Best Exercises For Building A V-Taper
A V-taper is a result of a combination of factors and months, if not years, of hard work. Building a cobra back requires you to target your back from all angles and put equal focus on your upper, lower and middle back.
Just like us humans, all exercises aren’t created equal. A few exercises are more effective at building a wide and thick back than the others. You need to have a perfect mix of isolation and compound exercises in your back workouts to build the perfect V-taper.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are the king of back exercises. It’s a compound (multi-joint) movement which can help in developing muscle mass, conditioning, and strength. Your goal while performing the deadlifts should be to lift heavier weights while keeping the rep-range low.
Not only will deadlifting help you in building your back but will also improve your core strength. A stronger core can result in better stabilizers which can help in performing all the other exercises.
Bent Over Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
Bent over dumbbell rows are a great exercise for developing your upper and middle back. Following a full range of motion while performing the exercises mentioned in the article is critical to ensuring you don’t leave any gains on the table.
Use accessories like the wrist straps to hold onto the weight. While performing the back exercises, your forearms are prone to giving up before your back. Using wrist straps can help you better focus on your back by eliminating your grip strength.
Lat-Pulldowns
While the rowing movements help in building the thickness in your back, pulldowns focus on the width. At the beginning of your back workouts, warm-up by performing 50 reps (in 2-3 sets) of the pull-ups.
Make sure you don’t use momentum by swinging back and forth to pull the bar to your chest. Maintain a strict form, and you’ll feel the wings growing out of your back. Just don’t go skydiving with your new wings.
Hyperextensions
The lower back is one of the most overlooked muscles when it comes to back training. The presence of a well-defined lower back can make or break a picture-perfect V-taper. Adjust the hyperextension machine so it doesn’t recruit your hams while performing the exercise.
If the bodyweight version of the hyperextensions is too easy for you, feel free to add resistance by using weights. Maintain a slight arch in your back throughout the exercise, and pause and contract your lower back at the top of the movement.
Seated Cable Rows
Seated cable rows target your middle back and can improve the separation in your back. Most people make the mistake of swinging back and forth while performing the seated cable rows.
Maintain the natural curvature of your back and push your chest out while performing the exercise. Contract your back as you bring the handle attachments of the pulley machine to your sides.
Which is your favorite back exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
