One of my personal least favorite muscle groups to train: the back. I've struggled for years and years to do my first pull-up, doing assisted & negative pull-ups, chin-ups, jumping pull-ups, anything: I've tried it. The back is one of the most difficult muscles to target when starting with fitness. It never felt as it should, right?
The reason we dive into cables specifically is thanks to their consistency and great range of motion. When you do some dumbbell rows, for example, you only feel tension at the top of the movement and quite limited at the bottom. With cables, you feel more tension throughout the whole movement, can be more creative with exercises you can do, and increase the ROM. Make sure to alternate between cables and dumbbells, as dumbbells are still great to work with.
Today's blog is all about building a rock-solid, ultimate cable back workout routine. We'll go over the anatomy of the back (yes, we will keep it simple), emphasize its importance for posture, strength, and stamina, and explain the 6 exercises you need for building that demon back. The blog ends with expert tips, such as balancing rest and intensity and incorporating different back exercises (which come down to the back anatomy). We present to you: the Ultimate Cable Back Workout Guide for Teenagers.
Let's go!
The Ultimate Cable Back Workout Guide for Teenagers
Understanding Back Muscles Anatomy
This first part is all about understanding the back muscles in the easiest way possible. The upper back consists of 3 major muscles: the Latissimus Dorsi Muscle (also known as lats, on the side creating the "wings"), the Trapezius Muscle (known as traps), and the Rhomboid Major Muscle (the "inner back"). We'll dive into the best exercises you can do for each of these later in this blog.
There are 3 kinds of muscle tissue in the body:
Skeletal Muscles: they work with your bones, tendons, and ligaments to support your weight and get you moving. They are voluntary, meaning they move when you think about moving them. Some of the muscle fibers move quickly and use short bursts of energy when doing sprints for example. Others are more for posture, moving slowly like for example the back muscle. These are the muscles we train when doing weightlifting.
Cardiac Muscles: as the name suggests, the cardiac muscles lie around your heart. They comprise the middle layers and contract when blood is pumped through your cardiovascular system. These are involuntary muscles, meaning they contract without your input.
Smooth Muscles: these are also involuntary muscles. They line the inside of some organs. Essential movements, such as moving food throughout your intestines and helping your lungs contract when you breathe are part of its job.
The Role of Major Back Muscle Groups
The total weight of your body consists of ~40% muscle. Muscles have multiple functions, such as keeping stability, locomotion, performing exercises, and burning fat. The entire back rises from the buttocks to the neck and shoulders.
The role of the Trapezius is quite diverse. It tilts and turns the head and neck, shrugs and strengthens the shoulders, and twists the arms. It also elevates, depresses, rotates, and retracts the scapula (or shoulder blade).
The Latissimus Dorsi muscle works when flexed, at extending, adducting, and rotating the arm. It belongs to the muscles of the scapular motion. This muscle can pull the inferior angle of the scapula in various directions. This produces movements on the shoulder joint (such as internal rotation, adduction, and extension of the arm).
Lastly, the Rhomboid Major muscle retracts, elevates, and rotates the scapula (shoulder blade). It is also functional for protracting the medial border of the scapula, which keeps it in position.
The Role of Minor Back Muscle Groups
We told you about the Rhomboid Major Muscle, but did you know the Rhomboids also have a Minor Muscle group? Let's talk about the major minor groups (if that sounds logical to you), using easy-to-understand language.
Minor muscle groups are the tiny supporting muscles for the major muscles. While these are mostly overlooked, advanced and even beginners should pay attention to them. Overall stability and flexibility come from the minor muscle groups.
The Trapezius has 3 parts:
The upper Trapezius: the smallest section of the Trapezius. It starts at the base of your neck and extends just across the tops of your shoulders. It is functional for lifting your arms, rotating, extending, and turning the neck and head, and shrugging your shoulders.
