The 8 Most Important Exercises for a Wide Back

[@RobiGold11]

This was one of the best videos about training back ive ever seen. Touched on every single way to train the back and did not discredit any style of training i love this so much!

[@coacheugeneteo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stakuv86]

Not to mention the superb video quality, smooth transitions, and pleasantness of the video to continue being informed and entertained at the same time!

[@elijahdhanani9892]

cant wait for Eric Bugenhagen to review this!!!!!!!

[@FilipGustawWojcik]

He is gonna be happy with all of Theo's words on deadlifts

[@fredosama3466]

Can't wait for the horseman to scream hysterically in front of this device named TV.

[@NapsterRulez]

I can't wait for the random ads and his reaction during his review!

[@chris51ification]

I think our horse lord of iron will actually agree with a lot in this one.

[@JuggoJuggo]

@@chris51ification He probably agree with pretty much everything but add that a bit of a cheat row can be good both barbell and dumbell, especially dumbell for the stretch, and I agree. Sometimes you just gotta horsecock some shit around.

[@iwanturasenganmaselv4456]

“if anyone judges you for that then rest assured they’re probably not a very good person” is awesome advice!

[@oui2826]

That actually sounded corny and a bit childish but ok

[@lulquan4526]

Legit optimized bros are the ones who have truly mastered the basics 👍👍

[@ScrubDaddy265]

I very much appreciate your quiet, clear and simple way of presenting. So much better than the bombastic nature of many others. 🙏

[@coacheugeneteo]

Thank you! 🙏

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

Dumbbell Pullovers are the only exercise that fries my lower lats. Can't get the same effect with cable or machine pullovers for some reason. Will continue doing them for sure. Lengthened partials after my pull ups, pulldowns, and rows have reached failure in full ROM has also been giving me some new gains lately. Loving these training methods!

[@BGeezy4sheezy]

The stretch I get on pullovers feels really healthy too. Exercises where I feel like I’m improving my range of motion too are the best bang for my buck, because then I really don’t need to spend separate time working on mobility

[@favvrek]

You should try Rack Pulls or L-sit Pullups (this one can be challenging for your core at first), I think you're gonna love it!

[@mrsloth_8820]

I cannot feel my lat’s well in dumbbell pullovers. I do when I’m using a cable and standing. Any tips for feeling lats with the dumbbell?

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

@@mrsloth_8820 Not really. The DB pullover really only hit my lower lats for a bit, and then nothing. I am not doing them currently.

[@DeepakKhoenie]

Agreed with most of the comments: excellent video! Taking this to my next back day. Back day is one of my favorite days 😊

[@ScrubDaddy265]

“Just get in and train.” Probably the best advice given. 😌

[@adamsloane1748]

Awesome video with a nice balanced message. As you indicate, we don't actually know whether optimized techniques, such as doing pull arounds from lower than vertically overhead, actually make much of a difference, and your takeaway message--"just get in there and train"--is wise. Playing around with angles and lines of pull does make things interesting and fun, but nobody knows whether it's really all that helpful (much less necessary) to drag a bench over to a cable machine for pull arounds or doing diagonal pulls with one knee on the floor. By the way, the lats also contribute to shoulder adduction, and for that purpose, they may be more active at higher ranges of shoulder adduction. I mention this because, although not optimal, a shoulder adduction movement like pronated pull downs or (better yet) pull ups will hit the lats nicely (though not in isolation from other muscles, including the pecs). A lot of lats have been built on the basic pull up, no matter what some biomechanics gurus may say.

[@MaximeOrtmans]

One of the best fitness videos I've ever seen. PLEASE do the same with other muscles.

