Group 2: Back
The back isn’t just one or two muscles—it’s made up of many distinct ones. For a solid V-taper, however, the lats are the key player. And there’s one move to really work them.
Pullup
Shocker, right? The pullup, when done with an overhand grip, puts the lats, which are internal rotators and adductors of the upper arm, into the perfect position for working hard under load from the beginning to end of the pattern. The lats also have plenty of involvement with other upper back muscles like the lower traps, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and teres muscles, so they’re kind of a one-stop shop for getting an impressive posterior side.
How to Do It:
Place the hands on the bar roughly shoulder-width apart. Next, hang from the bar with straight elbows, and pull the shoulders down as far as possible before attempting to pull your body upward. You should feel your neck lengthen and your chest raise. More importantly, you should feel your back muscles contract. This should initiate the next part of the pull in one fluid motion. Drive your elbows downward to lift your body up and bring your face above the bar. You’ve just performed one rep. Lower yourself down under control to the same straight-elbow start position; repeat for as many reps as you see fit (or can do).
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