Tag: Back Workout
Chris Bumstead And Flex Lewis Decimate A Back Workout
Chris Bumstead continues to push himself by working with the finest individuals in the bodybuilding industry. Recently, CBum partnered with legendary bodybuilder Flex Lewis for an intense back workout to get one more step closer to the fifth Classic Physique Olympia title.
Canada’s finest Chris Bumstead is one of the most popular active bodybuilders on the planet. He has achieved the distinction by proving his worth in the competition. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, the 28-year-old phenom has defended it with an iron will at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Olympia.
Bumstead’s time in competitive bodybuilding is nearing the end as he intends to defend the Olympia title a few times before calling it a career. He entered the 2022 Olympia competition with a torn bicep and spent the first couple of months recovering from the injury.
As a part of his off-season effort, the Classic Physique kingpin joined veteran bodybuilder Flex Lewis for a back workout. Lewis is best known for his dominant title reign in the 212 division that saw him secure the 212 Olympia crown seven consecutive times from 2012 to 2018.
Lewis briefly considered a move up to the Men’s Open division but it never came to fruition. He announced retirement from the sport in May 2022 and has significantly downsized since. Successful business ventures like the famous Dragon’s Lair gym have kept Lewis busy and he is often seen helping active bodybuilders achieve their competitive goals as well.
Lewis and Bumstead went through the training session at the Dragon’s Lair gym. The video of this session was posted on CBum’s personal YouTube channel. So let’s check out how the bodybuilding greats worked towards building their backs.
Chris Bumstead and Flex Lewis go through a back workout
The back workout consisted of a total of four exercises – one vertical pull and three horizontal pull (rows). Vertical pulls like lat pulldowns primarily target latissimus dorsi (lats) – the large fan shaped muscle in the back. These movements are primarily responsible for building a wide back by developing the lats.
Horizontal pulls or rows are essential for giving thickness to the back. As a result, a training routine that emphasizes both types of movements is the key to complete back development.
Chest Supported Rows
CBum and Lewis kicked off the session with chest-supported seated rows on a plate-loaded machine. This compound movement engages many different muscles in the upper body which makes it efficient for building upper body strength and muscle mass.
Bumstead and Lewis started out light and slowly added more weight to the subsequent sets after sufficiently warming up the muscles. Following some solid sets of the exercise, they took to the second exercise of the day.
Chest Supported T-bar Rows
The bodybuilding community commonly accepts that rows are the best compound movement for building a 3D back. However, there are endless variations to choose from and they all deserve a place in your back routine. But if you could choose only one, our team at Fitness Volt would recommend T-bar rows.
T-bar rows work many different muscles like latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps brachii and erector spinae. These factors make it a classic back builder. Bumstead and Lewis cranked out a few sets of this exercise on the chest supported T-bar rows machine and jumped into the next exercise of the session.
Arsenal Strength Iso Lat Pulldown
Following the two major rowing movements, CBum and Lewis took to the first and the only pulldown movement of this training session. They got some heavy sets of Lat pulldown under the belt using Arsenal strength lat pulldown machine. Both weight arms of this machine attach to separate weight stacks independently. This helps create balance in both sides of the body as the person cannot pull the weight by using the favored side of the body.
The bodybuilder duo destroyed the sets of lat pulldown with incrementally heavier weights and took to the finisher of the day.
Seated Cable Rows
The back workout concluded with this rowing movement. The training partners called it a day in the gym after doing a few sets with slow and controlled motion.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead has openly admitted that being a dominant champion comes with immense pressure. He is not untouched by the fear of losing his top spot. However, if he surrounds himself with the right people and keeps company with people like Flex Lewis who have been there, and done that, CBum can maintain the correct mindset to realize the dream of retiring on top.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 9:01 AM EDT
The Rock Shares Effective High-Volume Chest & Back Workout
Multi-talented entertainer Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is known for his insane work ethic and being the hardest worker in the room. Although he maintains a packed schedule, he never shorts himself of a gym visit. In a recent Instagram post, Johnson shared an effective high-volume workout routine targeting the chest and back.
The Rock first rose to prominence for his athletic abilities as a professional wrestler under the WWF/WWE banner. He emerged as one of the most successful acts of the infamous Attitude Era alongside fellow standouts like Stone Cold Steve Austin. His charismatic personality combined with a fan-favorite gimmick helped elevate his popularity, which eventually led to his venture into Hollywood.
The Rock has taken part in several blockbuster hits in the movie industry, including The Scorpion King (2002), Hercules (2014), and more. Besides his work, Johnson boasts a monstrous build and frequently gives insight into his training, often done at his own gym called Iron Paradise.
In Nov. 2022, The Rock laid out a heavy lower body workout meant to be used as a finisher toward the end of a leg day training session. As popular as Johnson is for his intense workouts, he’s also renowned for his decadent cheat meals. Fitness influencer Will Tennyson tried some of his most epic cheat meals for five weeks and was left stunned by the results.