The middle Trapezius: just below your upper Trapezius, you find the middle trapezius. It goes all across your shoulders and is responsible for pulling your shoulders back and extending your arms behind you. It is also used in stabilizing the shoulders when you move your arms.
The lower Trapezius: starting around your shoulder blades, and forming some kind of V-shape in the middle of your back. This one is the most important for an aesthetic look. It is important for "unshrugging" your shoulders and stabilizing your spine during certain movements, such as twisting and bending.
 There is so much info nowadays. So many people give some "award-winning fitness advice", even though they have been going to the gym for 3 weeks now. Especially supplements can be pretty daunting when first starting, but we got you covered. In our blog about the 6 Best Supplements For Men in 2024, we talk about the 6 supplements you need to consider as a man. Feel free to check it out! |
The Lattisimus Dorsi has 4 different parts in it:
Vertebral part: the part that starts from the bones in the middle of your back (from the 7th to 12th bones in your upper back) and the tough tissue in your lower back is called the vertebral part. It helps your body move and supports your spine.
Costal part: the part that starts from the ribs numbered 9 to 12 is called the costal part. It's involved in the movements of your back and helps support your ribs and spine.
Illiac part: The part that begins from the top edge of your hip bone, called the iliac crest, is called the iliac part. It plays a role in moving your back and supports your lower spine and hips.
Scapular part: The part that begins from the bottom corner of the shoulder blade, known as the inferior angle of the scapula, is called the scapular part. It helps in movements involving your back and provides support to your shoulder blades.
The last part, the "inner back", is about the small muscle in the Rhomboids.
Positioned just above the rhomboid major, the rhomboid minor is smaller in size. It originates from the spinous processes of the cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae and inserts onto the medial border of the scapula.
Its functions include:
Shoulder blade retraction: The rhomboid minor plays a crucial role in pulling the scapula closer to the spine, aiding in movements such as bringing the shoulders backward.
Stabilization: Along with the rhomboid major, the rhomboid minor helps stabilize the scapula against the rib cage during movements of the arms and shoulders, providing smooth and controlled motion.
Importance of Back Workouts for Teenagers
I know, I know, you're waiting for the exercises. It is coming I promise (you can skip this if you really want to, but I strongly recommend you don't), but for now let's discuss the importance of back workouts for posture, strength, and stamina in teenagers.
Benefits for Posture
Your back plays a huge role in holding good posture. Think of your back like an elastic band: the stronger you make this band, the more it pulls you backward, and the more straight you walk. Besides the back, your core and chest are also of huge importance for maintaining good posture.
Nowadays, it is incredibly hard to maintain good posture, especially if you're a tall person. I'm 194 cm (Europe), so life is quite hard, and back pain was a huge thing before I started my fitness journey. As soon as I started doing back exercises such as lat pulldowns, rows, lat pushdowns, etc. my back pain melted away.
But with all the distractions nowadays it's hard to keep your back straight. Modern-day habits like working on a computer, slouching on a couch while watching TV, or looking down on a smartphone are terrible for your back.
Poor posture can cause back or neck pain, headaches, trouble breathing, or trouble walking. "Back and neck pain seem to be the most common," says Saloni Doshi, a physical therapist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Benefits for Strength and Stamina
First, let's talk about the impact on strength. No rocket science right? Doing resistance training leads to more muscle mass and strength. With the exercises coming up, you don't have to worry about improving strength. All you need is good form and progressive overload, and you're good to go!
But did you know that doing resistance training also improves stamina in teenagers? Every activity in which your heart rate goes up may be considered cardio. Obviously, the intensity of your workouts matters the most.
If you're doing 5 sets of 12+ reps on a low weight, you're training more on stamina (or hypertrophy) whether if you do 3 sets of 4-5 reps on a higher weight, you're training more on pure strength.
Make sure to balance these 2 variations. For example, if you're training 4 times a week, have 2 sessions focusing on hypertrophy and 2 sessions focusing on pure strength. You can also compensate for strength training by doing 20-30 minutes of cardio at the end of every session. This gets your heartbeat up even more and provides you with all the benefits you're looking for.
