Many avid lifters simply want to get massive, powerful, and huge. Some desire an athletic appearance, with a few choice muscle groups ripped and highly developed. Others wish to achieve physical perfection with balanced proportion between all muscles, left-to-right symmetry, and artistic aesthetics, so as to become a living work of art.All of these are certainly worthy endeavors, but something every serious lifter should consider is the pursuit of front-to-back thickness. After all, nothing’s cooler than looking incredible in all three dimensions.Here are seven amazing 3D-building exercises to facilitate a killer physique, rife with front-to-back thickness.
2 of 8
Per Bernal
Dumbbell Pullover
Performed with either a single dumbbell or barbell, this movement will build the upper lat and teres major, right under the armpit. When massively developed, this area will protrude behind the triceps and make you look quite thick from the side. Some people feel—although this is debated—that doing pullovers can even expand your ribcage, adding greatly to your 3D effect.Pro tip: To make this exercise most effective, make sure to inhale as powerfully as possible on the way down and hold the stretch for a second before lifting to the start position.
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Per Bernal
Bentover Barbell Row
This exercise strongly works the lats, while also engaging the lower and mid back (all of which create depth and density). Because the back is such a large and overwhelming complex of muscles, when you thicken it significantly it will make you look extremely impressive from every angle.Pro tip: Every other workout use a shoulder-width underhand grip (rather than overhand) to put greater emphasis on the belly of the lats.
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Spanic / Getty
Seated Bent Rear DB Laterals
This is one of the very best movements for creating mass in the rear delt. The posterior head of the shoulder directly affects your front-to-back thickness, and helps your upper body push into the 3rd dimension.Pro tip: In some shoulders workouts, try training the rear delts first in your routine, so you hit them with full intensity when you’re feeling your strongest.
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urbancow / Getty
Legs Press
The legs press is one of the better exercises for building massive muscle in the thighs, but a narrow stance more directly targets the vastus lateralis on the outside of the quads. Additionally, when your feet are placed high on the platform, the hamstrings also contribute strongly to the movement. By developing these muscles completely, you will effectively boost your front-to-back freakiness.Pro tip: To get the most out of this movement, utilize a weight that allows you to literally “bury” your thighs into your chest at the bottom of the range of motion. No half reps here.
6 of 8
Per Bernal
Weighted Dip
This movement is a profound mass-builder for the outer chest and entire triceps complex, leading to significant outer pec development. Furthermore, dips add slabs of muscle on the tris, which makes the upper arms incredibly impressive when viewed from the side.Pro tip: To better engage your chest, lean your torso forward at about a 45° angle while performing dips. To engage the triceps, keep your torso upright.
7 of 8
Per Bernal
Glute-ham Raise
This highly underutilized exercise may perhaps add more muscle onto your hamstrings than any legs curl ever could. By fully developing each individual hamstring muscle, you’ll complement the vastus lateralis of the quads, and make yourself look inhumanly thick from the hips down.Pro tip: A fantastic alternative to the glute-ham raise is the Romanian deadlift, which studies also show activates the hamstring complex more strongly than any one legs curl movement.
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Michael Neveux
Behind-the-back Shrugs
Performed with a barbell or on a Smith Machine, this specialized trap exercise will hypertrophy the middle and upper back, giving your physique a look of brutal thickness in a full 360°.Pro tip: To stimulate all trapezius fibers, try altering your grip width from set to set, going from just inside shoulder-width to a few inches wider than shoulder-width.
Many avid lifters simply want to get massive, powerful, and huge. Some desire an athletic appearance, with a few choice muscle groups ripped and highly developed. Others wish to achieve physical perfection with balanced proportion between all muscles, left-to-right symmetry, and artistic aesthetics, so as to become a living work of art.
All of these are certainly worthy endeavors, but something every serious lifter should consider is the pursuit of front-to-back thickness. After all, nothing’s cooler than looking incredible in all three dimensions.
Here are seven amazing 3D-building exercises to facilitate a killer physique, rife with front-to-back thickness.
Dumbbell Pullover
Performed with either a single dumbbell or barbell, this movement will build the upper lat and teres major, right under the armpit. When massively developed, this area will protrude behind the triceps and make you look quite thick from the side. Some people feel—although this is debated—that doing pullovers can even expand your ribcage, adding greatly to your 3D effect.
Pro tip: To make this exercise most effective, make sure to inhale as powerfully as possible on the way down and hold the stretch for a second before lifting to the start position.
Bentover Barbell Row
This exercise strongly works the lats, while also engaging the lower and mid back (all of which create depth and density). Because the back is such a large and overwhelming complex of muscles, when you thicken it significantly it will make you look extremely impressive from every angle.
Pro tip: Every other workout use a shoulder-width underhand grip (rather than overhand) to put greater emphasis on the belly of the lats.
Seated Bent Rear DB Laterals
This is one of the very best movements for creating mass in the rear delt. The posterior head of the shoulder directly affects your front-to-back thickness, and helps your upper body push into the 3rd dimension.
Pro tip: In some shoulders workouts, try training the rear delts first in your routine, so you hit them with full intensity when you’re feeling your strongest.
Legs Press
The legs press is one of the better exercises for building massive muscle in the thighs, but a narrow stance more directly targets the vastus lateralis on the outside of the quads. Additionally, when your feet are placed high on the platform, the hamstrings also contribute strongly to the movement. By developing these muscles completely, you will effectively boost your front-to-back freakiness.
Pro tip: To get the most out of this movement, utilize a weight that allows you to literally “bury” your thighs into your chest at the bottom of the range of motion. No half reps here.
Weighted Dip
This movement is a profound mass-builder for the outer chest and entire triceps complex, leading to significant outer pec development. Furthermore, dips add slabs of muscle on the tris, which makes the upper arms incredibly impressive when viewed from the side.
Pro tip: To better engage your chest, lean your torso forward at about a 45° angle while performing dips. To engage the triceps, keep your torso upright.
Glute-ham Raise
This highly underutilized exercise may perhaps add more muscle onto your hamstrings than any legs curl ever could. By fully developing each individual hamstring muscle, you’ll complement the vastus lateralis of the quads, and make yourself look inhumanly thick from the hips down.
Pro tip: A fantastic alternative to the glute-ham raise is the Romanian deadlift, which studies also show activates the hamstring complex more strongly than any one legs curl movement.
Behind-the-back Shrugs
Performed with a barbell or on a Smith Machine, this specialized trap exercise will hypertrophy the middle and upper back, giving your physique a look of brutal thickness in a full 360°.
Pro tip: To stimulate all trapezius fibers, try altering your grip width from set to set, going from just inside shoulder-width to a few inches wider than shoulder-width.