Johnson has been accused of steroid use. While he denied using gear, some are not fully convinced. After the exposé of Liver King, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan called on Johnson to admit his alleged use of steroids. Fitness sensation Bradley Martyn supported Johnson for avoiding the topic altogether instead of vehemently denying it like Liver King.
Earlier this year, The Rock provided a tough squat variation to build muscle in the legs. He performed four massive sets of the exercise in a late-night workout session. He laid out a challenging upper body workout to maximize chest and back pumps weeks later. Then, he offered a grueling superset for leg day training and a brutal back workout routine for calorie burning.
The Rock shares effective high-volume chest & back workout
In a recent Instagram post, The Rock shared an effective upper body training routine using high volume.
“Saturday back/chest training, keeping volume high,” wrote The Rock.
Close grip cable row.
4 sets. 20 reps.
* on 20th rep, deep stretch at the bottom and hold/squeeze for 5 sec.
“It’s a bitch but very effective.”
The Rock detailed the importance of using controlled reps to optimize gains in a chest and back workout update last month. He followed it up with a taxing core training session designed to build strength and add muscle as well.
RELATED: The Rock Teams Up with NFL’s Aaron Donald for Brutal Workout At LA Rams Gym
Johnson’s latest training routine could be a valuable addition for those looking to enhance their upper bodies.
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Published: 12 May, 2023 | 12:30 AM EDT
Brett Wilkin Crushes A Hypertrophy-Inducing Back Workout
Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is all set to elevate his career to the next level under Coach Joe Benett AKA the Hypertrophy Coach’s guidance. Wilkin announced the association in the latest video on his YouTube channel. The client and his new coach are now in the process of formulating the new training program for the year 2023.
Wilkin is an American professional bodybuilder that calls the Men’s Open division his home. Although he won the IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division, the 35-year-old never competed in the weight class professionally. Instead, he made the pro debut in the 212 division. But following a couple of humbling performances at the 2019 Puerto Rico Pro and 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow, he took an extended break from the competition to work on his physique.
After a two-year hiatus, Wilkin returned to the stage but in the Men’s Open division. His divisional debut at the 2021 Chicago Pro resulted in a runner-up finish and Wilkin became a hot prospect of the division. However, he could not capitalize on the momentum built in 2021 and the 2022 competitive season yielded moderate success.
After a sixth place finishes at the 2022 Arnold Classic, Brett Wilkin’s hope to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia relied solely on winning the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro as per the qualification criteria. However, he secured a runner-up finish at the show and called an end to the 2022 competitive season.
Brett Wilkin is now getting ready for this year’s challenges and Joe Bennett’s presence can certainly make a huge impact in making leaps in terms of progress. The famed coach is widely praised for his hypertrophy inducing training methods and has worked with big names like Terrence Ruffin and Dave Bautista. Under Bennett’s guidance, Wilkin went through a back workout. So let’s take a look at how Bennett’s guidance shaped Brett Wilkin’s workout.
Brett Wilkin demolishes a back workout under Joe Bennett’s guidance
Brett Wilkin has trained by himself for the majority of his workouts. However, he feels that ‘Hypertrophy Coach’ can really level him up with his expertise.
“I’ve somebody who’s looking over the shoulder at everything I am doing, somebody providing feedback… He’s gonna be watching my training just to level me up,” Wilkin said in the beginning of the workout.
One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown (Machine)
Coach Bennett started Wilkin’s back training with this movement on the plate loaded iso-lateral front lat pulldown machine. Bennett advised Wilkin to bring the arm down and press the triceps against the lats to line up most of the muscle fibers and contract the lats more effectively. He suggested going at a really slow pace to become more aware of the mechanics of the movement and increase the pace only after he was familiar with it.
“Warm-up sets in general, go slow, feel what you’re trying to feel and when you’re going the working sets just go after it,” Bennett added.
Speaking about the benefits of the Hammer Strength machine used for this exercise, Bennett added:
“The most important part of this machine or the range of motion is that stretch… The stretch that you get here, you’re not going to get it on a row, right? So a row doesn’t fully stretch your lat. You have to bring your arm up here somewhere (in the starting position of lat pulldown).”
“It’s probably good for almost everyone to pause for a second and make sure that it’s the lat and not momentum (that pulls the lever down again).”
Wilkin pushed through some heavy sets of this exercise under Bennett’s watchful eye and performed the last set with both arms. He then followed the coach to the next exercise.
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
Bennett instructed Wilkin to take up the chest supported T-bar rows next to build the upper back muscles. While it is good to have a dedicated machine for this exercise in the gym, The Hypertrophy Coach stated that you can almost always get the same results as long as you can get the similar grip and position. So for example, doing the dumbbell rows using an incline bench for chest support can accomplish the exact same goal as a dedicated T-bar row machine.
