How do you get a rookie trainee to "feel" their back when training?

**Yolo** · 06-17-2009, 03:02 PM

A friend of mine recently asked me to train her, and I'm currently debating whether or not to give her lifting hooks from the get-go, and basically take the grip out of the ecuation, or just have her do regular grip and wait for her to start having that mind-muscle connection in due course

Also, which exercises do you feel are the best to make someone "feel" their back work?

Thanks for your help

**Gerb** · 06-17-2009, 03:13 PM

Start her out at a higher rep range like 12-15. For "feeling the lats", I think two good exercises for feeling the contractions are wide pulldowns to the front and close grip seated cable rows with a v type handle. Neither exercise is too tough to master and both hit the lats differently but will give a good pump.

My wife uses http://www.versagripps.com/ on her back exercises and loves them. She has used them since day one and has a great wide back.

**Yolo** · 06-17-2009, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by steve g

Start her out at a higher rep range like 12-15. For "feeling the lats", I think two good exercises for feeling the contractions are wide pulldowns to the front and close grip seated cable rows with a v type handle. Neither exercise is too tough to master and both hit the lats differently but will give a good pump.

My wife uses http://www.versagripps.com/ on her back exercises and loves them. She has used them since day one and has a great wide back.

I was thinking along the same lines. Alas, versagripps aren't available where I'm at (it took me about 6 months to track down a gym where I could by straps lol). Thanks for your help!

**Gerb** · 06-17-2009, 03:25 PM

Where are you? You can order them online.

**Yolo** · 06-17-2009, 03:37 PM

Romania, bro. Even if they did ship here (which I doubt), shipping would cost double the price of the grips

**militantmuscle** · 06-17-2009, 04:09 PM

Perform one-arm seated cable rows with a d-link handle, start with a neutral grip than finish by supinating.

The thing with back is range of motion, not so much reps or exercises. The muscles of the back do not fully activate until the near the end of the repetition of a typical back exercise, most lifters do not get to that point because weight is too heavy.

Lighten the weight and achieve full range of motion. One handed exercises will assist in performing a greater range of motion.

**Yolo** · 06-18-2009, 03:43 AM

Originally Posted by militantmuscle

Perform one-arm seated cable rows with a d-link handle, start with a neutral grip than finish by supinating.

The thing with back is range of motion, not so much reps or exercises. The muscles of the back do not fully activate until the near the end of the repetition of a typical back exercise, most lifters do not get to that point because weight is too heavy.

Lighten the weight and achieve full range of motion. One handed exercises will assist in performing a greater range of motion.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks man

**Sledge** · 06-18-2009, 05:03 AM

If she's just starting she shouldn't need hooks. She shouldn't be lifting heavy enough for grip to fail. Keep her lighter weights and concentrate on near perfect form and alow her body to adapt to the new stresses for at least 3 months before she realy starts to push to failure. Her muscles will adapt to the new training pretty quickly but her tendons and ligaments and CNS will take longer to adapt so she''ll be more prone to injury. Concentrate on the physical movements and the mind muscle connection and her ability to overcome mental failure before physical failure will come with time.
This is the time for quite a lot of frustration for a new trainee so slowly and gently is the key to let the significant breakthroughs overtake the frustraiting monents.

Training a new trainee is fantasticaly rewarding for a trainer a new breakthrough happens almost weekly and their is nothing better than watching someone you train suddenly "get it".

**Yolo** · 06-18-2009, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by Sledge

If she's just starting she shouldn't need hooks. She shouldn't be lifting heavy enough for grip to fail. Keep her lighter weights and concentrate on near perfect form and alow her body to adapt to the new stresses for at least 3 months before she realy starts to push to failure. Her muscles will adapt to the new training pretty quickly but her tendons and ligaments and CNS will take longer to adapt so she''ll be more prone to injury. Concentrate on the physical movements and the mind muscle connection and her ability to overcome mental failure before physical failure will come with time.
This is the time for quite a lot of frustration for a new trainee so slowly and gently is the key to let the significant breakthroughs overtake the frustraiting monents.

Training a new trainee is fantasticaly rewarding for a trainer a new breakthrough happens almost weekly and their is nothing better than watching someone you train suddenly "get it".

Very well put! The reason i thought about hooks/straps was to allow her to focus exclusively on the movement per se and not about holding unto the weight (which will obviously be very light). Thanks bro!

**Sledge** · 06-18-2009, 05:13 AM

And for an exercise to feel back try strict form T-Bar rows. Especially if they have one of those weird looking T-bar row machines you lay on. Slow full contraction movement

**Yolo** · 06-18-2009, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by Sledge

And for an exercise to feel back try strict form T-Bar rows. Especially if they have one of those weird looking T-bar row machines you lay on. Slow full contraction movement

Yeah, I know that machine.. Funny thing is I've always hated it...

**Diabetic Muscle** · 06-19-2009, 01:13 AM

Depends how good of friends you are with her but putting light pressure on the area of the back she should be working. Sounds strange but worked really well for me.

**Yolo** · 06-19-2009, 04:44 AM

Originally Posted by Diabetic Muscle

Depends how good of friends you are with her but putting light pressure on the area of the back she should be working. Sounds strange but worked really well for me.

I've heard other people advocate this, particularly when it comes to the pullup. I've never tried it though but it's worth a shot. Thanks.

**brolic1** · 06-19-2009, 04:56 AM

Totally agree with SLegde. Grip strength is very important I wouldnt take that away from someone. See how she progresses then introduce them later. Hypers are great for 'feeling' your back and of course deadlifts. You could start her easy with SLDs with DBs or just the BB. I wish I saw more girls doing deads.

**Yolo** · 06-19-2009, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by brolic1

I wish I saw more girls doing deads.

I, too, would like to see more of that, albeit for slightly different reasons *wink wink*. On a more searious note, I think it's too early on for deadlifts, particularly since she'e a "she" lol. Whenever I've tried teaching some of my male friends to deadlift, it frustrated me to tears; they just didn't get it. I'd show them, explain it to them, but whenever I'd have them do it, they'd bend at the waist and round their lower back like you wouldn't believe.

All in all, I think I'll keep deads for later on. I appreciate the input, though