BaseStrengthAI is more reliable than a coach, cheaper than an Excel template!👇👇👇 www.BaseStrength.com/the-app Bromley Merch from Barbell Apparel only available HERE! 👇👇👇 barbellapparel.com/Bromley
'Mental health is good and all - but most importantly your back lets you lift heavy loads'. This is the type of meathead gymrat outlook I can get behind.
One of my favoriite quotes on back training is from Janae Kroc who said the back is a "blue collar muscle." It just needs good old, brute force, hard work to grow.
There are some movements out there that I love doing because you can do them with light weights and still build massive muscle. Lateral raises for example.
Dude I added in back to every workout (I train 5x/week) and all my lifts are blowing up. Obviously not the sole factor but it certainly ain't hurting. TRAIN YOUR BACK GUYS IT CARRIES OVER TO EVERY COMPOUND
2 things that made a huge difference for me was 1) on lower body days it's the first movement of the day, and 2) from Jim wendler, super Set every bench/ohp movement with a row movement. But again, I treat it as the main lift and the bench as the super Set. These things made a huge difference for me. Great video Bromley!
Steve Shaw has made a lot of videos advocating for training back like you exemplify here. Ever since I started training back like this, my lats and traps have gotten so much thicker and stronger it’s insane
I actually emphasize back training now. You and Brian Alsruhe have sold me. Unfortunately I have a strained intercostal, so I can't really chin, do pullovers, or do dumbbell rows. I have to be a good boy, and do more chest supported rows, so I can still deadlift without making it scream at me too loud. I'm on an upper lower where I hit my erectors, and upper traps on a lower day. Then I hit the lats, lower traps, mid traps etc... First on the upper day. One day a week I have a full body, where I go for broke on rows, and farmers carries... And then I die. I'm not nearly as concerned about pressing as I use to be. I see it as something that's going to go up moreso from gaining mass that zealotry. Pressing does allow me to do something while I rest in between more valuable exercises. I still train to progress, but legs, core, and upper back are definitely a higher priority.
Yikes, I've been dealing with the intercostal for about 6 weeks now, it really sucks but it's very close to gone now. I only feel it at extreme ranges of motion still...
@@Brain320 it surely does fuck with things. I found that if I work the mobility of other structures in the area I can reduce the pain, and during work. That allows me to still push things in training. It's very slowly getting better.
@@leinekenugelvondoofenfocke1002 I massaged the living shit out of it constantly plus heating it up as often as I could. I was/am able to squat and bench throughout but DL or anything overhead was too painful, hope it heals ASAP
@@Brain320 with the overhead, try doing a stricter variation with no lean back. You won't get as much load, but you will at least develop closer to where you wanna pick back up at.
This has really motivated me to focus more on my rows/back cause my rowing has always been very weak in comparison to the rest of my lifts. Very solid video I appreciate the info!
Your videos are the best I've found. I've been feeling like I'm missing something for years to get me to the next level. Turns out I was missing Bromley wisdom! I'm running bullmastiff starting this week and am looking forward to the results. Thanks for making it free!
I understand what you mean. What I found that helped me alot was doing pendlay rows. I could use heavy wts without my lower back fatiguing and eventually this strengthened my lower back where I could do bent over rows with minimal lower back issues.
Going to keep only 2 exercise variations for this block, supinated pulldown & upper back t-bar rows load them heavy-low reps then light-high rep backoffs! thanks a bunch as always you deliver the real deal.
Best thing I ever did to finally improve my bench was to start training upper back more intensely. That also included low, mid traps, and rotator cuffs as well.
Best channel on the tube yube. As a strongman champ and multi time qualifier his points on back work are 100% spot on! I never understood the “lower emphasis” on back work by other programs. It’s like they just throw in a row or chin after a press. NO NO NO! Your back needs equal if not more attention! Big thick backs in my world of competing screams respect and says “that’s a strong MF’er”
I am going to start recommending this video to people. I think a chest supported cable face pull from a down to up angle going a bit above forehead level and back as far as you go hits my upper mid back as much as anything except maybe bent face rows. i use an incline bench set about 60 plus degrees and really try to pull back hard at the end with a good load. its a new one i put in last month and, well....the next day was a bit interesting.