“This exercise is going to pretty much train everything when I say upper back form shoulder to shoulder. So there’s going to be rear delts involved, traps involved… rhomboids involved… Pretty much your entire upper back musculature… But yeah, you’re going to get some lats working as well too…”
“Now what I want you to do is feel like you’re keeping the spine position. So slow everything down just a little bit so as everything pulls forward, you don’t do any spinal flexion. This (The spine) stays still and everything just kind of moves around that.”
After getting a few sets of chest supported T-bar rows under the belt, Wilkin curiously went to the Prime chest supported rows machine for the next exercise.
Prime Chest Supported Rows
This horizontal pulling movement followed next and Coach Bennett set up the machine in such a way that it targeted the latissimus dorsi muscles more than other back muscles.
“He (Coach Bennett) turned this Prime chest supported row and set it up so it’s fully isolating the lats, especially the lower lats. So our body’s in the position and all we have to do is keep our elbows tucked to our side, drive down, keep your traps lower. Don’t scrunch up,” Brett Wilkin added.
With this set-up, the resistance profile was harder in the beginning and got easier as the arm was pulled back. Wilkin started out with the warm-up sets to understand the movement and performed a few working sets. Following this, he did a couple of drop sets before taking up the next exercise.
Chest Supported Straight Arm Pulldowns
Straight arm pulldowns increase the scapular strength of the muscles and stability. These attributes are necessary for maintaining a safe posture while performing heavier compound movements like deadlifts, pull-ups and bench press etc. Coach Bennett guided The Butcher through a few sets of this exercise. Wilkin performed it using a banded attachment to the cable machine.
Weighted Back Extensions
Bennett instructed Wilkin to position himself in such a way that his hip crease was blocked. This way, he could bend forward and extend back up using only the lower back.
“All I want you to think about is – some of it’s obviously rounding and folding over the front. But while you’re doing that I actually want you to feel like you’re pushing your lower back to the ceiling as well.”
“So it’s a combination… So obviously as you go down, because your hips are blocked, everything’s going to half the round but by overdoing it, you’ll get even a little more rounding from that. That’s what we want here… As much rounding as we can and then as much extension as we put on the way up,” Bennett explained.
Wilkin performed a few reps without the barbell to get accustomed to the movement as Bennett watched over. He then cranked out some sets using the barbell which summoned the end of the training session.
The training session comprised of exercises in the order mentioned below:
Brett Wilkin’s training program heading into the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition will be documented on his YouTube channel and will be available on Joe Bennett’s app as well. So those looking forward to elevating their own performance can stay tuned to his YouTube channel to take its advantage.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Brett Wilkin’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 3 May, 2023 | 12:56 PM EDT
Dexter Jackson Demolishes A Back Workout, Addresses A Health Problem
Veteran bodybuilder Dexter Jackson has created a lasting legacy in the sport with some spectacular performances throughout his competitive career. A few years into retirement, Jackson is still pushing himself in the gym to an extent where he has to remind himself it is not as serious anymore!
One of the most prominent names in the 2000s and 2010s bodybuilding era, “The Blade” has five Arnold Classic titles to his name, winning this second-most prestigious bodybuilding competition in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2015. He was also a perennial Mr. Olympia contender that pushed dominant champions like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler the way only a handful of other competitors could. In 2008, Jackson even managed to push Cutler off the pedestal and take home the sole Mr. Olympia title of his bodybuilding career.
The 53-year-old is one of the rare athletes that have enjoyed performance longevity and competed well into his late forties before deciding to call it quits. A ninth-place finish at the 2020 Mr. Olympia marked the end of his 22-year-long pro career. Although there was speculation about him competing in the returning Masters Olympia competition, Jackson has made it clear that he has no intentions of wearing the posing trunks again.
Staying in shape and maintaining overall health is the primary goal of his training. However, he is a passionate bodybuilder all the way down to his core, and that nature was on full display in Jackson’s recent back training session. So let’s check out how he trained in this workout.
Dexter Jackson goes through a back workout
Hammer Strength Machine Low Row
Jackson admitted to not having trained his back seriously in quite some time. He started the training session with low rows on the Hammer Strength plate-loaded low-rows machine to get a good warm-up. After packing a few serious sets of the movement using incrementally heavier weights, Jackson went on to take on the heavier lifts of the session.
Seated Row
The five-time Arnold Classic champion next worked the back muscles on a plate-loaded machine with a swivel handle which enables a more natural movement of the arms during the exercise.
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
After putting up with the two horizontal pulling movements, the legendary bodybuilder trained his lats with this compound movement. After performing the first set of the exercise with furious intensity, Jackson made a conscious decision to tone it down a notch as he sometimes has to remind himself that it’s not competition anymore.
“Sometimes, I still find myself training too hard. I have to tell myself to back off a little bit homie – it ain’t that serious no more! But I’ve been doing it for so many years… over 30 years of training like this. So I get why some people can’t let certain things go, you know. I can let it go. That’s why I can tell myself to back off, and I listen to myself. Some people don’t listen to themselves,” Jackson said.
After getting a few sets of lat pulldowns under his belt, Jackson jumped into the next exercise.