Best Cable Back Exercises for Teenagers
The moment you've all been waiting for. We've listed the 6 exercises you need on your back day. Besides tutorial videos, we'll include the recommended reps and sets for balancing strength and hypertrophy, which part of the back they target, and some tips and tricks.
Exercise 1: Seated Cable Row
The seated cable row is a popular resistance training exercise primarily targeting the muscles of the upper back, including the rhomboids, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi, as well as the biceps and forearms. Here's a description of how to perform the seated cable row:
Setup: Sit on the machine with feet on the platform, and knees slightly bent. Grab handles with an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
Execution: Pull handles towards the belly button, squeezing shoulder blades together. Keep elbows close to the body and avoid using momentum.
Peak Contraction: Hold for a moment, feeling the muscles of the upper back engage.
Return: Slowly extend arms, feeling a stretch in the upper back. Repeat for desired reps.
Breathing: Inhale as you extend your arms, and exhale as you pull handles towards your body.
Part of Back
This exercise primarily focuses on the Major Rhomboids.
Reps & Sets
We recommend you do 3X 10-12 reps on lower weight & drop setting your last set when training on hypertrophy and 3X 6-8 reps on higher weight when strength training.
 Feeling a little bit down, demotivated, or just completely tired from a long day at school or work? It takes a lot of dedication to get to the gym when all you want to do is going to sleep after a long day. To give you that little push to get yourself going, we made an article about the Best Pre-Workouts for Teenagers in 2024 - feel free to check it out! |
Exercise 2: Lat Pulldowns
The lat pulldown is next. It is one of the most common upper back exercises among teenagers but is often performed in the wrong way. Always remember to avoid momentum when doing these, as that is the most common trap to use more weight.
Exercise Description
Setup: Sit on the machine with thighs snug under the leg pads. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
Execution: Pull the bar down towards the top of your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep your elbows pointing down and avoid arching your back.
Peak Contraction: Hold briefly, feeling the engagement in your upper back muscles.
Return: Slowly let the bar rise back up, feeling a stretch in your lats. Repeat for desired reps.
Breathing: Inhale as you extend your arms, and exhale as you pull the bar down towards your chest.
Part of Back
This exercise primarily targets the Latissimus Dorsi Muscles (Lats).
Reps & Sets
We recommend 3 sets of 10-12 reps with lower weight, considering drop sets for the last set for hypertrophy training. For strength training, try 3 sets of 6-8 reps with heavier weights.
Exercise 3: Lat Pushdowns
Another lat exercise: the lat pushdowns. Most beginners have creative ways to perform them (we've seen tricep extensions, overhead tricep extensions, and even lower chest pushes), while there is only 1 way to perform them. That one way is discussed in the following description.
Exercise Description
Setup: Stand facing a cable machine with a high pulley attachment. Attach a straight bar or rope to the pulley. Grab the bar or rope with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
Execution: Keep your chest up and core engaged. Pull the bar or rope down towards your thighs by driving your elbows towards the floor while keeping them close to your body. Focus on using your lats to pull the weight down.
Peak Contraction: Squeeze your lats at the bottom of the movement, feeling the muscles engage fully.
Return: Slowly allow the bar or rope to return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement. Feel a stretch in your lats as you extend your arms back up.
Breathing: Exhale as you push the bar or rope down, and inhale as you return to the starting position.
Muscles Targeted
This exercise primarily focuses on the latissimus dorsi muscles, located on the sides of the back.
Reps & Sets
We recommend you stay in the lower rep range with this one if your goal is to build up strength. Try doing 5-6 reps on 70-90% of your max in 3 sets. For more stamina, work with 10 reps and 3 sets. Really focus on the lat squeeze at the end of the movement.
Exercise 4: Cable Shrugs
This exercise is one for the traps (guess which part of the back that relates to). While most people do them with dumbbells or plates, doing them with cables activates the traps even more. It is a straightforward exercise, which makes using momentum attractive if you're using too much weight.
