Igniting Your Back Width with Reverse-Grip Pull-Ups

It takes more than just slabs of beef pasted near your spine to take home the "best back" trophy. All great bodybuilders possess granite-like, fat-free mounds of vascular back mass, but it's muscle quality and symmetry that truly distinguish the champion's mass. Symmetry, width and depth are carefully and thoughtfully etched into each muscle group with the champion's proper selection of exercise and diet. The quest for an Olympia-quality back means you will not be satisfied with thick trapezius bellies and spinal erectors that look like thick cables on either side of the spine. Rather, your pursuit must include acquiring middle and upper back musculature that is wide, high and thick that also tapers to a rippling lower back and rock-hard buttocks.

The reverse grip pull-up is a basic exercise you might quickly dismiss as being the same as ordinary chin-ups you did in grade school and definitely not worthy of being among the exercises in your quest for a championship back. However, with a few subtle changes, this exercise fills the bill for targeting the upper and middle back muscles. It also activates the shoulders, trapezius and arm flexor muscles, but the thumbless grip tends to de-emphasize the arm work. Do not confuse simplicity of execution with an under-achieving exercise, because although it is simple enough to perform, this exercise has an outstanding potential to widen and thicken the top part of your middle and upper back.

             Structure and Function

The most familiar back muscle is likely the latissimus dorsi.  The fibers of the latissimus dorsi muscle extend from the lower (inferior) thoracic vertebrae and the iliac crest of the hip and the thoracolumbar fascia (a tough connective tissue sheet in the region of the lower back) to converge much like a fan on the upper (superior) portion of the humerus bone of the upper arm near the shoulder. The fibers in this rather complex muscle have several different angles of pull, depending on where the origin of the fibers is located. In general, when all the fibers contract together, they extend the humerus (pull the upper arm backward), adduct the humerus (bring the arm toward the center of the body) and medially rotate the arm counter-clockwise so the palm would turn toward the body. The lower part of the latissimus dorsi muscle has a more direct line of pull when the shoulder is flexed and the arm is raised to a position that is about 30 degrees above a line that's parallel to the floor. The middle fibers of the muscle have a more direct pull with the hands and arms working at mid-chest level. The upper fibers are best activated with the arms a little above shoulder height. Working with the arms directly over the head tends to activate the middle and lower parts of the muscle more effectively.

            Although the latissimus dorsi gives the width to the middle of the back, it's the teres major muscle that provides much of the width of the upper back immediately under the arm in the region of the axilla (armpit). The teres major is critical for success in maximizing expansion width for poses like the front double biceps and front or rear lat spread and for creating the tie-in and sweep to the latissimus dorsi muscles.

             The teres major muscle begins on the inferior angle of the scapula (shoulder blade), but it attaches high into the same region of the humerus bone of the arm as the latissimus dorsi. Similar to the latissimus dorsi, the teres major adducts and medially rotates the humerus. It also extends the humerus from a flexed position (i.e., with the arm forward). Because it begins on the scapula, it is more completely activated with the arms at mid-chest level, or in work directly overhead.

The teres minor is one of the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. It's located just above the teres major muscle and provides width in the axilla directly below the shoulder joint. The teres minor begins on the superior (upper) part of the lateral border of the scapula bone. It attaches into the inferior part of the greater tubercle, which is a large bump near the head of the humerus. It laterally rotates the humerus when it contracts and similar to other muscles in the rotator cuff, the teres minor helps to stabilize the shoulder joint. Finally, it helps pull the arm backward into extension and this is its primary function in reverse grip pull-ups.

The trapezius muscle is a large diamond-shaped muscle. The superior (upper) fibers of the trapezius attach to the base of the skull and along the midline of the vertebrae of the neck (cervical vertebrae). These fibers attach to the lateral part of the clavicle (collarbone) and along the spine of the scapula. They pull the clavicle upward toward the neck. The middle fibers of this muscle begin on the upper thoracic vertebrae, then run almost directly laterally to attach to the spine of the scapula. When the middle fibers contract, they pull the scapula toward the vertebrae (like squeezing your shoulder blades together). The upper and middle regions of the trapezius are most active in pull-ups.