Seated Cable Row
Another variation of rows followed next, and the 53-year-old bodybuilder performed the movement on the cable machine with swivel handles. This movement added the last bit of stimulus to the back, as Jackson called it a day in the gym after a few sets of the exercise.
In totality, Dexter Jackson’s back workout consisted of:
Jackson revealed that he has been suffering from arthritis of the back for a while now. However, he will head to Columbia soon to get stem cell therapy to address the problem.
“I’m gonna be 100 percent 20 again…!” Jackson stated.
Jackson has set a positive example for younger bodybuilders in his retirement. A huge and muscular physique is an integral part of a bodybuilder’s identity. Many of them carry the colossal muscle mass into the later years of life despite being aware of its health risks. However, The Blade has let go of the heavy physique and significantly downsized in favor of longevity and quality of life at this stage of his life. Fitness Volt wishes Jacson luck with his upcoming stem cell treatment.
You can watch the full workout video below, courtesy of Dexter Jackson’s YouTube channel:
Published: 28 April, 2023 | 10:22 AM EDT
Urs Kalecinski And Jay Cutler Wreck A Potent Back Workout
Urs Kalecinski is leaving no opportunity to learn from the greats and recently partnered with Jay Cutler for an off-season back workout in Germany. Kalecinski is Germany’s flag bearer in the IFBB Pro League’s Classic Physique division. His emergence in the top end of the division has been astonishing and quick. After a few respectable performances, ‘The Miracle Bear’ finished the 2021 competitive season with a surprising 4th place finish at his Olympia debut.
He kicked off 2022 with a third spot at the 2022 Arnold Classic and secured a win at the 2022 Boston Pro, earning direct qualification to the 2022 Olympia. He also competed at the 2022 Kuwait Classic Pro to bag another win and walked away with a third-place finish at the 2022 Olympia.
Kalecinski last competed at the 2023 Arnold Classic Physique and managed to get a runner-up finish in spite of having to deal with food poisoning a few days before the show. He is now working relentlessly to build a more refined version of his body for the next competitive season.
Recently, he partnered with legendary bodybuilder Jay Cutler for a training session. A 4-time Mr. Olympia, Cutler is revered for his mindful approach to training. As a result, he was able to lead a much healthier life in retirement without having to put up with the consequences of an arduous bodybuilding lifestyle. He has accustomed well to the age of the internet and social media and remains one of the most prominent voices of the sport.
Cutler and Kalecinski did a back workout together. So let’s delve into the magical world of bodybuilding and see how they maintain their impeccable physiques with training.
Urs Kalecinski and Jay Cutler go through a back workout
The back workout was Kalecinski and Cutler’s second joint training session with each other. They partnered for a shoulder workout back in December 2022. Reminiscing the experience, Cutler stated:
“Last time we trained together… you were very depleted and it was one week out (of the 2023 Arnold Classic). So now we’re actually spending time together when we’re both in our off-season because I start my transformation on May 1st.”
With that, the duo jumped into the workout and pushed each other to do better throughout the session.
Lat Pulldowns
Cutler and his companion commenced the training session with lat pulldowns for stimulating the latissimus dorsi muscles. The duo worked with a plate-loaded iso-lateral machine to warm up the upper body posterior muscles and executed a few sets.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
Performing this compound movement is a crucial component of developing mass and strength in the upper posterior muscles. Bent over dumbbell rows engage all the pulling muscles and help with complete back development.
The bodybuilder duo pushed through some heavy sets of the movement as The Miracle Bear could not help but marvel at Cutler’s infectious enthusiasm.
“I love his work ethic. Close to 50 and still don’t give a s***” Urs Kalecinski exclaimed.
Machine Pullovers
This variation of pullovers has similar benefits as the cable pullovers. It has several benefits like improved mind-muscle connection, trunk and scapular stability, increased strength and muscle hypertrophy. Pullovers primarily work the lats and pectoral muscles. Cutler has spoken about the efficacy of pullovers for back development on many occasions. While Explaining the benefits of this exercise this time, Jay Cutler said:
“This is an ideal exercise to really bring out the v-taper which a lot of gyms don’t have.”
Cutler and Kalecinski absolutely wrecked some heavy sets of pullovers on a selectorized machine to bring that v-taper out and took to the next exercise.
While chatting with Urs and his associates during the workout, Cutler opined that Urs can definitely become an Olympia champion in future. He further stated that even if he doesn’t win right now, Urs is a fan favorite and has already captured the sport fans’ imagination.
“All it takes is for him to deserve it even if he doesn’t win or if he’s already winning. What I mean is he’s right there, he’s a fan favorite and if he spends more time in the US, he’s gonna dominate the US market too with popularity. He just needs to be there more,” Jay Cutler said.
He added:
“Here I see it. This is the first time I came to Germany for this interaction and every fan was there for him. I said who’s the best bodybuilder in Germany and they say Urs! And for that not to be an Open guy is a different world for me.”