Looked at that Bull Mastiff program and seems really cool, trying to learn how to do more submaximal volume. Had to change a good bit of things to fit my needs, i.e. more bench days, light singles for forms sake, and over all adding a week to the waves, but i learned so many good preogression principles, and super excited to start it and see what I like and can learn!
I never skipped my back on any workout and never even cared about how it looked. Then one day I saw a picture of my back when i was camping with my friends and saw it for the first time and was blown away how developed it was. The only reason I worked it was because i wanted to fix my posture. Now I love to work it just to see the pump.
What an excellent video What excellent advice. I've been training over 45 years and have to agree with almost every single thing Alexander says here. He puts it plainly: You have to get stronger to get bigger. I especially liked when he said that he grew most at times when he was the least sore. So true. Progression and overload rule.
I not only think body English is okay for a barbell row but preferred, for all the reasons you said and it will also help your deadlift strength off the floor .
Luckily, I always train the upper back with same seriousness and commitment that other people train their chest and bench press. I always have a separate day for weighted chins and weighted pull ups. Although I am quite good at barbell rows, and can row well over my own bodyweight while using a bit body English, I feel that it further fatigues the erectors. I need them fresh for deadlift and squat. As I have some recovery issues due to my growing age, I plan to incorporate barbell rows once I achieve my certain goals in deadlift and squat.
I’ve been trying to slow down my rows to get more out of them. I also started implementing the Vince Gironda 8x8 with 30s rest on kroc rows. This is the longest multi-day pump I’ve ever had.
Jordan Petersons 12 rules for life…. Rule 1, Stand up straight with your shoulders back. 100% is effective to have good posture when combatting depression. Its not the cure but its a piece of the puzzle and from first hand experience definitely helps.
For me: 1) Vetical pull exercises like Pullups and Pulldowns works better with a regular overhand grip as wide as possible. 2) Horizontal pull exercises works better 4 me with a neutral grip that's shoulder withd apart. I prefer chest support incline dumbbell rows on a 45 degree angle or standing bent over cable rows (yes cables) 3) Single arm back exercises allows me for a better mind to muscle connection to target specific areas in the back. For single arm movements, I prefer a D-handle with neutral grip. Nice Video!!
This year I really started to focus on the hard back movements- bent over toes, chins and T bars. With variations like deadlift rows. Higher reps for lats; 8-20 feel the best for me. All my other lifts exploded as my upper back/ lats got stronger. In fact, at 53, all my PR goals for the year have been reached for the year and it’s only August. These movements are exhausting on the lower back as well.
I have since i began fallowing you implemented 2 backdays. 1 full whit barbell rows and chins and the other whit barbell rows goodmornings and so on. And im doing the same wave loaded progression as i have in the other compund movements. So sets increase just as in squats. Well this i not new to me. Ive always had rows being as important than presses and squats and deads.
When I hear the words "mind muscle connection", they almost always are coming out of the mouths of snot nosed 19 year old newly certified personal trainers that have no muscle and a slight beer gut. I started working out in the mid 80's and every time I saw a mass monster he was moving huge amounts of weight with body english. I always hated training upper back cause I could never feel shit. Then a mass monster told me to not give a shit and work it anyway. I did and now I am 225 pounds with a huge back. Now I can feel my back working. You can't feel a muscle like back until you actually get some back muscle....then you can feel it contracting.
about body english I think it's important to clarify, for 90%+ of lifters hip and leg drive on rows simply shouldn't be used, they don't really help the back to get stressed more, however some spinal flexion and extension(especially upper back) is useful since it stretches your mid, especially lower traps and lats significantly more and some dynamic erector training is also great(if you remove hip and leg drive the weight is low enough compared to your deadlift numbers tha tit should definetly be safe), how much should be determined by how much erectors vs. the rest of the back are the limiting factor(if both get to failure simultaneously or the erectors have 1-2 more reps in the tanks that's great) and how much you want to focus on either. the last
What the..you have exact same thinking as me. I;ve been doing that for while now and with minimal rowing movements (no standing bb row to save erector for deadlift&squat) and see some great results on upper back especially the trapezius. Almost look similar to Lu Xiao Jun's trapezius.