            Reverse-Grip Pull-Ups    

            If you can't lift your bodyweight, you should improve your strength by using lat bar pull-downs for a few months. However, once you have the strength base, pull-ups can be an excellent all-around latissimus and teres activator.

• 1. Grip the chin bar with your hands about three inches less than shoulder width apart. Start with your hands in a reverse (pronated) position and with a thumbless grip (i.e., with your thumbs on the outside of the bar, not gripping the bar). Although your biceps will be more strongly contracted if your hands are supinated and your thumbs are wrapped around the bar, this would increase the fatigue in the small arm flexor muscles. Rather than making this an arm exercise, the reverse thumbless grip emphasizes the upper and middle back muscles. If you find your grip failing quickly in the exercise, you can use wrist straps to keep the reps going until your back, and not your grip, fail.

• 2. If possible, stand on a box or bench so the bar begins at your chest rather than at your chin. Step off of the box or bench, bend your knees (so your feet do not touch your foot rest) and then slowly (three to five seconds) lower yourself until your upper back is completely stretched at the bottom position.

• 3. Allow a two-second stretch at the bottom before starting upward. This will result in lengthening of the latissimus and teres major muscles before the contraction, which will therefore increase activation of the muscles throughout the next part of the movement.

• 4. Pull yourself up until the bar is at the upper part of your chest (don't stop at your chin because these are not chin-ups). Attempt to arch your upper back and get your body as high as possible to ensure a complete contraction of the upper and intermediate back muscles (i.e., trapezius and small scapular muscles).

Training Tips

            The pull upward extends the humerus bone and activates the latissimus dorsi, teres major, part of the pectoralis and anterior deltoid muscles. If you opt for a wide grip instead of a medium grip you will reduce the range of motion that's produced by the humerus of the upper arm and this will decrease the extent of muscle shortening, but increase the activation of the teres major. The lower fibers of the latissimus dorsi muscle are more directly activated if the grip is narrow. A medium grip (just a little narrower than the shoulders) activates all regions of the back effectively and this should be the preferred grip for most people.

            If you want to turn up the intensity, try adding a few forced repetitions to your set of reverse grip pull-ups. For example, when the set gets impossible to do another pull-up, place your feet on the bench or box below the bar, then push off (gently not vigorously) with your feet to assist you in the upward movement. Always control the downward stretch. After a couple of months of intensive pull-ups, you will likely need additional resistance (a belt with a chain for attaching a plate is ideal for this purpose).

            Remember, the upper back consists of a lot of complex muscles, so your success is critically dependent upon your ability to work hard enough to stimulate all the fibers in these muscles. The reverse pull-up will ignite a fire in your middle and upper back, the result of which is the acquisition of extra width and thickness you will soon see exploding across your developing championship-bound back.

            References

• 1. Antinori F, Felici F, Figura F, Marchetti M and Ricci B. Joint moments and work in pull-ups. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 28: 132-137, 1988.
• 2. Cotten DJ. An analysis of the NCYFS II Modified Pull-up Test. Res Q Exerc Sport, 61: 272-274, 1990.
• 3. Grant S, Hynes V, Whittaker A and Aitchison T. Anthropometric, strength, endurance and flexibility characteristics of elite and recreational climbers. J Sports Sci, 14: 301-309, 1996.
• 4. Harms-Ringdahl K. On assessment of shoulder exercise and load-elicited pain in the cervical spine. Biomechanical analysis of load--EMG--methodological studies of pain provoked by extreme position. Scand J Rehabil Med Suppl, 14: 1-40, 1986.
• 5. Malliou PC, Giannakopoulos K, Beneka AG, Gioftsidou A and Godolias G. Effective ways of restoring muscular imbalances of the rotator cuff muscle group: a comparative study of various training methods. Br J Sports Med, 38: 766-772, 2004.
• 6. Moore, K.L. Clinically oriented Anatomy. Third edition. Baltimore, Williams & Williams, 501-553, 1992.
• 7. Singer RN. The effects of palms-in vs. palms-out pull-ups training on isometric strength of forearm flexors and extensors. Am Correct Ther J, 24: 61-63, 1970.