T-Bar Rows
This compound movement contributes significantly to building a thick back. T-Bar row is a complete back exercise that works all the pulling muscles in the back. Cutler and Kalecinski cranked out a few high-volume sets of this exercise to stimulate the back muscles more before taking to the next movement.
Seated Machine Rows
The training partners next performed a few sets of machine seated rows to work the back muscles. It is an excellent way to build the back as stabilization is not required to perform the movement. Seated machine rows work all the major muscles like latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, erector spinae and trapezius. After going through some grueling sets of the movement, Cutler and Kalecinski worked with a vertical pulling movement next.
Bent Over Cable Straight Arm Pulldowns
The duo wrapped up the training session by getting some solid sets of this exercise under the belt. Straight arm pulldowns stimulate the latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoids, triceps brachii and teres minor muscles. Additionally, they activate the levator scapulae during the eccentric phase of the movement.
After performing a few sets of the movement, Jay Cutler and Urs Kalecinski called it a day in the gym.
The workout included following exercises:
Jay Cutler and Urs Kalecinski forced themselves to come to the gym in spite of having been through a tiring long day. Their growth and success can be attributed to the mindset of discipline and consistency. The 2023 competitive season is getting closer and looking at the intensity in training, we can certainly expect big things.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Urs Kalecinski’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 25 April, 2023 | 8:48 AM EDT
The Rock Shares ‘Intense and Controlled’ Chest & Back Workout: ‘Focused and Slow’
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson makes the most of his workouts despite a busy schedule. In his latest gym visit, The Rock shared a brutal training session of 275-pound Smith machine incline bench presses for reps.
As a former professional wrestler for major organizations such as the WWE and WWF, The Rock’s brand and name recognition quickly grew following his transition into acting. With a role in Marvel’s standalone success, Black Adam, and many other ventures, The Rock’s entertainment projects have totaled more than $3 billion in the United States.
The Rock lives by his motto of being the hardest worker in the room. He regularly showcases grueling workouts online and pushes the pace regardless of the time. From brutal chest and upper body training sessions to ‘killer leg day finishers,’ Johnson attacks his schedule with maximum intensity, which he credits for helping him maintain such an impressive physique.
In a recent Instagram post, The Rock demonstrated how he finishes a chest and back training session with Smith machine incline bench presses. He offered tips for avoiding shoulder stress during the movement.
The Rock Pushes Through 275-Lb Smith Machine Incline Bench Press for Reps
Check out The Rock’s latest chest and back workout below:
“Saturday morning chest & back training
Good ‘mental inventory’ day after a crazy busy week.Man I needed it
Smith machine incline I do towards the end of my chest workout when my chest is fatigued.Not too heavy.275LBS
Be mindful as to how far you bring the weight down to mitigate that stress on your shoulders (I had complete shoulder reconstruction surgery – you don’t want that fun pain in your life, so take my advice)Focused, slow & controlled.3 second negatives.Intense and controlled.
Give it a try and have a productive weekend (and fun;) my friends.
~ dj” The Rock posted.
Johnson prefers not to overload the shoulders with weight as he’s undergone shoulder reconstruction surgery. Instead, he utilizes lighter weight and slows down his reps to maximize the pump with time under tension.
In addition to training sessions, The Rock likes to show off massive cheat meals, which he typically consumes on leg days. Some of his more notable meals included burgers from the In-N-Out fast food chain and his signature ‘power-packed’ breakfast consisting of steak, eggs, oatmeal, and five peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The Rock’s famous cheat meals even got the attention of influencer Brian Johnson, well-known as Liver King. Earlier this month, Liver King showed off a ‘Goddam* overdue’ donuts and pizza cheat meal of his own. Following Liver King’s steroid scandal last year, podcast host Joe Rogan suggested that The Rock now come clean about his alleged use.
RELATED: The Rock Shares 2:30 A.M. ‘Burning Superset Workout’: ‘Stretch & Elongate Those Lat Fibers’
Despite a non-stop schedule, The Rock doesn’t appear to be slowing down at his home gym Iron Paradise. When performing his latest lift, he encourages using lighter weights to avoid over-stressing the shoulders.
Published: 25 April, 2023 | 12:30 AM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Conquers Grueling Back-Building Workout
Dana Linn Bailey is the true embodiment of motivation and gym life. The Women’s Physique pioneer continues to inspire millions around the world with her fitness content and recently subjected herself to a harsh back workout.
Dana Bailey is credited with a win at the first ever Women’s Physique contest held at the 2011 Jr. USA. She also became the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia champion in 2013 and etched her name with gold in the IFBB Pro League’s history. After retiring from competitive bodybuilding in 2015, DLB has ventured into multiple initiatives.
She started posting fitness related content on her YouTube channel and other social media platforms. Bailey also tried her hand at powerlifting at the 201 Arnold Sports Festival, lifting a total of 877 lbs (396.9 kg). The 39-year-old has become one of the foremost women fitness influencers on the internet with more than 2.6 million followers on YouTube and Instagram combined.
