This is the workout to hit your back super hard. Your back muscles are collectively one of the largest muscle groups in your body, and they’re involved in basically every movement your body makes (particularly your upper body.) In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, building your back up will make you better at just about everything you want to do!
Equipment Required:
- Barbell
- Dumbbells
- Pull Up Bar
- Cable Machine or Resistance Bands
Workout Style:
Station Workout – complete all sets of a prescribed exercise before moving on to the next exercise.
The Workout:
3×5 Deadlifts
3×5 Pendlay Rows
4×8 Pull Ups
4×8 One Arm Dumbbell Rows
3xCircuit:
3×15 Cable or Band Pull Downs
3×15 Cable or Band Face Pulls
3×15 Band Pull Aparts (palms up)
1 min Rest
Notes:
This was written up as a standalone workout. If you’re doing it as an add-on to another workout, I’d recommend cutting out the Deadlifts and Pendlay Rows. Those are done at a low number of reps and sets because they’re meant to be done heavy, and if you’ve already done a full workout before this that’s not necessary. Make sure, as you’re doing every exercise, to feel the muscles contracting in your back as you do them. On a lot of back type exercises (rows, pulls ups) your body will try to recruit your arms wherever it can. Don’t let it. Focus on pulling with your elbows, rather than your hands, and feeling those back muscles contract as you’re doing the exercise.
This workout will target basically every muscle group in your upper posterior chain, from your traps to your butt. Go heavy enough on each exercise that finishing the sets of that exercise are difficult, but not impossible. Your back can take it, trust me. It can take a lot of persuasion to make a muscle group that large and powerful grow, but we’re going to persuade it, don’t worry.
That’s it for today! I’ll see you again next week. Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Dan Wallace
