Are the compound lifts (deadlift, squat, chins and dips) enough to cover all of the back area or is there something thats left out? If one is doing the above, will direct back work, isolated or not (preferably not!) needed? Or any other exercises at all.
Just about. Chins pull DOWN Deadlifts and/or shrugs pull UP Rowing style moves. pull BACK Dips push DOWN Bench press pushes FORWARD Shoulder press pushes UP Exept for your midsection and neck this is your upper body covered- job done. Whatever you do don't use isolation exercises for the upper back unless told by a physio, chiro etc. that you must (in the case of rehab). The back is a very strong group of muscles designed to lift heavy loads. In other words 'use it or lose it'.
I do bodyweight excercises along with other body-weight exercises. I'm talking about with weights here.
Combatant is right on the money here. On a basic level, you can visualize the direction of movement, and train accordingly. Horizontal pushing (bench press), Horizontal pulling (barbell or dumbbell row), Vertical pushing (overhead press), Vertical pulling (pull-up). There are of, course, variations of each exercise, but these are the primary upper-body movement patterns.
