for the basic overhand chin-up to do its work.
This will stimulate growth in the lats like no other exercise.
3) A horizontal pulling movement
Often called "rows", horizontal pulling movements lay emphasis on the upper/middle portion of the back and also help to stimulate the lats.
When it comes to gaining muscle fast, free-weight rowing movements are the best option.
I normally recommend bent over barbell rows, but bent over dumbbell rows are good, too.
4) A shrugging movement
Even though this is not as important for gaining muscle fast, using a shrugging movement at the end of the workout can help target the upper traps and develop a mountainous back.
Simply use a basic barbell or dumbbell shrug.
Let's review all this information…
***Sample Back Workout
Deadlifts – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Overhand Chin-Ups – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Barbell Shrugs – 2 Sets of 10 to 12 reps
If your goal is gaining muscle fast, try the above routine for optimal gains in back size and strength.
I've used this same routine for many years and continue to see steady progress in both back size and strength.
Make sure to keep a written record of every workout that you perform, and focus each week on increasing either the weight that you lift or the number of reps that you perform within the given rep range.
