BACK TRAINING

[Luv2Hurt]

OK so I went into the gym last night to play around a little (I am still sore from the PL meet so I went pretty light), and the first thing I tried to do was wide-grip pull-ups.  Much to my amazement, I managed to get three sets of seven by myself, which isn't horrible. 
These are so hard.  But they are exactly what I need to be doing now.  I have decided to try to start my workouts with three sets of wide grip pullups about 3 times a week, regardless of whether I am training back that day or not.  It takes less than 10 minutes, and I think that doing them regularly will help me get a little more width in my back over the next couple of months.

Thats good Rip 7 is more than I thought you had in you  Now you are not using your legs to kick yourself up are you?  Feet crossed behind is how they should be done. 

Three times a week is a lot, gotta rest to grow but for a short shocker it just might do what you are looking for.

Stay with em, there is a reason they are so hard, cause they are so good.  If you train pull ups all year, for sure next year you will have some major improvements.

[ripitupbaby]

Thats good Rip 7 is more than I thought you had in you  Now you are not using your legs to kick yourself up are you?  Feet crossed behind is how they should be done. 

Three times a week is a lot, gotta rest to grow but for a short shocker it just might do what you are looking for.

Stay with em, there is a reason they are so hard, cause they are so good.  If you train pull ups all year, for sure next year you will have some major improvements.

LOL Maybe 2 times a week.  Feet crossed behind, yes, except my damn hammies kept cramping up, so I had to just let my legs dangle.   

[Luv2Hurt]

LOL Maybe 2 times a week.  Feet crossed behind, yes, except my damn hammies kept cramping up, so I had to just let my legs dangle.   

Thats a good girl 

[ripitupbaby]

OK let's get down to it... Upper back width... let me hear any and all suggestions. 

Here's what I did last night.  Note to self - training back the day after training legs sucks (hence no deadlifting).   

Wide Grip Pullups - 4 sets.  First set 12, second and third set 10 (struggling), fourth set 9 (struggling alot lol)
Dumbell Rows - 3 sets.  45x15, 55x12, 55x10.  These are brutal, I need to do more of them!
Wide Grip Pulldowns - 4 sets.  First and last set lighter x 15, second and third set heavier x 8
Life Fitness Low Row Machine - wide grip, 4 sets x 12-15.  Felt like these hit my rear delts more than my back.
Life Fitness Lat Pulldown Machine - two big dropsets, basically to failure, probably 40-50 reps each set.

I feel like I am forgetting something.  There may have been something else in there, I can't recall right now.  Workout took about 1 hour, and I tried to move fast.

Gonna try to hit back again earlier in the week next week, before legs, so that I can deadlift.

[QuakerOats]

medium reverse grip pulldowns and rows.

[flexingtonsteele]

Why dont u break your back up into two days.

Do one thickness day and one width day.

I mean your not going to change much while dieting, but its worth a try.

For example.

Day one Width:

Straight arm Pulldowns 4x8-12
Medium Grip Pullups 4x failure
Overhand Grip Bent over rows 3x6-12
Db Rows 3x8-12

Rest a few days then do thickness

Wide Grip Pullups 4 x failure or Deadlifts ( but im not sure if your deadlifting or not ) u can rotate those 2 exercises.
Corner T-bar Rows 4x6-12
Underhand grip bent over rows 3x8-12
Straight Arm Pulldowns 4x10-12.


There u go! I guarantee gains.

[ripitupbaby]

Why dont u break your back up into two days.

Do one thickness day and one width day.

I mean your not going to change much while dieting, but its worth a try.

For example.

Day one Width:

Straight arm Pulldowns 4x8-12
Medium Grip Pullups 4x failure
Overhand Grip Bent over rows 3x6-12
Db Rows 3x8-12

Rest a few days then do thickness

Wide Grip Pullups 4 x failure or Deadlifts ( but im not sure if your deadlifting or not ) u can rotate those 2 exercises.
Corner T-bar Rows 4x6-12
Underhand grip bent over rows 3x8-12
Straight Arm Pulldowns 4x10-12.


There u go! I guarantee gains.

I've seen this kind of layout before, and I think I am going to try something like that for the next 10 weeks.  I'm going to try to set up a new training split this week...easier to follow it if I write it down. 

[flexingtonsteele]

email me your workout when u decide on it id love to see it

[ripitupbaby]

I'll get something set up sometime this week and post the general layout in my prep thread. 

I hit back last night, did something similar to the thickness workout.  Got it done on Monday in hopes of hitting it again Thurs or Fri, and staying on it twice a week for the next 9 weeks.  I realized last night that I had not deadlifted AT ALL since the powerlifting meet like 11 weeks ago.  Did some deadlifts last night... wow, I am weak!   
I tried to stay relatively light so that I didn't completely destroy my back on the first workout of the week.

DEADS -barx20, 95x15, 115x12, 135x8, 135x8
Life Fitness Unlateral Row (medium) - 4 sets x 12
Medium Grip reverse pulldowns 2 sets x 12
Close Grip pulldowns 2 sets x 12
Straight arm pulldowns (cable style pullovers) 3 sets x 12

Volume still a little low IMO, but I'll work up.  I also did about 6-8 sets of ab exercises and 30 mins on the stepmill.