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Back workout

gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/10/17, 09:26 AM For anyone interested this is what I did for my back workout Monday night: Weighted pull-ups 70 x 4 70 x 4 70 x 4 Seated Rows 250 x 4 250 x 4 250 x 4 Wide grip pull-downs 300 x 4 300 x 4 300 x 4 Close grip pull-downs 280 x 4 280 x 4 280 x 4 I finished with light abs. The workout took 40 minutes. I take 1.5 - 2 minutes between sets. This is my only back workout for the week. That is why I do so many sets. It has helped make me a better powerlifter. I cycle my reps. Week 1 I do 10 reps on everything Week 2 8 reps week 3 6 reps week 4 4 reps Then the cycle repeats itself. I get a little heavier each cycle. I do this for my bench and squat every so often too. It has helped a lot.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/10/17, 09:39 AM I change out lifts every 8 weeks for this back workout cycle. The next cylce I will change out the seated rows for bent over rows and close grip pull downs for db rows. I will change out regular pull-ups with towel pull-ups and I'll keep the wide grip pull-downs.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/11/04, 09:17 AM Last night's back workout: I took 1 minute between each set and it was my first lift back from a week and half recovery so it was light. Towel Pull ups: 10 x 3 Seated Rows: 200 x 10 x 3 DB Rows: 70 x 10 x 3 Pull-downs: 200 x 10 x 3 Vertimax training: Jump and reach 5 x 3 + 5 contrast jumps Rapid fire 5 x 3 + 5 contrast jumps 1.5 min between vertimax sets Roman sit-ups: mini band x 20 x 3 Decline sit-ups 90 x 10 x 3 1 min between sets for abs This workout took 45 minutes.
efitts Posts: 56 Joined: 2003/05/27	2003/11/04, 08:45 PM I tried a similar back workout to your first today and loved it (with my own weights of course). A back question: how would you recommend improving on wide grip pull ups? I am really just now strong enough to do them. Today I did 4 sets of 4. I would really like to be able to do more reps because this excercise just feels so good. Are there any other excercises I could focus on to improve my pull up performance?
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/11/05, 09:06 AM keep doing the pull-ups. Perform all of the auxiliary exercises that will help build your pull-ups. Once you get to a ten rep max of pull-ups then try 3 sets of 5 with a 15 lb dumbbell. The biggest thing, that I have found, is to just keep doing pull-ups.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/11/12, 10:51 AM Mondays Back workout: I started with Vertimax for recovery work from Sunday's deadlift workout: Vertimax: Jump and Reach 36lbs x 5 x 3 + 5 contrast jumps Depth jumps(16 inch box) 24 lbs x 3 x 2 + 2 contrast jumps Rapid Fire Jumps 36 lbs x 10 x 1 + 5 contrast Jumps Towel Pull-ups 25 lb vest x 8 x 3 1.5 min TBS Seated Rows 210 x 8 x 3 1.5 min TBS DB Rows 80 x 8 1 min TBS Pull downs: 250 x 8 x 3 1 min TBS Heavy ABS(actually did these after vertimax) 45 min workout
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/11/17, 10:55 AM Tonight's workout: Vertimax: warm-up jumps: 5 x 1 Jump and Reach: 5 x 3 + 5 contrast Rapid Fire Jumps: 5 x 3 + 5 contrast Cyclic split squat jumps: 3 x 2 + 3 Depth jumps to box: 3 x 2 + 2 Towel Pull-ups: 40 x 6 x 3 Rows: 250 x 6 x 3 DB ROWs: 100 x 6 x 3 Pull downs: 280 x 6 x 3 HEAVY ABS
Ogun Posts: 559 Joined: 2002/08/11	2003/11/17, 04:03 PM gator could you explain for me the following, "Vertimax, towel pull-ups, db rows, and all jumps." Thanks in advance; can't wait to try some of 'em. -------------- --There are no versions of the truth.-- Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park II
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/11/17, 04:44 PM The vertimax is a resisted jump training device. It is sweet. Do a search in google to get info on the vertimax. Towel pull-ups are done hanging from towels. I take two towels and tape them tightly so I can grip them better for pull-ups. Hang the towels over a pull-up bar. Dumbbell rows are done with your chest parallel to the floor. Jump and reach: simple; Jump and drive your arms to the ceiling. land with soft feet. Rapid fire jumps: dip to a quarter squat position and jump rapidly. As soon as your feet hit the ground you are jumping as quickly as possible. Cyclic split squat jumps: Split your legs, dip so the back knee is about an inch off of the floor, explode up, switch the back leg to the front, front to the back and keep jumping until all reps are performed. Depth jumps: Step off of a 16-24 inch tall box and jump as high and as quick as you can when your feet hit the ground.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/12/16, 06:55 AM My back and tricep workout for today: Pull-ups: wt x 8 x 3 Seated Rows wt x 8 x 3 Pull-downs(wide) wt x 8 x 3 Pull-downs (Narrow) wt x 8 x 3 Skull Crushers wt x 8 x 3 Lying triceps extentions with DBs wt x 20 x 3 Band pushdowns 100 reps in as few sets as possible ABS
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2003/12/16, 06:59 AM I will take 1.5 minutes between sets today.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2004/01/29, 10:59 AM Last back workout: Weighted pullups superset with Roman situps: 45 x 5 x 3 <---> 25 x 20 x 3 DB Row superset with Decline sit-ups 105 x 5 x 3 <---> 90 x 10 x 3 Seated Row superset with Roman Twist 250 x 5 x 3 <---> 12lb medball x 20 x 3 Seated Straight bar row superset with Physioball crunch 250 x 5 x 3<---> 30 x 3 Close-(pronated)grip pulldowns superset with Jackknife 260 x 5 x 3<---> 10 x 3 This workout was a bi#$h. I warmed up with 15 min on the stairmaster. The rest between sets was the transition time from back to ab and back. It took 39 minutes then I did 12 minutes on the stairmaster at the end for a total of 51 min. It was awesome.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2004/02/26, 11:48 AM try this one too!
