Back Day Workout

Pulling workout (back day)

Enough of me bashing the bench press and  the multi-week volume training workouts. To my readers I am going to provide a workout system to use for the results I have been talking about. This is not "my" system, it is the system. Sooner or later someone would figure it out, truth has a tendency to reveal itself over time. That being said there are techniques now included in the program that I wouldn't have thought of ten years ago, and ten years from now there will most likely be more. One thing will be the same however, the base skeleton of the program.
     The split is based on push-pull system split. Pull day is basically back day in bodybuilder terms. Yet for athletes and non builders we want to train movements, all muscles involve(primary, secondary, supporting and antagonist)  to produce an overall and balanced strength, speed, coordination and hypertrophic increase. As such rarely will isolation exercises be performed with this group except to address weaknesses or deviations.
     First the bodybuilding "back day", biceps and forearms can be performed after or next day. This workout should be used when needing to add mass ASAP or with bodybuilders of course.

BODYBUILDING BACK WORKOUT-[athletes]

Warm up- see General warm-up and perform
                       lat pulldowns set of at least 20 performed "warm up" style. Up to 3 sets if necessary
                       light pressing movement same as above
Determine what is more important to focus on, thickness when viewed from the side (Rows) or lat spread (vertical). That is the exercise that is first.
Lets assume thickness is the goal, first exercise will be a heavy horizontal row. Yates rows, named after the great Dorian Yates, allow heavy weight and will add thickness and separation in upper back

Yates rows
warm up
WARM UP 1-weight that allows you to complete 20-40 reps easy
WARM UP 2-weight where you feel burn at about 15, but are able to finish 20 easy
SET #1- 3 to 12 reps in good form to failure, add cheat reps, static hold and slow negative at end[overhand grip and no negative during near season for athletes]
SET #2-overhand pullups to failure, with forced rep, static hold and slow negative on last rep

(once 10 reps are reached add weight)[no negative for athletes and add weight after 20 reps] Video above is great visual and will help with mind muscle connection.
Set # 3- dumbbell rows-free standing or supported, whatever allows focus on upper back muscles. 5-20 reps to failure[athletes free standing]
SET #4- pullups parallel or underhand grip to failure, partials and static hold to finish.
Set #5-(SUPERSET see video 1below) straight arm pulldowns 12-20 reps immediately[athletes fast on concentric, bands good]  followed by partial pullups or pulldowns
Set #6  hi rows 5-12 to failure followed by rear delts to failure with partials and static hold at the end.[bands on 2nd set good and fast on concentric]

Document every set, preferably with video, weights and reps minimum.
perform every 7-12 days 
follow typical bodybuilding eating techniques, athletes and civilians included.
Take as much time in between sets, up to 5 minutes, as needed.
Hanging stretches with various hand grips, upper back, forearm and bicep  stretches after. Don't half ass them! Treat each stretch like a set and focus

Congratulations! Your on your way to much improved back, with weekly results now!
For visual help check video 2 below

Basic pull day workout- for general health, seniors or maintenance.
SET #1-Pulldowns or pullups to failure. when able to perform pulldowns with close to bodyweight start pullups.
SET #2- rows to failure- cable or barbell, unilateral (one hand at a time) preferred.

As you can see the basic workout is brief, no more than ten minutes including warm ups. There really is no excuse for the grandparents or the lazy.  Even the bodybuilding is only six total sets taking no more than 40 minutes including workouts. Athletes can use that extra time for practicing skills or active recovery.


VIDEO 1 superset example and explanation

Video 2 Bodybuilding back workout

You now have one the best back/lat building resources anywhere, to make even better will answer all questions related to training also. Just leave comment in remarks section!

The Danger of Twice a Week Body Part Training for Athletes

The Danger of Twice a Week Body Part Training for Athletes

As of now, there is a massive error being made in the world of fitness, sports and academia when it comes to adding lean body mass and strength in general. It used to be incredible to me that all of these experts cannot use logic, reason and empirical evidence to come to the obvious method for strength and hypertrophy training.
    Doctors are most of the time woefully ignorant in the methods to induce hypertrophy if they even
 recommend it at all. "Exercise" is not specific enough to elicit a relief in patients in an acceptable amount of time. The current protocol from doctors is "Go to the gym", from exercise physiologists "3-5 sets at 80% of max tempo blah, blah blah, from strength and conditioning coaches more of the same. From bodybuilders and gym rats its the routines of the top pros over the decades.
    I have chosen to carry on the torch of Dr. Elington Darden, Arthur Jones, mike Mentzer and Dorian yates. Its Simple
Pick muscle or muscle group
Induce hypertrophy
Recover to point of overcompensation(able to handle more work)
Repeat

That being said not many humans on the planet can handle training a bodypart more than once per week and not immediately fall into overtraining mode. What you get from this is lack of results, fatigue, low immune system and more than double the risk of gym related injury.
    Combine this with the rigors of the most demanding activities there are is a recipe for disaster. Logic would dictate that the strength training program take as little toll on the body as possible, as the demands of sport put enough of a toll already.
   Any strength program that trains a bodypart twice a week is unnecessary and dangerous.
Its amazing that sports organizations, with millions of dollars on the line, are not aware of the damage that the offseason workouts can do. Have a son or daughter in high school sports? They are not getting paid but most likely their strength training is doing damage that they will feel for life.
     The poorly designed studies that compare the two training styles (training movements more than once a week) admit the results are similar. Seems asinine to add unnecessary workout to add to the wear and tear of sports and life. I resolve to start a mission to educate team owners or managers on the futility of the multi-week strength training, the bench press and any other training technique that high school coaches and young athletes imitate.