[@areeb-zahid]

my back was a muscle group that quite literally exploded during the initial periods of my training, i used to and still do take back training really seriously, and I'm pleasantly surprised to have checked off 7 out of the 9 boxes you mentioned. The only thing I want to add is how important unsupported rows are since I've seen the most growth from those. If you can get even mediocrely good at bent over rows and progress up in weight, your back will grow. Heavy compounds are the foundation of really building that mass, and the bent over row is no exception. I value it more than deadlifts lol

[@castas115]

This last year, I've been training at a new comercial gym at my town. Is the first high quality comercial gym nearby, so of course is usually super full at peak hours (when I can usually train). So lately I'm prioritizing exercises that are practical to me. I cannot stand waiting for one of 6 guys to free a cable station to do my thing, same with machines. Also, the truth is that most of the exercises that I love are not dependent on these fancy equipments, I'm happy with a rack, a bench and something to hang from. Not thinking that much over what variation is more optimal has made training more fun and consecuentially has given me my best gains ever.

[@himeshsinghshishodiya]

This IS fitness and training knowledge. This is one of the only few channels which stick to actual fitness. Loved it. Back is such a complex musculature so this video is very valuable.

[@jfprizzy]

Amazing content. As someone who actively follows Mike Israetel and Jeff Nippard recently, occasionally Jeremy Either and from long ago Athlean X and Scott Herman, this content structure and breakdown is absolutley amazing. Please Eugene, keep this going for all muscles! Cheering you on to 1M matey and much love from Sydney.

[@adammiller9179]

Perfect advice I think. The first two exercises are what I start new people on for back. Also, I think Deadlifts should include RDLs. My back has never gotten sore from traditional DLs, only RDLs due to the time and tension on the stretched position.

[@fu5ha_edits]

Master class in fitness pedagogy and education. 🙏

[@GlacialScion]

If any other muscle groups lend themselves to this style of video, I think this would make for an incredible series.

[@joeschmo2693]

Can't argue the general point, but another consideration is overlap between workouts. I do deadlifts and SLDLs (different workouts), so I have to choose back exercises carefully. I love landmine rows, but I haven't been doing them, because I have to think about a workout I might be doing in 2 days, or that I did 2 days ago. On the positive side, traps & erectors get a lot of stimulus on leg day, so I focus 80% on lats on back day.

[@Matongrud]

This is pure gold

[@Reppintimefitness]

All shows are won from the back 💪

[@TorBoy9]

The reverse lat prayer is a good exercise that I will try. Thanks!

[@rivenwyrm]

masterclass on back training!

[@robingeveke6001]

Best fitness video I've watched in a while! Lots of information but very digestible and immediately applicable to one's training! Would love similar videos for other muscle groups!

[@stevenzak199]

I often find that a certain part of a video is the gleaming treasure within. For me, the gem of this video is the insight that not all rows are harder in the shortened position, as I had for some time thought. In particular, the game changer for me is the idea that exercises like the T-bar row, the landmine row, and the pullover are hardest in the lengthened position, thereby not only offering the hypertrophy benefits of lengthened partials but potentially bringing more gains in full ROM as well due to the challenge in the lengthened position. I'll have to give some thought to fully understanding why this is so, but I'll definitely be making use of this insight since, in the gym, the T-bar row machine has always been a favorite while at home I make much use of the landmine.

[@dhruvsinghkaintura6442]

Challenge:- Touch and scratch the centre of your back

[@Sallymanda]

Great video, straight into the value as well. Gained a subscriber for sure.

[@surfyswag]

unreal, I'd love to see this template applied to other muscle groups!

[@CurlyCurly52]

Hugene always coming through with the knowledge

[@bambostarla6259]

Pullovers are goated I love them

[@timothyobbers]

Hope this time nobody gets a vasovagal syncope while driving and watching this 🤞🏻 Nicely structured!

[@coacheugeneteo]

😂

[@muznick]

There is always discussion of the "best" whatever for muscle growth and the answer is constantly redefined. Using good form and intensity at what may not be the current "best" may still get you 99% there. Like you said: "just get in and train."

[@tamagutsell7949]

What a great video. So much useful information. Appreciate you and all your content 🙏

[@nicolai225]

I love the message you described in the end here! Such a valid and good point. It reminds me of the "A shitty diet with creatine is still just a shitty diet". 2024 you're gonna hit 1mil, Eugene! And it's well deserved :)

[@Delta-Doc]

Fill in the blanks is sooo ❤❤❤❤❤

[@Android-17]

Thank you 💪

[@alexwelch1520]

Great video Eugene!