ozzy711 Posts: 1 Joined: 2004/03/10	2004/03/10, 12:35 PM My back workout includes Deadlifts Bent Row Rev. Pulldowns Frt. Pulldowns Seated Row This seems to kick my a%$ everytime I do it, does anyone else use this roitine.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2004/03/10, 01:12 PM I do deadlifts on my leg days. Here is my current one: Pull-ups 70 x 5 x 3 Shrugs 405 x 10 x 3 Bent over rows 200 x 5 x 3 Seated Rows 250 x 5 x 3 Close grip pull downs 280 x 5 x 3
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2004/03/26, 08:47 AM Today's back workout: This could be considered GPP. Pull-ups 75 x 5 x 3 2min TBS Shrugs 425 x 10 x 3 2min TBS Bent Over Rows 210 x 5 x 3 2 min TBS Seated Rows 255 x 5 x 3 2 min TBS Close grip pull downs 285 x 5 x 3 2min TBS Then I'll go outside and throw medball for 10-15 min.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2004/04/01, 10:19 AM This was last night. I have been alternating this workout between Wednesdays and Fridays. I will also break it down a little and do some of it on my speed bench day if I do it on Wednesdays. Pull-ups BW x 10 x 3 1 min TBS Shrugs 435 x 8 x 3 1 min hold with 435 after the last set Seated rows 260 x 5 x 3 Close grip pulldowns 290 x 5 x 3
wood0560 Posts: 7 Joined: 2004/07/28	2004/07/28, 09:54 PM Are these work outs to strengthen your back or workout back fat?:)
arondaballer Posts: 1,054 Joined: 2003/06/14	2004/07/28, 11:33 PM They Strengthen your back. You can't spot reduce fat -------------- I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious. --Vince Lombardi "Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt
arondaballer Posts: 1,054 Joined: 2003/06/14	2004/07/28, 11:34 PM Gator, how much would a vertimax help one's jumping ability? Would the results be comparable to Squats, Cleans, or Plyometrics? -------------- I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious. --Vince Lombardi "Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt
pinkmob Posts: 1 Joined: 2005/03/06	2005/03/06, 06:12 AM how do u lose back rolls
	2005/03/06, 10:05 AM ...Gator how much does Vertimax retail for? it seems pretty expensive.. pinkmob... improved nutrition(to lose weight) and strength training....
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2005/03/08, 06:20 PM vertimax helps the most when combined with cleans and squats. With a beginner it will help just as good as cleans and squats because there is more room for improvement. If you have been training over 2 years then you need a combination of the 3.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2005/03/08, 06:23 PM it retails for about $1600-$2200
	2005/03/08, 08:31 PM wow...quite pricy...Wish my gym would get something like this...gl to that lol...