I wish that upper body pulling strength was also contested. People would've trained it eagerly then. Powerlifting should be a test of one lift each for upper body pull, upper body press, and lower body. Right now it has two lower body tests (squat and deadlift) and the later always suffers due to former.
Nope, great information. I'm 5 years into training and feeling my way around . Its clear I don't know shit, but this makes pefect sense to me so we're all good. Thanks 🤘
Just found this channel and just put the fire under my ass again I'm always pushing hard but this has really made me step it up I hit back last night and just watching this I want to do some dumbbell shrugs right now
I can't, for the life of me, activate my lats. I have tried a so many different exercises at so many different angles. But I never feel anything in my lats. My entire back lights up but never my lats. I have rear delts for days, and my traps are coming in nicely. But my lats are nowhere to be found. What the hell am I doing wrong?
Another important exercise most folks don't do is external/internal shoulder rotation. Make your shoulders almost injury proof and add thickness to the upper back/armpits.
@@AlexanderBromley I think it would really help a lot having a concrete number to judge yourself by especially since those standards aren't as widely known as the others.
Videos like this make me feel unsure if my pure hipertrophy methods are the way to go. Im doing rows on the 10 to 20 rep range, heavy ish. I have a pretty good back, but sometimes feel like I m missing out on heavy chins and rows. Shoulder pain does arise in my case if the weight gets to high though.
Pen rows, reverse grip rows, bent over dumbbell flys and pull ups are the only exercises I do for my back development, and I have that cobra v tapper with a Christmas tree, I used to pretty much only do cables and machines for my back in my early 20s, now in my mid 30s I only do free weight training with calisthenics for every body part, im way stronger, jacked like a bodybuilder, and functional like a CrossFit athlete in everyday life, I will never go back to machines or cables again
I work my ass-off in the gym!!! I've been hitting it hard for 6-years now. Your vids are AWESOME and I learn a TON. I know you've brought this up in the past, but genetics plays a HUGE ROLL in a Man's overall thickness!! I'm a tall, slender built man (my son too)...I'm 6'1" and currently 210 pounds. I'll never have a "thick" and wide back...my bones are much smaller than the guys I work-out with. There are guys who put half the time into the gym as me with backs 30+% bigger than mine. I look damn good without a shirt on, but the thickness will never happen.
I think Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization has a video about bodybuilding training while doing jui jitsu, which is obviously different but probably some crossover if no one else gets back to you
If you "superset" bench with rows, that's actually doing the exact opposite of prioritizing. I'm pretty sure superset is usually done with the same muscles, like supersetting lat pulldowns with biceps. What you're talking about antagonist training, which is what I do. But it should not be supersetted. If you superset, I think that would mean with minimal rest. If you do rows right after bench press, you will be tired to do rows and not get as good growth. Which is exactly what you said not to do, and that is correct.
If it's not sustainable, how do you explain the Bob Peoples deadlift technique and the success he had as a natural lifter over many years setting a world record?
Been doing street workout/calisthenics for most of my life (pull/chin ups, rows,...), but my back EXPLODED from pendlay rows just doing them for 2-3 years now, and I am 28
Love the emphasis on rowing but I’m seeing less and less of a reason to ever do standing rows again. It works both the upper back and the posterior chain less fully than either a chest supported row works the former or RDLs (or other hinges) work the latter. My rowing options are one arm DB, Meadows, chest supported on incline, or inverted.
dude you are making excuses to not lift a hard ass exercise. Nothing builds a deadlift up better than heavy ass bent over rows. The first time I deadlifted I pulled 405 like it was nothing, cause I was doing 315 on BOR.
@@exwifeschewtoy5516 I’m actually encouraged you built up to 315 on BOR WITHOUT deadlifting because I’d think you couldn’t get that high on BOR without building up the deadlift first
do you think strict machine work is absolutely necessary? i personally enjoy doing strict pull ups and chinups on my deadlift day immediately after finishing deads and then i do kroc rows and bent over rows after my pressing work (i will def be moving them infront of my pressing work as per your advice tho)
None of this is absolutely necessary. If you have some good pet exercises that you love doing and take seriously and if you progress them forward over time, you will gain from it. There are successful lifters who like to exaggerate range and strictness and I've known some absolute monsters who were built off nothing but overloaded partial/cheating movements with insane effort. Now, if things have gotten stale and you're looking for a new kick, you might be surprised at what a few sets of some strict machine work does if you aren't used to it.
