4 Workouts to Maximum Strength and Size – Back
Sorry for the delay, But lets get to our second of our strength and size workouts!
We’re hitting back today bros. This workout is a personal favourite of mine because you get to leave it all in the gym…cant be a big puss on back day or everyone in the gym will be chuckling at you.
Proper technique during a workout is key, however, it couldn’t be more crucial to use proper posture and a flat back on back day. On every exercise we do, breathing is the same…breath out when you’re working hard and breath in when you’re working less hard. If proper form isn’t practice you’re in for a world of hurt during the days following a good hard back workout. So now that that is covered lets grab our water bottles and our lifting buddies and rip this workout apart.
Today we’re going to be doing more volume in terms of exercises and sets than on our chest and bis day. Be prepared for this workout to take a little longer than an average workout due to the intensity.
Warmup- 5-10 min to foam roll your upper and lower back like a mofo…this will loosen up those tight vertebrae and stretch the spinal erectors that run along the sides of your spine in the lower-mid back. (never used a foam roller? watch this to get the idea of what you should be doing)
2 sets of wide grip pull ups first set no more than 5 then shake out the arms, second set to failure and then hang and let your back stretch out.
Workout
Deadlift- This is the best muscle and strength building exercise besides the squat. This exercise should be done by anyone and everyone no matter what their fitness level. It can fix bad posture and correct imbalances in the body if done correctly…Good technique is key here bros. While doing the entire movement your weight should be in the heels of your feet , not your toes. Keep your upper and lower back tight and try to squeeze your shoulder blades throughout the movement.
Tip: If you’re unsure as to how to set up to the bar and what proper posture should be, here’s a quick way to get into position. Step up to the barbell and have your feet roughly shoulder width apart and your shins 1-2 inches away from the bar. Stand straight up and put your palms flat on your thighs. Without bending your knees and keeping your back flat bend at the hips while sliding your hands down your thighs. Once your hands reach your knees, bend your knees and drop the rest of the way down with your legs and grab the bar evenly spread between the ends of the bar. You should now be right where you need to be to generate maximum pulling power.
Set 1- This should be a very light set of no more than 12 reps..just get a feel for the weight and how your back is feeling. Practice getting into postion and shifting your weight into your heels before pulling the weight off the ground.
set 2- Added weight but still fairly easy to complete 12 reps
set 3- Our first working set for 12 reps…this should be difficult to do but not impossible
set 4- Add weight and only 10 reps…keep that back nice and flat on these as the weight gets heavier
set 5- This should be the heaviest set for 8 reps…Good technique and posture (if you can do more that 8 without breaking form then go for it. If you can do 8 then that’s ok too, just use everything you have to do as much as you can)
Close grip pull downs- A great exercise for stretching the lats out and activating the entire muscle rather than just the top like a wide grip would do.
Tip: When pulling the weight down don’t let your shoulders round forward, instead pull your shoulder blades together and push your chest out to work proper contraction. Pull the handles down to just below your chin and let it go up enough that you feel a stretch in the targeted muscles. Don’t let your body sway to much or else you’re not targeting the muscles properly. Lean back slightly and hold that position and be pulled forward slightly on the way up to emphasize the stretch in the lats.
set 1- Light warm up to get the muscles going and to practice good form for 15 reps
set 2- First working set of 12 reps
set 3- Second working set for 10 reps…more weight than the last set
set 4- Last working set for 8 reps..This should be as heavy as it gets for every rep.
Bent over Barbell Rows- Great exercise for stretching the upper back and the lats.
Tip: When doing the barbell row it’s important to keep your knees slightly bent and your back perfectly flat. The variation you’re going to perform requires your to have your hands grabbing the bar with your palms facing away from you so that you’re rotating your palms outwards. This will help to activate the muscles of the upper back that pull the shoulder blades back into proper position When bent over, the bar should go to knee level and be pulled along the thighs up to the hip and then slowly lowered back down along the thighs. Let the shoulder blades be pulled forward as the bar goes down to fully activate the upper back, then as you begin pulling the bar back up focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
set 1- Light set of 15 reps to warm up
set 2- First working set for 12 reps
set 3- Second working set for 10 reps
set 4- third working set with the heaviest weight for 8 reps
Wide grip pull ups- Best exercise for building thickness in the upper back.
Tip: Think of pull ups as if you’re doing close grip pull downs but now you’re just pulling your body weight up. Same technique applies here as it does there, Shoulder blades squeezed together and chest pushed out. Grip should be just wider than shoulder width.
set 1- Max reps
set 2- Max reps
set 3- Max reps
Wide grip seated rows- Another exercise for upper back strength and size as well as shoulder stability.
Tip: When doing this exercise be seated with your feet on the foot braces and your knees slightly bent and your back flat. With your hands grabbing the bar with palms facing the ground, pull the bar back in line with your nipples and keeping your elbows up in line with your wrists. when the bar goes forward let your shoulders be pulled forward to activate the muscle through the stretch then squeeze shoulder blades together when starting the pulling movement.
set 1- first working set of 12 reps
set 2- second working set for 10 reps
set 3- third and final set of the workout for 8 reps
There you have it bros…that workout if done to it’s full potential will give you the scariest back in all the lands. Don’t forget the hop on the foam roller after you’re done just to stretch out a little extra so you’re not dying the day after this workout. Hope you enjoy the workout bros. Don’t forget tomorrow we’re just doing cardio. So if you’re doing a jog, bike or a walk make sure it’s for at least 30 min and at an intensity where you can do it comfortably but not so easy enough that you can carry on a conversation if you’re doing it with a friend.
Cheers till next time bros!
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