Dana along with her husband Rob Bailey founded the Warhouse Gym. It did well and became a very important part of the couple’s lives. However, they had to shut it down permanently due to financial issues brought in by the global pandemic of 2020. Bailey is going strong on YouTube and routinely posts workout videos, bodybuilding tips and collaborative content to engage a large follower base.
Recently, she tackled a back workout and posted the video on her YouTube channel. So let’s check out the details of the exercises she did to improve her already impressive physique further.
Dana Linn Bailey goes through a back workout
Bailey headed to the Redcon-1 gym for the workout and lauded the place for the state of the art equipment it houses. She did not have a premeditated workout plan ahead of time and went with the flow to experiment with different equipment to train the back.
“I like coming here. A lot of really cool equipment. So I have no plans today. I’d love to tell you what I am about to do. I’m gonna train back but I have no plans. I’m just gonna scoot around, find some really good equipment and then I’ll let you know the sets and reps. So follow along,” Dana Linn Bailey stated.
With that she jumped right into the workout and shared valuable insights and bodybuilding tips in the due course.
Seated High Face Pull and Chest Rows
Bailey wanted to get some rear delts and the upper traps action at the very beginning of the training session. So instead of working with elaborate machines, she favored the simple seated cable rows machine. But instead of doing the standard row, she used the band attachment and performed the seated high face pull to target the traps and rear delts.
“You could do this with the rope as well. The rope would actually work out really well,” DLB advised.
She clubbed this movement with chest rows. However, instead of doing both exercises as a part of superset where a person performs one full set of the first exercise and then follows it up with one full set of the second exercise with a short rest period, Bailey switched between the exercises mid-set. In every set, she did eight to ten reps of high face pull and immediately transitioned to the chest rows for the same number of reps, making it a full set of two exercises. The 39-year-old kept the elbows wide and away from the body to hit the lats as well.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
The former Women’s Physique Olympia champion performed the wide grip lat pulldown on a plate-loaded machine next. This common vertical pulling movement primarily works the latissimus dorsi muscle in the back. It also engages other posterior muscles like teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus and trapezius as well as biceps muscles. The wide grip variation is effective for hitting all angles of the target muscle. Additionally, wide grip lat pulldown is a potent replacement to the pull-up which hits the same group of muscles.
“I’m gonna do this a little bit differently than I would normally go. Instead of just going through the reps, I’m gonna focus on the eccentric,” DLB explained.
She performed the concentric phase (Pulling down of the exercise at a regular speed but extended the time to three to four seconds in the eccentric phase (raising the handle back up).
The intention of the slow eccentric phase was to increase the time under tension. The Women’s Physique pioneer advised against using extremely heavy weights in this case to avoid exhausting the muscles too much.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
Performing this compound movement is an essential part of the process to build strong posterior muscles in the upper body. Bailey shared her experience with this exercise and shed light on some of the most common errors associated with it. She explained:
“I would really like to see this exercise be done better. I think a lot of people go way too heavy and you have a lot of (jerking) motion and your knees are bending.”
“So as I do it, I keep my feet squared in a more athletic stance. The motion instead of pulling (with the arms), it’s going to be pulling from your lats. So there’s more of an arch to it. It shouldn’t just go straight up and straight down.”
DLB further added that lightening the weight a little bit actually helps with the form and proceeded to perform the sets of eight to ten reps each.
Seated Mid Rows
The seated mid-rows on a selectorized machine followed the bent over dumbbell rows and DLB focused more on the eccentric phase again for this one. She executed the eccentric phase of the movement with slow and controlled movement to keep the muscles under tension for a longer duration. Each set of seated mid rows contained eight to ten reps.
Close-Grip Seated Rows
The retired bodybuilder then rounded off the training session by adding the last bit of stimulus to the back muscles with this exercise. The machine used for close-grip seated rows enabled a slight high to low movement during the concentric phase of the movement. Explaining the efficacy of this movement pattern, Bailey opined:
“Most seated cables you’re pulling (horizontally). So this one, you can kind of lean back and pull at an angle so you’re gonna push those shoulder blades down and back, hitting those lats a little bit more!”
She annihilated all the sets of the exercise with furious intensity. Although Bailey would have loved to add another movement to this workout, she had to wrap up reluctantly as it was a busy hour at the gym.
In totality, the back training session encompassed:
Dana Linn Bailey’s content is a potent source of pre-workout motivation for people around the world. What’s impressive is that the 39-year-old has not lost the passion for fitness and bodybuilding after retirement. Not only is she staying in good shape with her training routine, but she is also helping others achieve their fitness goals by motivating them to get up and head over to the gym for lifting some serious weight.
You can watch the full video here, courtesy of Dana Linn Bailey’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 10:47 PM EDT
Chris Bumstead Builds A Thick And Huge Back In The Gym
Chris Bumstead is keeping himself busy in the gym this off-season. The 28-year-old phenom recently went through an intense back workout and shared glimpses of his commitments outside of training and winning trophies.