Exercise Description
Setup: Stand facing a cable machine with a low pulley attachment. Attach a straight bar or D-handle to the pulley. Grab the bar or handle with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
Execution: Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged. Lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears in a shrugging motion, focusing on using your traps to elevate the weight.
Peak Contraction: Squeeze your traps at the top of the movement, feeling the muscles engage fully.
Return: Lower your shoulders back down to the starting position in a controlled manner, allowing the weight to stretch your traps.
Breathing: Exhale as you lift your shoulders in the shrug, and inhale as you lower them back down.
Muscles Targeted
This exercise primarily focuses on the trapezius muscles, which run along the upper back and neck.
Reps & Sets
Staying in the high rep range is the way to go here. Try 12-15 reps with lower weight, even when you're focusing on strength. If this does not work for you, switch to a higher weight and lower reps.
Exercise 5: Single Arm Cable Rows
Personally, I like including some single-arm movements. It lets you isolate the muscle more and improves your stability. This single-arm cable pull is the perfect exercise for that. It lets you isolate each side at a time and gives you the perfect amount of stretch.
Setup: use a row machine and attach a regular handle to it. Have 1 knee bent in front of the other (as if you're proposing), and grab the handle at belly button height.
Execution: Keep your body in the same place, straight and steady. Start with your arm fully stretched and pull it towards your hips, as you contract your shoulder blade towards the other. Return slowly back to the starting position.
Peak Contraction: Focus on the squeeze at the last part of the movement.
Return: Return slowly back to full stretch position, while focusing on the decreasing tension on the lat.
Breathing: Inhale as you get back to full stretch, exhale as you pull your elbow to your belly button, and repeat.
Muscles Targeted
This exercise primarily focuses on the Major Rhomboids.
Reps & Sets
For strength training, try doing 8-10 reps on higher weights. On hypertrophy, you might want to do 10-12 reps. Do not do too many reps per arm, as you might be fatigued before you train your other arm.
That's it! These are the only exercises you need for your upper back. Training your lower back is not that hard, but needs some explanation. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to read our blog on lower back exercises! In the meantime, you might want to finish your pull workout with some bicep curls. How? Got you covered in this blog!
How to Structure Your Cable Back Workout Routine
This last part is about structuring your cable-back workout routine. There are lots of different variations to structure a back workout. Some people do chest & back, others do back & biceps, and even back & triceps are a thing.
As a beginning teenager, we recommend you maintain a push/pull/leg split. This is one of the easiest to begin with and is perfectly compliant to each other. It does not matter in which order you do the exercises. Whether you do 2 back / 2 biceps / 2 back / 2 biceps, or start with all the back exercises before going to the biceps. One thing you should always keep in mind:
ALWAYS make sure you perform the bigger muscle groups before the smaller muscle groups. You use the smaller ones for the bigger ones, so if you do the smaller ones first you might be fatigued or even get injured on the bigger ones.
 One of the most important hormones in a man: testosterone. Nowadays, testosterone levels are decreasing after your 30s already! It's important to keep those levels healthy at a young age. How? You might ask. No need to do further research, we listed the 7 Best Testosterone Boosters of 2024 in this article! |
Tips on Balancing Intensity and Rest
When you're training on hypertrophy, taking small rests is your way to go. You want your heart rate to be up on the higher end during the whole session, therefore improving stamina. If your goal is improving strength, taking longer breaks in between sets is the best option. These longer breaks recover the strength needed to lift those heavy weights.
Other important tips are:
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body feels during and after workouts. If you're feeling excessively fatigued or experiencing unusual soreness, it might be a sign that you need more rest or a lighter workout.
Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts over time. This can involve adding more weight, increasing the number of sets or reps, or reducing rest periods between sets. However, be mindful not to progress too quickly, as this can lead to overtraining and injury.