bluice2u Posts: 2 Joined: 2006/01/05	2006/01/05, 04:35 AM wut does all this meen rigt now im jus tryin to get more back support and muscles ============ Quoting from gatormade: keep doing the pull-ups. Perform all of the auxiliary exercises that will help build your pull-ups. Once you get to a ten rep max of pull-ups then try 3 sets of 5 with a 15 lb dumbbell. The biggest thing, that I have found, is to just keep doing pull-ups. =============
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/01/05, 02:29 PM Keep doing pull ups. This means pull ups are the best way to build your back muscles. Auxillary exercises are exercises that will help you to build your pull ups. Things like rows and lat pull downs. Even curls. After that, try doing pull ups with a dip belt or while holding a 15lb dumbbell between your legs. If you can, then go heavier. If you use a dumbbell, I am sure you will find this to be an excellent abdominal exercise as well. -------------- Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run. ============ Quoting from 7707mutt: The squat cage is holy ground. ============
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/12, 02:29 PM Your back is the foundation for benching, squating, deadlifting, and anything athletic
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2006/12/14, 12:37 AM So gator do this back work out...towards end of week? Say I do my benching day on mon and fri.s....do this on sat or so? -------------- Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack! People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/14, 01:17 PM I do this the day after my max effort bench day. Serves 2 purposes for me: 1. Recovery from my max effort upper 2. Strengthen important back muscles related to benching
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2006/12/15, 05:18 PM hmm intresting.... So what would your bench workout look like? max move weakness 2 acessories - the back part? -------------- Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack! People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/16, 09:54 AM My max effort day looks something like this: Warm-up with trunk and rotator cuff work Medicine ball upper body plyos just to get my nervous system rolling. maybe 10 x 4 or 5 x 5 depends on how I feel. Floor press 3s until tech break down and then 1s DB Close grip - I usually always do a triceps exercise for my weakness. 5 x 5 Military press 5 x 5 Row of some type different from the next day 5 x 5 I like to hit the pulls hard on the following day because I feel I get more out of them when I do them by solo.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2006/12/17, 11:13 AM hmmm I Like this set up.... You do stuff like medicine ball throws etc? for plyos? what would the week look like? Do you still do dynamic effort?Or is the plyo's your "speed" work? Could somthing like this be done for lower body? Say squats..then following day be heavy lower/ hip work? My lower back & hams is my weakness right now...and about 1/3 the way up I poop out. -------------- Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack! People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
doggiecool Posts: 43 Joined: 2002/08/07	2006/12/17, 01:53 PM Really call that "so many sets?" That's a pretty awesome workout if you can get results from it. My body has never worked that way :( Only way for me to get back results (which is my favorite spot to work by the way) is to do something like this: Bent over rows -3 warm up sets + 5 working sets Weighted wide grip pull ups- 5 sets Close grip pull downs super set with dumbell rows- 3 sets wide grip pull downs -5 sets either cable crossovers or work my back via sitting backwards in the peck deck for 3 warm up sets and 4 working sets. Weights vary by day and cycle. (I usually do it 2x a week, going for weight one day and reps the other day.) Unfortunately after years of experimenting the only way to get results from my body seems to be a lot of weight with a lot of volume.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/18, 01:48 AM 1 example for setting it up: Sunday: Dynamic upper Monday: Max effort lower Tuesday: recovery work for max effort lower This could & should include hammie and low back work Wednesday: Max effort upper Thursday: Back workout and I might sprinkle in triceps work Friday: Dynamic lower Saturday: Body maintenance stretch,corrective exercise, foam roll, cold tank, etc....
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/18, 01:52 AM My back workout now might look like this: Warm-up with rotator cuff and trunk Pull-ups 5 x 4 Bent over rows 5 x 4 Inverted rows 10 x 4 Band Pull aparts accumulation of 100 reps My back is strong. I am 280lbs and did 8 clean and sharp reps on pull-ups with a 100 lb dumbbell between my knees. Seems to work for me.
doggiecool Posts: 43 Joined: 2002/08/07	2006/12/18, 01:02 PM Do you prefer the dumb bell between your knees to the belt w/ a chain? I'm scared of dropping the dumbell. :/
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/18, 05:42 PM I like it between resting on my calves.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2006/12/18, 05:50 PM whats your recovery work for lower look like? also body maintance, would theat be like cardio type stuff abs etc? -------------- Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack! People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/18, 08:24 PM I might ride my bike to the weight room (3 miles) do some light hamstring work like 3-4 sets of 10 on a physioball leg curl and/or do some under hand medball tosses for 30 reps stretch, foam roll, and then ride my bike back home
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2006/12/19, 05:11 PM ok last question...foam roll? -------------- Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack! People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/12/19, 06:20 PM Andrew, where have you been. Foam rolling has been the latest trend in the fitness industry. Granted I've been doing that and ART treatments for years, but cmon, its a trend! I blaim t-nation for letting the secret out... http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=475832 -------------- Iron and chalk.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/20, 12:36 AM Latest trend? We've been doing it with foam rolls for at least 4 years here at UF. I used to do it for myself 10 years ago with a med ball. Only thought of it as a good massage back then.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/12/20, 08:41 AM Thats what I mean. I've been using it for years, but all of a sudden it's catching on. -------------- Iron and chalk.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/20, 11:48 AM Not that it matters, but your information on this is incorrect. Companies like Perform better have been selling foam rollers for at least 4 years and it is not just catching on. It has been used widely for at least 4 years. To me that is not just catching on.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/12/20, 12:28 PM Gator, calm down. I realize its been around for years, i've owned one since I started lifting. ART has been a practice for YEARS. However, they have not been popular until recently. Now it seems everyone is recommending them. Just because you and I have been using them and they have been selling for a while does not make them popular. You're only disagreeing with me on semantics here. -------------- Iron and chalk.
gatormade Posts: 1,355 Joined: 2003/10/01	2006/12/20, 03:32 PM Who's upset? I'm just messing with you. :big_smile: