How To Feel Your Back Muscles During Workouts

7 Oct 2025 · 1 min

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0:51

In this short instructional segment, the speaker explains that when performing back‑focused exercises (such as rows, lat pulldowns, and bent‑over rear‑deltoid flies), wrapping the thumb around the bar causes the forearms and biceps to dominate the grip, reducing back muscle activation. By keeping the thumb off the bar (a “false grip”), the lifter forces the back muscles to work harder because the forearm and biceps cannot compensate as much. The speaker encourages viewers to try this grip adjustment in their next back workout and mentions a free workout program with accompanying videos for further guidance.

Chapters

Yeah. If you only feel your bicep or your forearm when you're doing back exercises, then try to not wrap your thumb around the weight when you hold it. Because when your thumb is wrapped around the weight, you automatically engage more of your forearm and your bicep because you grip the weight so hard. But when you don't wrap your thumb around, your back muscles will be forced to engage and work harder now that your forearm and your bicep isn't doing all the work. Try this out the next time you do rows, lat pulldowns, or even bent-over rear delt flies. And if you want a free workout program with videos just like this,