Prioritize Recovery: Adequate rest and recovery are crucial for muscle growth and overall performance. Make sure to incorporate rest days into your workout routine and prioritize activities that promote recovery, such as stretching, foam rolling, and getting enough sleep.
Variety in Training: Incorporate variety into your workouts by alternating between different exercises, rep ranges, and training modalities. This not only keeps your workouts interesting but also prevents overuse injuries and plateaus in progress.
Deload Weeks: Periodically schedule deload weeks where you reduce the intensity and volume of your workouts to allow your body to recover fully. This can help prevent burnout and improve long-term progress.
Nutrition and Hydration: Proper nutrition and hydration are essential for optimal performance and recovery. Make sure to fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods and stay hydrated before, during, and after workouts.
Incorporating Different Exercises
To keep your back workouts engaging and effective, it's essential to incorporate a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups and movement patterns. Here's how you can integrate various exercises into your routine to maximize your results:
Rotate Between Pull-Ups, Rows, and Lat Pulldowns: These exercises form the foundation of a solid back workout routine. Pull-ups target multiple muscles in the back, including the lats, while rows and lat pulldowns focus on different angles and variations of pulling movements. Rotate between these exercises to ensure balanced development and prevent overuse injuries.
Include Variations Like Reverse Grip or Single-Arm Exercises: Switching up your grip or incorporating single-arm exercises can help target different areas of the back and add variety to your routine. For example, try using a reverse grip for pull-ups or rows to emphasize the lower lats and rhomboids. Single-arm exercises like single-arm rows or single-arm lat pulldowns can help improve unilateral strength and address muscle imbalances.
Try Incorporating Resistance Bands for Added Challenge: Resistance bands are a versatile tool that can add an extra challenge to your back workouts. You can use them to increase resistance during exercises like rows or lat pulldowns or perform band-specific exercises like band pull-aparts or face pulls to target the rear delts and upper back muscles.
Experiment with Different Rep Ranges for Muscle Confusion: Incorporating a variety of rep ranges into your workouts can help keep your muscles guessing and promote muscle growth and strength gains. Try mixing high-rep sets for muscular endurance with low-rep sets for strength and power. For example, you could perform pull-ups for max reps followed by heavy rows for sets of 5-6 reps to target both endurance and strength.
Combine Compound and Isolation Exercises for Balanced Development: Compound exercises like pull-ups and rows target multiple muscle groups simultaneously and are great for building overall back strength and size. However, don't neglect isolation exercises like lat pulldowns or face pulls, which can help target specific areas of the back and improve muscle definition and symmetry.
At the end of the day, it's all about trial and error. If you see someone in the gym doing a exercises you find interesting, go up to them and ask what they are doing (most guys in the gym are the nicest guys ever). Also, try doing different variations of the exercises above. The single-arm cable row has lots of different variations: dumbbell row, regular cable row, seated cable row, barbell row, etc.
Bring out your creativity, but keep your form in mind and start with a lighter weight. We know it can be tempting to lift the heaviest weights in the gym and neglect any form whatsoever, but this way you're going to end up in a wheelchair by your 30s.
Conclusion
In conclusion, building a strong and well-developed back is essential for overall fitness and functionality. By understanding the anatomy of the back and incorporating a variety of exercises into your workout routine, you can effectively target different muscle groups and movement patterns for optimal results.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced lifter, rotating between pull-ups, rows, lat pulldowns, and incorporating variations like reverse grip or single-arm exercises ensures balanced development and prevents plateauing.
Additionally, experimenting with resistance bands, different rep ranges, and combining compound and isolation exercises adds versatility and challenge to your workouts, ultimately leading to improved strength, posture, and overall back health. Remember to prioritize proper form, listen to your body, and stay consistent in your training for long-term success in building a rock-solid back.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How often should I train my back muscles?
What if I can't do a pull-up?
How do I prevent injury while training my back?
Can I train my back at home without equipment?
How long should my back workouts be?
When will I start seeing results in my back muscles?
תגובות