[@kiddfamilyfarmllc9962]

I love this stuff, miss John Meadows.

[@jorgenoorts7609]

thx Eugene! again nice to watch!

[@manspeej]

tldr: lats: *-wide grip vertical pull* (any wide grip pulldown or pullup variation you enjoy, make sure you pull the bar down far enough to actually work your lats) *-any row, pulldown, pullover or pullup with your elbows tucked* (despite these being different movements they work your lats similarly and the nuanced differences in them wont make a big difference just pick any pull with your arms tucked) upper back: *-any row with your elbows flared about 90°* (let your shoulder blades move freely, squeeze them together at the top of the rep and let them spread apart at the bottom chest supported will be a bit better but all variations will work) *-any row with your elbows flared about 45°* (let your shoulder blades move freely, squeeze them together at the top of the rep and let them spread apart at the bottom, chest supported will be a bit better but all variations will work) spinal erectors: *-any hip hinge as part of your glute and hamstring work* (if you choose a bent over row as one of the upper back exercises then that will work your spinal erectors amazingly as well)

[@ew-zd1th]

Erectors are Not Trained in a dynamic Motion. I dont believe for Maximum development that this is enought

[@marzoval9551]

This doesn't summarize the point of the video at all.

[@manspeej]

@@ew-zd1th it's enough

[@manspeej]

@@marzoval9551 this is just exercise selection

[@sokjeong-ho7033]

Did we watch the same video?

[@a22258461]

Really professional thank you I am beginner🎉

[@coacheugeneteo]

Happy to help!

[@Jiggleton]

I get the most out of pullovers by having very bent elbows while laying on a tall, flat bench, not perpendicularly. It seems like the lats function and are fruitful with fluid and deep stretches. This makes sense to me because of their now vestigial role in brachiation.

[@MattFlyFisher]

Excellent video

[@coacheugeneteo]

Thank you very much!

[@aaronzeezer]

I didn’t know you’ve had a session with Lee! Did y’all release any content or is anything planned to release? As an Asian man myself, definitely look up to both of you for inspiration and goals. I’ve found it exceptionally difficult to build back thickness.. unsure if it’s a matter of just needing to bulk up on overall mass more. My lifts horizontal pulling movements are all pretty strong, but it doesn’t seem to translate well to mass. Much love Eugene!

[@amandacourteaux4587]

Freaking LOVED this!!!!! Sharing it 😊

[@sodgar6844]

Amazing video! The only thing I could nitpick is lat pullover and lat prayer modification. I feel like making concentric phase of the exercise harder would only make this exercise worse, at least according to current scientific bias of lengthened positions. Normal pullover where dumbbell doesn't do much when above you allows you to do more reps in lengthened position then the modified version as you will simply have to use more strength to get the dumbbell into the same position in the modified version. My only problem with lat prayer is the bench angle you chose there. At the bottom of the stretch the cable just pulls you up and not really back and up like it does during all the rest of the exercise so angling it more forward so that the cable could pull you back a bit when your hands are above your head is probably much better as you won't lose that muscle tension.

[@GreatDataVideos]

Looks like you have some old Nautilus equipment. I used to go to a Nautilus gym in the late 70's and the Lat Pullover machine was a great machine for lats.

[@fmkoba]

Ha! I think I saw your lat cable pull down/over a while back in your instagram and been doing it ever since, really feel the lats

[@bronsonbuskett4256]

Great stuff... The answer is: a 1971 Nautilus Pullover *Mentzer tone

[@lukespadotto6248]

This is elite content! 👏

[@coacheugeneteo]

Thank you! 🙏

[@StewartyBoy1987]

Thanks for this bro ❤

[@Kiwi11N]

Well researched and informative video! 💪🏼

[@ParisaHashemi-i9w]

Perfect👏👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@matteobonaccorso9599]

Same video for delts and Arms please!