BaseStrengthAI is more reliable than a coach, cheaper than an Excel template!👇👇👇
www.BaseStrength.com/the-app
Bromley Merch from Barbell Apparel only available HERE! 👇👇👇
barbellapparel.com/Bromley
'Mental health is good and all - but most importantly your back lets you lift heavy loads'. This is the type of meathead gymrat outlook I can get behind.
One of my favoriite quotes on back training is from Janae Kroc who said the back is a "blue collar muscle." It just needs good old, brute force, hard work to grow.
Janae Kroc 💝💝💝💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿
Bro Dorian Yates...
No Dora Jane 😂😂
You mean matt the weirdo
Love pendlay rows for 10-15 reps. I don't do them very heavy but everyone compliments my back for its thickness.
There are some movements out there that I love doing because you can do them with light weights and still build massive muscle. Lateral raises for example.
I love em, reverse and thumbless grip is my favorite variation. Whole different feel
Doesn’t Pendlays only have concentric in them and you loose the opportunity of getting the eccentric benefit too?
@@geraldfriend256 never thought about doing them reverse off the floor
How heavy are we talking?
Dude I added in back to every workout (I train 5x/week) and all my lifts are blowing up. Obviously not the sole factor but it certainly ain't hurting. TRAIN YOUR BACK GUYS IT CARRIES OVER TO EVERY COMPOUND
I don't thonk most pf is can maycj your. . . 😬😑
Dedication *
@@blenderbanana
I don't think most of us can match your dedication?
I've tried everything, I can never feel the back muscles working .
Try pre exhaustion @@gregDino32
@@gregDino32Try to pause at the contracted position for half a second
2 things that made a huge difference for me was 1) on lower body days it's the first movement of the day, and 2) from Jim wendler, super Set every bench/ohp movement with a row movement. But again, I treat it as the main lift and the bench as the super Set. These things made a huge difference for me. Great video Bromley!
Steve Shaw has made a lot of videos advocating for training back like you exemplify here. Ever since I started training back like this, my lats and traps have gotten so much thicker and stronger it’s insane
I really love and appreciate your no b.s
K.i.s.s method of training. It's a breath of fresh air in the industry
I actually emphasize back training now. You and Brian Alsruhe have sold me. Unfortunately I have a strained intercostal, so I can't really chin, do pullovers, or do dumbbell rows. I have to be a good boy, and do more chest supported rows, so I can still deadlift without making it scream at me too loud.
I'm on an upper lower where I hit my erectors, and upper traps on a lower day. Then I hit the lats, lower traps, mid traps etc... First on the upper day. One day a week I have a full body, where I go for broke on rows, and farmers carries... And then I die.
I'm not nearly as concerned about pressing as I use to be. I see it as something that's going to go up moreso from gaining mass that zealotry. Pressing does allow me to do something while I rest in between more valuable exercises. I still train to progress, but legs, core, and upper back are definitely a higher priority.
Yikes, I've been dealing with the intercostal for about 6 weeks now, it really sucks but it's very close to gone now. I only feel it at extreme ranges of motion still...
@@Brain320 it surely does fuck with things. I found that if I work the mobility of other structures in the area I can reduce the pain, and during work. That allows me to still push things in training. It's very slowly getting better.
@@leinekenugelvondoofenfocke1002 I massaged the living shit out of it constantly plus heating it up as often as I could. I was/am able to squat and bench throughout but DL or anything overhead was too painful, hope it heals ASAP
@@Brain320 with the overhead, try doing a stricter variation with no lean back. You won't get as much load, but you will at least develop closer to where you wanna pick back up at.
This has really motivated me to focus more on my rows/back cause my rowing has always been very weak in comparison to the rest of my lifts. Very solid video I appreciate the info!
Your videos are the best I've found. I've been feeling like I'm missing something for years to get me to the next level. Turns out I was missing Bromley wisdom! I'm running bullmastiff starting this week and am looking forward to the results. Thanks for making it free!
