The following details my primary back and biceps workout from this past Wednesday night at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. The workout was designed by my coach, John Meadows, but I modified a number of exercises due to limitations related to my lower back. Here is the workout…
Neutral Pulldowns
Set 1 x 15 reps with 100lbs (warm-up)
Set 2 x 15 reps with 100lbs (warm-up)
Set 3 x 10 reps with 160lbs
Set 4 x 10 reps with 160lbs
Set 5 x 10 reps with 160lbs
*These were performed similar to last week, but with a medium/wide neutral grip hand position. Stay upright with your torso, but arch your back slightly and bring the bar to your chin. Hold the contraction for a 1 second count at the bottom before extending back up allowing your scapulae to stretch.
Low Cable Rope Rows
Set 1 x 12 reps with 100lbs
Set 2 x 12 reps with 100lbs
Set 3 x 12 reps with 100lbs
*The key here is your grab the rope with your thumbs facing down while extending your arms on the stretch and then as you pull turn your wrists so your thumbs are facing up during the contraction.
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Set 1 x 10 reps with 100lbs (feeder set)
Set 2 x 10 reps with 120lbs (feeder set)
Set 3 x 8 reps with 130lbs
Set 4 x 7 reps with 130lbs
Set 5 x 6 reps with 130lbs
*Do a couple sets of 10 reps working up in weight. The key on Set 3-5 is that you pretty much alternated back and forth with little to no rest between each set. Left arm, right arm, left arm…etc. This was serious cardio for me and my reps dropped as I went along. I counted this as 3 working sets.
Max Tension Pulley Rows
Set 1 x 7 reps with 250lbs
Set 2 x 7 reps with 250lbs
Set 3 x 7 reps with 250lbs
*These were in exchange for rack pulls. The key is to tense your lats the entire time, but especially during the eccentric portion of the movement.
Here is a video from last week’s workout in case you missed the set up:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgVbcwaEWN4]
Dante Rows
This was not part of John’s program – FYI. I used this attachment: https://www.elitefts.com/spud-inc-short-ab-strap.html.
Set 1 x 15 reps (failure) with 100lbs
Set 2 x 14 reps (failure) with 100lbs
*Stretch and then squeeze hard in the contracted position. Don’t jerk the weight, but use a slow, smooth motion and go until absolute failure.
Here is a video from an older workout so you can see the set-up:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOpbIbNj75w]
Superset: Standing Barbell Curls + Machine Curls
Standing Barbell Curls x 8 reps with 65lbs
Immediately followed by…
Machine Preacher Curls x 8 reps with 85lbs
*The key on the barbell curls is to use a 3 second negative and flex hard in the contracted position near the top. On the machine preachers do slow and deliberate reps. As I progressed through the sets I lost reps on the machine preachers, but I continued to start each set with 85lbs and simply dropped the weight once I hit failure continuing on until I reached 8 solid reps. Perform the superset for a total of 4 rounds.
Superset: Reverse EZ Bar Curls + Standing Barbell Wrist Curls
Reverse EZ Bar Curls x 10 reps with 40lbs + 10 reps with 30lbs + 10 reps with 20lbs
Immediately followed by…
Standing Barbell Curls x 12 reps with 100lbs
*Extend the EZ Bar Curls by dropping the weight twice and then immediately perform wrist curls with a barbell. All of this counts as one set. Hold the contraction on the barbell for a 1 second count on each rep. Perform the superset for a total of 3 rounds.
That concluded this primary back and biceps workout.
Train hard!
Mark