[@danielaidefors3244]

More like this for every muscle groups?

[@colegreenleaf2911]

More for different muscle groups!

[@Razephon]

Bugs gonna love Eugene now

[@sfarsitulumi]

This looks exactly like a Jeff Nippard video

[@SabiWabi113]

Did you change the thumbnail? I thought it was different yesterday. I was going to watch it later, but today it popped up with a different thumbnail so I was intrigued. Not because of Sam sulek or dr. Mike on it (even though mad respect).

[@УрошЛукић-н3у]

when i do normal db pullover, all i feel is lower chest. But when i do big decline pullover, i feel it a lot more in my lats.

[@aleidaortiz4599]

❤️ exercise science

[@Joanyan]

love this video but the leg assisted regression of pullups would probably not be something i would tell people to actually train because it's hard to measure any tangible progress you make on those specifically because the assistance from your legs is not something consistent that you can modulate from session to session

[@snipp8871]

Any tips on if I have two back days, how I can more emphasize lats in one and more emphasize mid back in the other? Also, are pullovers exclusively for lats?

[@wendelnazare9882]

Pullovers are also for chest and tricep

[@yoveltsoref3918]

Hey man, great video as always. I wanted to ask you about your forearms as they are extremely developed and I'm trying to bring them up myself. Have you done a lot of direct work or would you say it is mostly from heavy lifts? Thanks for answering

[@nintendoborn]

Been just sticking to regular hypertrophy work for

[@mitchellbaker4806]

One arm lat pulldown achieves the stretch requirement if you lean back and stay back.

[@banglevision8207]

5:40 was that Lee Lem? Finally

[@kiddfamilyfarmllc9962]

I wish I could deadlift and pull-up again. I’m 62 and they hurt my lumbar and shoulder joints for days. Miss them.

[@charlesbrown8196]

Very Excellent video! I know the premise was to build muscle for better back gains, etc... However, on one part of the video on a lat pull down machine. It was "slightly" frown upon going fast and NOT in a control manner(or as oppose to..), etc.. * I see & agree with your point.. However, in active sports like basketball or combat sports. Etc... The tempo should be change with light, to moderate weight - To develop explosive movement.... However, this video was NOT about that! But developing the back to be explosive "I am almost certain" you would agree changing the "Acute vairables" such as quick but safe explosive mv't. Lastly, your video was Amazing, well planned & informative! Thank you much ❤ for sharing! ~ Cheers! Sorry for any typos

[@rafaelt8589]

The big boog is gonna review this 100%

[@matthiassventoest6800]

great information .. what are those shoes/sandals ? super fresh

[@SpicyRiceyCake]

No way! Didn't know I_Lee_Em trained with you! "The cutest natural bodybuilder" 😂

[@dercooney]

oh man, always hated the chest row; getting up near a working weight and i do chest compressions on myself

[@funman412]

07:45 that's exactly how I trained pull over ...

[@TheGoddon]

Crazy how similar he and Jeff Nippards are.

[@pskproplaysminecraft1515]

If you have a partner also try banded dB pullover, learned it from Jon meadows and never looked back.

[@pskproplaysminecraft1515]

Just saw he included it in the video as broll. Give it a shot guys it's great

[@MattFlyFisher]

Absolutely

[@devangirozaro9512]

At what angle do u suggest to set the inclination of the bench while performing seated DB shoulder press ?

[@mark_mayers]

With all of the recent evidence of lengthened partials being superior to full ROM, the dumbbell pullover should be superior to the lat prayer.

[@bao5109]

Currently struggling with pull up- I could only do 7x2. I need severe help.

[@sujoysengupta2734]

Ah, I forgot this video was about back training. Couldn't take my eyes off of those meaty calves! (context: I have been really putting in the effort into calves training and getting some growth after years!)

[@JeeYaoKuneDo]

Uncle Teo, you've mentioned 'systemic/total body fatigue' in a few different vids. Are you really referring to central fatigue?

[@coacheugeneteo]

Yes, you can use the terms interchangeably

[@pikaswole]

Is that a yerba mate gourd I see in the beginning?

