Back Workouts

IronOnline Back Routines

Dave Draper's Mass Blast Back Training Workout # 1

Medium-wide grip bentover barbell row, warm-up x15, 5 sets x 10-8-6-6-4
Wide grip pulldown, warm-up x15, 4x8-10
Seated lat row, 4x10-8-6-6 supersetted with
Pullover (stiff arm or bent arm), your choice depending on shoulder structure and health, 4x10-6-6-6

REMARKS

The Bentover Barbell Row:
The barbell row is a powerful systemic movement that, like squats and deads, puts demand on the total body. Build your muscle and might over an extended period with minor weight increments and solid well-formed reps. Small thrusts are okay, but will take their toll on the low back which bears the extreme load of the highly stressed fulcrum. Be aware. Let the lumbar and erectors build in power as you slowly progress. Choose a shoulder-width stance, with your hands grasping the bar 8-12 inches to the left and right of each shoulder. Keep your back flat and rest your ribcage somewhat on the quads for some support to help relieve low back overload. Pull bar to the chest at a medium speed: high chest works upper back, mid chest - mid back, low pull toward gut - low back. Find your favorite target or vary as needed. Deep breath, stay tight. Major work, hard hat area. For more on bentover barbell rows: https://www.davedraper.com/article27-bentover-rows.html

Medium-Wide Grip Pulldown:
Positioned directly below the overhead pulley with your arms near fully extended, pull the bar to your chin or just below as you look upward. Your back should be arched, your chest straining toward the bar with your elbows back, not forward, all positioned to fully recruit the entire lat complex - width and length.

Allow a sufficient lean and tug to accomplish your well formed reps, but no excessive thrusts. Don't cheat - no momentum - you loose. Feel, locate, pump, burn and grow.

If chins are your challenge these days, by all means do them instead.

Seated Lat Row or Long Pull (exercise 1 of superset):
The knees are out of the way, your favorite close grip handle is extended fully forward as you reach forward. Now pull the handle tightly into the waist as you arch your back to contract the rhomboids, ending in a seated upright position - very slight 5-10% lean. Very nice, have fun with the purposeful negative. No thrusting, no momentum - strictly muscle power and form. This is to be supersetted with your stiff arm or bent arm pullovers.

Pullovers (exercise 2 of superset):
The stiff arm pullover can be performed with a barbell or a dumbbell. It's a feel-good power stretch that engages the lats, the underside of the bis and tris and minor pec as it puts the rotator cuff through its ranges. Longitudinal abdominal muscles come into play to stabilize the torso.

Ok. You're lying on your back, head on one end of the bench, your feet up on the other end and a dumbbell or barbell is grasped in your hands straight overhead - your starting position. Now, take in a deep breath as you slowly lower the dumbbell with stiff arms/straight arms (elbows locked) behind your head till your arms are in line with your torso - or, parallel to the floor - now reverse the motion and return to the starting position, exhaling as you do. Pause momentarily and repeat. Great stretch, great lat pump, great relief movement that promotes posture awareness. Lots of blood circulating oxygen and nutrients to Wake up, Stimulate, Revive and Refresh.

This routine is to be performed twice a week.

Once a week at the end of your heavy leg workout, add 4 sets of power deadlifts, warmup x15, 5 sets x 10-8-6-4 reps, incrementing each set enough to make it tough, but don't draw blood.

Adds sweep, muscle mass and power packs the body.

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