The Classic Physique division of the IFBB Pro League is home to one of the biggest superstars and a dominant champion in Chris Bumstead. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, CBum has held it with a firm grip and defended it at the 2020, 2021 and the 2022 Olympia. Heading into his most recent title defence, Bumstead had to face quite a lot of adversity. Apart from pushing through knee, back and quad injuries during the prep, the Canadian bodybuilder had to deal with coaching changes.
Bumstead and his longtime friend and coach Iain Valliere decided to end the coach-client relationship for the latter to focus on his own bodybuilding career. Under the tutelage of famed bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod, CBum entered the 2022 Olympia and brought the Classic Physique Olympia title back home to Canada. The 28-year-old later revealed that he entered the competition with a torn bicep but still managed to stay head and shoulders above the rest of the division.
With the bicep now completely healed, Bumstead is now fueling his off-season training with a 3500-calorie diet to improve his physique for the 2023 Olympia. In the recent video posted on his personal YouTube channel, CBum can be seen performing a hellacious back workout. So let’s go over the training session and the tips CBum shared as he went through it.
Chris Bumstead’s Back Workout
Wide Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
CBum warmed up the back muscles with lat pulldowns. This movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back but also activates major pulling muscles like trapezius, teres major and teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoids as well as biceps. He performed the exercise with a shovel handle that enables a neutral grip. After doing four to five warm-up sets, CBum got a few working sets under the belt and did a drop set to complete the warm-up drill.
Incline Dumbbell Rows
The horizontal rowing movement followed the lat pulldowns as the reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion performed a few good sets of this to work the pulling muscles as well as the sternal head of pectoralis major muscles. Horizontal pulls or rowing movements are essential in building a thick back and therefore they should be an integral part of the back training routine for complete development. CBum said that the incline rows help him practice breathing and get better at it. He explained:
“It’s one of the things where it’s hard to breathe with your chest on the pad but forcing you to practice proper breathing techniques. You should do this every exercise but you are forced to do it here… Something I am trying to get better at with every rep breathing the same consistency.”
Bumstead pushed through a few good sets of incline dumbbell rows. He pulled the breath in before initiating the lift for each rep and exhaled slowly while lowering the dumbbells. After holding the dumbbells for a couple of seconds at the bottom, he initiated the rep with the same breathing technique. The 28-year-old performed all the sets to practice breathing and build the back before jumping into the next exercise.
One Arm Chest Supported Rows
Bumstead next took to the chest supported rows on the plate loaded machine to stimulate the back further. He did the exercise unilaterally to really focus on the movement and build the mind-muscle connection.
“With the one arm rows where you can actually get the full stretch are beautiful or way better than a dumbbell row from the floor. You just get a much better stretch and contraction,” Bumstead explained.
CBum also explained the correct technique to do the one arm rows for maintaining maximum focus on the back muscles. He added:
“The same arm that we are doing, keep that (same side) foot planted forward. A lot of people would put that foot back and the (working) arm forward. This way you’re opening up your hips and then you’re rotating your body. Your core is moving away. But if you keep your foot forward, your hips are forced to stay forward and you have to pull from your lats rather than your core. So keep it on your back.”
Bumstead got some solid sets of this movement under his belt and took to the next exercise.
Seated Rows
Chris Bumstead jumped into the seated rows next and cranked out some heavy sets of seated rows on the Prime Fitness Seated Rows machine. The machine has three plate horns and different levels. Bumstead noted that keeping the weight on the highest horn makes it difficult to lock the movement on contraction. Therefore adding the weight on the lower and middle plate horn suits him better where he can get a good contraction while still lifting heavy.
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns
After putting in a good amount of work with horizontal rows, the Canadian bodybuilder went back to working with the vertical pulling movement and performed the reverse grip lat pulldowns. The reverse grip targets the lower lats more as the upper arms are closer to the body. Additionally, you use more of the biceps for pulling the weights. This enables training with heavier weights. After cranking out a few sets of this exercise, CBum performed the final exercise of the day.
Banded Bent Over Straight Arm Pulldowns
Bumstead wrapped up the training session with this exercise. It targets the latissimus dorsi, teres minor, posterior deltoids, triceps brachii and levator scapulae muscles. CBum performed four sets using moderate weights. He maintained short 20-second rest periods between the sets and performed every set to failure without changing the weights. As a result, the rep range went on reducing as the sets progressed.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead is still the most dominant competitor in the Classic Physique division. Although he has retirement in sight, the reigning champion is looking to defend the title a few more times before hanging up the posing trunks. It will be interesting to see how he maintains the lead at the 2023 Olympia.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 8:57 AM EDT
Derek Lunsford Shares Back Workout That Will Make You “Respect The Weight”
Derek Lunsford looks ready to defend his 212 Olympia title come December.
Derek Lunsford has put in tons of work over the years in order to climb to the top of the 212 division. He was able to win the 2021 Olympia title and will look to defend his title come December. Lunsford has been putting together huge workouts and showed it off in a recent YouTube video where he is crushing back.
