Probably nothing you haven’t seen before, however a few twists
that made all the difference. Changing up my form on barbell rows a bit was
night & day. Pre-exhausting my lats is something I have never done before
but, by the time I was done with my weighted pull-ups, I could have sworn I was
able to fly away…
6
Sets 10-15 Seated Cable Rows (pre-exhaustion)
Using
straight bar and a shoulder-width palms-down grip. Aim directly below the belly
button and sit up straight 90 degrees or with a SLIGHT recline. I suggest using
straps, pull with your elbows- keep them tight, shoulders rolled back.
The
idea here is that during pull-ups, even with using good form and straps, the
tertiary muscles (forearms, biceps) will exhaust before your lats do. By
pre-exhausting the lats beforehand, you can bring them to hypertrophy more
effectively.
5
Sets of Weighted Pull-ups.
See
last week’s article.
Deadlifts 15 12 8 5 5
I
don’t do these every week now that bodybuilding is my main focus (rather than
powerlifting). I could write a whole article about them. I still like to get
down to low reps with as heavy a weight as possible. There’s a reason this
movement used to be called the “health-lift” in the early 1900s.
If
you’re curious about form, obviously there is no better man than Mark Rippetoe. I do these
with no shoes because I don’t own lifting shoes or Chuck Taylors.
(Kind
of) Pendlay Rows 15 15 12 8 6 - Form Video
I
would do that form but not come to a dead stop each time (thus
“kinda” Pendlay Rows). And keep in mind you are rowing towards your lowest rib-
little higher.
Dug
up an article
that explains the form that I like better than I ever could:
Once everything is nice and
tight, your back is flat and neutral, and your lats are good to go,
pull the bar to your xiphoid process, or lower part of your sternum. When you
pull, you want your elbows close to your body. They don’t have to be rubbing
against your sides on the way up, but you also don’t want them winging out away
from the bar.
Visualize gripping the bar and
using your elbows to throw it back, as
though you’re trying to elbow someone behind you. The barbell row can turn
into more of a grip exercise, where you’re desperately trying to hang on until
you reach your belly button. Feel your way through your Pendlay rows by leading
with your elbows instead.
When you’re working with heavy
weight, the temptation will be to cheat, by using your legs and
lower back and trying to stand up. Pendlay rows should be brutally
hard, and you want to struggle with those last three inches of your range of
motion, instead of turning this into a lower back extension move.
In order to get the most out of
those last three inches—the part where you’re going to want to cheat—try to
force your shoulder blades together, and really squeeze your lats. Most people,
when they’re doing any type of back exercise, never really flex their
lats. Instead, the mistake everyone makes is to shove their belly down, shove
their chest up, and straighten their legs. Stay in position.
Underhand
Yates Rows 15 15 12 10 8 - Form Video
This
guy is doing them real heavy- I would utilize this form but do not move your
back midrow- this engages your lower back more and is cheating. However, stand
up at 45 degrees and pull to your belly button like him.
I
feel these in a totally different area of my back compared with the previous
barbell row. Obviously the grip is different, but the difference in stance
coupled with difference in where the bar is hitting (ribcage vs. belly button)
really affects the lift as well. Between the two barbell rows you’ll be putting
slabs on your back in no time.
T-Bar
Rows in the corner 15 15 12 8 6 - Form Video
A classic mass builder. Towards the heavier sets its
okay to use a little body English but don’t make a habit of it. I also like to
really like to get a good lat stretch at the bottom of these. Here’s Ronnie Coleman
doing about 12 plates if you need something to make you feel weak and/or motivate
you.
Kroc
Rows 3x20+
This
article
goes over Kroc Rows top to bottom. Why you should be doing them, how to program
them, form, etc. The idea is to pick a weight you think you can do about 20 of,
and run your back to exhaustion. I use no straps on this exercise to help my
grip out a bit while I’m at it. This exercise should be enough of a staple in
your back day that it’s worth reading the entire piece…written by Matt
Kroczaleski himself.
Straight
pulldown 5x15-20 - Form
Infographic
A lat isolation exercise to put the final touches on
your back day. Hopefully you’re still alive.
Looking forward to new pearls of wisdom...
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