[@megaunboxer7967]

yes amen

[@catedoge3206]

real.

[@S_wali]

If anyone noticed our favourite cute Asian bodybuilder with the fatest … personality was in this video

[@coacheugeneteo]

👀

[@l_eel_em]

👀👀

[@michaelshultz8973]

6:06 has to make this the first video in the evidence-based sphere to unironically use Sam Sulek footage to demostrate optimal technique lol.

[@justvibing2497]

2:35 do low amount of weight, too heavy is a back snapper

[@WJones23]

Props for showing squat university on spine bending! His channel been annoying me so much

[@albano0229]

Hey! What part of the lat does the seated cable pullover hit?

[@faimohkihfaimohkih8223]

Hell yea!! Bout wreck some shit! Thanks uncle eugie!!’

[@arafatabirfitness]

is Jeremy Buendia your Elder Brother !😁

[@KBE87]

8:48 what is that green handle called? Looking to buy this type of thing but I don't know what to look for

[@coacheugeneteo]

Prime Rot8 handle!

[@TheDeadStyx]

Back is my favourite. And also highly required due to my neck trauma(hello to everyone, who likes to snap your neck). Have two days per week dedicated for it(otherwise I have constant headaches). 1 hour each. I tend to swap angles per week, one week pushing the lower part, and upper the next. Although I cant give weight to my leg due to some vaccination results(the bad kind), all of my workout is machines and cables. The bottom back week is something close to what this video started from. It looks odd, but it took me 3 years to get to those exercises, and they work well for me.

[@Alpha7ero]

Although in the science of muscle growth we focus on precisely what best stimulates muscle growth, it does not mean that we should turn a deaf ear to what the science of physical therapy has achieved. Your recommendation to do exercises in which we put the spine at risk because "it is supposed to" contradicts what the best physical therapists could say.

[@scottnickerson7876]

I need to know everything about the puppy.

[@adamlimbach6756]

I will say…if all one ever does is be consistent on levels 1-4 for years, pushing for +1s and training hard, you will build one hell of a posterior chain/back.

[@coacheugeneteo]

Agreed

[@thebravemind_hq1762]

My golfers elbow hates back day 😅

[@Flahtort]

Disagree on the deadlift. Even though it's an exercise which uses back it doesnt do it really good. Like yeah, you put some back musle... mostly lower back and traps. Yet they are trained isometrically which is the worst way to do that. Deadlift mistly rely on your lower body to pick up the weight and for your arms just to hold it in place. So i thing that's a miss of 1st one.

[@totallyraw1313]

Hey Eugene, why do think Anatoly Powerlifter is so strong with such little muscle mass?

[@coacheugeneteo]

I did a video on why you can be a lot stronger than you look and how to get there - check this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYuTfZ2hismSo9Esi=FrSAb07Sq0Uki4Ce

[@deltalima6703]

Is it because sumo makes you smaller? I dont want to watch another video, just tell me.

[@totallyraw1313]

@@deltalima6703 But all his lifts are super strong, including biceps curls, yet he has small biceps.

[@microondasletal]

Unpopular opinion: Using variables that activate more your target muscle isn't necessarily superior. What you need is an exercise that makes THAT muscle be the one that goes to failure before the rest. Once you got it, it doesn't matter if you need 8 or 15 reps to get it to failure (you will need less reps the more that exercise isolates that muscle and more if it's activating more muscles around it). If you went to failure, you've definitely stimulated it regardless of having trained it in a way or another, and gains will be pretty similar. I'd personally do exercises that don't isolate some muscles perfectly but make the movement natural and comfortable to go through rather than doing some movement patterns that feel weird. You'd win an extra 5% hypertrophy in that muscle the other way, but you'd also be losing that extra 5% to the muscles activated in those movements that don't isolate as much.

[@average.yt.commenter609]

Look into stimulus to fatigue ratio by Dr. Mike. It's pretty much what you're getting at

[@rishi9562]

0:44 "anytime lifting objects" *shows him lifting a women*