{"id":8713,"date":"2021-06-22T15:55:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T20:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vshred.com\/blog\/?p=8713"},"modified":"2021-06-22T15:55:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T20:55:47","slug":"thick-vs-wide-you-need-different-exercises-for-different-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vshred.com\/blog\/thick-vs-wide-you-need-different-exercises-for-different-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Thick vs Wide: You need different exercises for different goals\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thick isn\u2019t a word most want to hear when discussing their fitness goals and progress– unless you are trying to <\/span>build an impressive back!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In that case, both <\/span>THICK and WIDE<\/i><\/b> should be your goal!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>previous articles, <\/span>we\u2019ve shown you our<\/span> favorite exercises for back width<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Today we are going to focus on<\/span> BACK THICKNESS.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

If you want a balanced back, it\u2019s important to learn to <\/span>differentiate between exercises that are best for back thickness versus back width<\/i><\/b>\u2026. and do both!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you do that? <\/i><\/b>It takes some strategy, which we are going to help you with today! If you don\u2019t care about any of that and just want the exercise, <\/span>CLICK HERE<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BACK ANATOMY<\/b><\/p>\n

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Before we dive in, it may help to understand the basic anatomy of your back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The back consists of several powerful muscles that are all interconnected — the lats, traps, teres major, rhomboids, and spinal erectors (and that doesn\u2019t even include all the other muscles in your lower back.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Your back is a POWERHOUSE with many different muscles, so there will always be some overlap. But if you are strategic with your back training, there are plenty of ways to bias specific back muscles over others — which is crucial in whether you are targeting muscles responsible for width or thickness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

TRAINING FOR THICK -VS- WIDTH<\/b><\/p>\n

Something as simple as how you set up an exercise, your grip, arm path, hand placement, how much you lean forward or backward, etc., can all dictate what part of your back you are working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are focused on back thickness, so the exercise we are showing you today favors the parts of your back most responsible for creating density.<\/span><\/p>\n

What muscle is that?<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually<\/span> pretty much every muscle in your upper and middle back —<\/span> and to an extent, even your rear delts!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Biasing muscles like traps, rhomboids, and spinal erectors are touted for helping develop a thicker back — while isolating your lats is how to get a wider back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, lat density is also important for \u201cthickness,\u201d and your lats will no doubt get hit hard with the row variation we are showing you today!<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO BUILD BACK THICKNESS<\/b><\/p>\n

The best way to achieve density will be by incorporating heavy multi-joint compound movements<\/span> designed to hit ALL of your upper and middle back muscles!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Deadlifts and Bent Over Rows are great examples — keep doing those!<\/span><\/p>\n

But there is another exercise for a thicker back that most people don\u2019t think about doing. And that is \u2026\u00a0 <\/span>The Single Arm T-Bar Row.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

It is also often referred to as \u201cThe Meadow Row\u201d and less frequently, \u201cThe Perpendicular Landmine Row.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT IS THE SINGLE ARM T-BAR ROW<\/b><\/p>\n

Dumbbell rows are staples on back day for good reason. They are excellent at building strength and density.<\/span><\/p>\n

This exercise is very similar to a one-arm dumbbell row, except you use a bar instead of DB\u2019s and stand with both feet planted on the floor instead of one knee up on a bench.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another key difference is that this row allows for a more significant elbow-out arm path that does an even better job of hitting the upper back — while also providing a more extensive range of motion so that you can hit the lats pretty hard as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

That extra \u201cstretch\u201d puts additional stress on the lats, promoting even more overall muscle damage and growth — which is what you are looking to do if muscle density is your goal!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some secondary muscles will also be used for this row – like your lower back, abs, biceps, and shoulders. It is also great for developing grip strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh .. and the reason it is sometimes called The Meadow Row is because this movement is said to have been made popular by the legendary bodybuilder John Meadows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever you choose to call it — Single Arm T Bar Row, Meadow Row, or Perpendicular Landmine Row, <\/span>this is hands down one of the best row variations out there, <\/i><\/b>especially if you have \u201coutgrown\u201d the DB selection at your gym.Just make sure you carefully read our \u201cform tips\u201d below as you DO NOT want to use large 45 lb plates for this exercise!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO MASTER THE SINGLE ARM T-BAR ROW
\n<\/b>WITH PERFECT FORM<\/b>
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We are breaking everything down step-by-step and giving you some fundamental setup and execution tips to help ensure you focus on doing what you need to do to achieve BACK THICKNESS.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are more of a visual learner or need a little more in-depth help on how to perform this row variation, <\/span>we filmed a short video you can check out below!\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

We really suggest you watch first– because remember, one tiny change in arm path or grip, and you could be focusing on width instead of thickness. Or even worse, not even your back at all!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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