Lunsford has put on incredible size this offseason. So much so that there have been talks of him taking the next step toward Men’s Open. These discussions intensified following his guest posing appearance at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro, where he went toe-to-toe with other mass monsters in bodybuilding.
In October, Lunsford was able to upset Shaun Clarida and win his first Olympia title. In 2018 and 2019, Lunsford won silver before falling to fourth in 2020. It is clear that he is one of the best in the sport and will continue to show it off moving forward.
Lunsford shared a huge back workout that is used to create more size and width. In the video, he urges gym-goers to “respect the weight” as you continue to lift.
“You always have to respect the weight. I don’t care how tough or how strong you think you are, you must respect the weight.”
Derek Lunsford Back Workout
The exact number of sets and reps was not disclosed in the video. What we did see was Lunsford go through seven different exercises that work the back in different ways.
Back Extensions (warmup)
Hammer Strength Hip Thrust Machine
Barbell Rows
Hammer Strength Chest Supported Back Rows
Seated High Row Machine
Standing Cable Rope Pushdown
Standing Cable High Row
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Derek Lunsford encountered Nick Walker during this workout. The two were both on stage in Pittsburgh and discussed their plans for the rest of the year. Lunsford continued his workout following a warmup of back extensions.
Lunsford dove into the workout with barbell rows and hammer strength chest supported rows. From here, Lunsford made sure to hit the hip thrust machine as he works all parts of the body on back day.
“When I say full back workout, I mean hamstrings, glutes, lower back, traps, lats, we did it all. Made up for a little missed exercises from last workout, so we did them today.”
Derek Lunsford finished the workout with standing cable rope pushdowns and standing high cable rows. In the video, it is clear that Lunsford still has the size needed to compete. He will likely enter the Olympia as the favorite to repeat. This will bring up the question on whether or not Lunsford will make the switch or continue to defend his title.
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Jay Cutler Shares “Meditation” Back Workout: ‘Training Is A Sense Of Relief For Me’
Jay Cutler continues to share some huge workouts for viewers to try in the gym.
Jay Cutler has been retired from bodybuilding for quite some time now. This does not mean that he is done training in the gym. Instead, he just focuses his training in different ways. In a recent YouTube video, Cutler shared a back workout and explained some of his thoughts on training in retirement.
“What do I have to do to maintain a decent physique at my age?
Training is a sense of relief for me.”
During his legendary career, Cutler was one of the biggest mass monsters in the sport and won the Olympia four times. Now, he remains in great shape but is not training to win a championship on stage. Instead, he is doing maintenance on his body and maintaining his physique.
Cutler arrived at the gym in the midday to take on a back workout. Below, you can find a breakdown of the exercises that Cutler performed.
Jay Cutler Back Workout
Jay Cutler did not exactly share how many sets and reps that he performed in each exercise. Once the workout was complete, Cutler did say that he did between 18-20 sets in total. With six exercises, this is an average of three per movement, along with some warmup sets. Cutler rested 45-60 seconds in between sets.
Lat Pulldown Machine
Chest-Supported Row Machine
Bent-Over Barbell Row
Lat Pulldown x Seated Cable Row Superset
Dumbbell Pullover
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Lat Pulldown Machine
Jay Cutler begins this workout with one of his favorite machines for back. He explains that this version gives a pull allowing the lats to be worked in a different way. He performs three working sets of 12 reps after two warm-ups.
“The reason I like this one though, Techno Gym, I really like the pull on this. We talk about popping the lats for the front double bicep. So, I’m kind of duplicating, even though my lats are a lot smaller now.”
Chest-Supported Row Machine
The chest-supported row machine was the second movement. Cutler began with three 45-pound plates on each side but shed one for the final sets. Before the workout, he explained the difference in grips on this machine. Cutler believes that it is easier to perform when the grip is higher. Because of this, he likes to use the middle grip.
“The difference with this, sometimes I do it one arm, I’m going to use both handles. This, once again, is a different pull than hammer strength. I’m not going to keep my feet here because I feel like I use too much legs. I’m going to keep my feet here and loose so I actually pull with my lats. The motion is to really get a contraction and I’m going to grip this in the middle.”
Bent-over Barbell Row
Jay Cutler has always been a fan of the bent-over barbell row. When performing this movement, Cutler kept his upper body a bit more upright. Following this exercise, Cutler performed a superset of lat pulldowns and seated cable rows.
“I’m going to focus on doing a 45 stance here. So a little more upright with the upper body.”
Dumbbell Pullover
This is a workout that can be used to work either the lats or chest. It depends on the grip that is being used. Jay Cutler discusses how a diamond grip will hit the chest while he likes to overlap his hands in order to stretch the lats. This is the final movement of the workout, totaling six different exercises during this back day.
“Pay attention to that grip. If I was going to do chest, I would grip the dumbbell like this, like a diamond. For back, I actually grip it like this, so my hand goes around so that it pulls on the lats.”
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