I understand what you mean. What I found that helped me alot was doing pendlay rows. I could use heavy wts without my lower back fatiguing and eventually this strengthened my lower back where I could do bent over rows with minimal lower back issues.
Perfect timing, I'm starting to focus more on my upper back. Just what I need to kick it into overdrive 😃
Going to keep only 2 exercise variations for this block, supinated pulldown & upper back t-bar rows load them heavy-low reps then light-high rep backoffs! thanks a bunch as always you deliver the real deal.
Best thing I ever did to finally improve my bench was to start training upper back more intensely. That also included low, mid traps, and rotator cuffs as well.
Front squats(especially "zombie") and heavy sandbag carrys torch my upper back every time
Best channel on the tube yube. As a strongman champ and multi time qualifier his points on back work are 100% spot on! I never understood the “lower emphasis” on back work by other programs. It’s like they just throw in a row or chin after a press. NO NO NO! Your back needs equal if not more attention! Big thick backs in my world of competing screams respect and says “that’s a strong MF’er”
I had someone come over and said I had a great upper back while I was using the Smith machine for calf raises 😁
Full ROM chins followed by 1 arm DB rows , after deadlifts and dl accessory, has been doing it for me. I'll superset them if/when the gains plateau.
I am going to start recommending this video to people. I think a chest supported cable face pull from a down to up angle going a bit above forehead level and back as far as you go hits my upper mid back as much as anything except maybe bent face rows. i use an incline bench set about 60 plus degrees and really try to pull back hard at the end with a good load. its a new one i put in last month and, well....the next day was a bit interesting.
Looked at that Bull Mastiff program and seems really cool, trying to learn how to do more submaximal volume. Had to change a good bit of things to fit my needs, i.e. more bench days, light singles for forms sake, and over all adding a week to the waves, but i learned so many good preogression principles, and super excited to start it and see what I like and can learn!
7:31 great piece of wisdom
I never skipped my back on any workout and never even cared about how it looked. Then one day I saw a picture of my back when i was camping with my friends and saw it for the first time and was blown away how developed it was. The only reason I worked it was because i wanted to fix my posture. Now I love to work it just to see the pump.
What an excellent video What excellent advice. I've been training over 45 years and have to agree with almost every single thing Alexander says here. He puts it plainly: You have to get stronger to get bigger. I especially liked when he said that he grew most at times when he was the least sore. So true. Progression and overload rule.
one of your funniest and best episodes to date. thanks Bromley
This is great insight and encouragement moving forward! 💪🏾 I’m looking to build insane pendlay row, chin-up and one arm row for a great back!
ILS crew checking in.
I love back day. It's the most fun. And I get to do a variation of the deadlift.
I not only think body English is okay for a barbell row but preferred, for all the reasons you said and it will also help your deadlift strength off the floor .
Luckily, I always train the upper back with same seriousness and commitment that other people train their chest and bench press. I always have a separate day for weighted chins and weighted pull ups.
Although I am quite good at barbell rows, and can row well over my own bodyweight while using a bit body English, I feel that it further fatigues the erectors. I need them fresh for deadlift and squat. As I have some recovery issues due to my growing age, I plan to incorporate barbell rows once I achieve my certain goals in deadlift and squat.
A few creators have a video showing a chest-supported DB row. Takes the pressure of the erectors.
Your diagrams are top notch 👍 For rows, i needed to be 1. Flatter back 2. Wider grip 3. Pull higher in rib cage
Reason #2 really speaks to me. I've had more than a few back tweaks over the years and it has made me scared to lean into barbell rows.
Using the ohp to develop my back by having all the muscles stabilize is so cool
I’ve been trying to slow down my rows to get more out of them. I also started implementing the Vince Gironda 8x8 with 30s rest on kroc rows. This is the longest multi-day pump I’ve ever had.
This channel is criminally underrated
Just what I've been thinking about!
Lots of good info here and not just about rowing. Thanks Alex.
Bromley saving our shitty backs! Great video as always Coach!
Jordan Petersons 12 rules for life…. Rule 1, Stand up straight with your shoulders back.
100% is effective to have good posture when combatting depression. Its not the cure but its a piece of the puzzle and from first hand experience definitely helps.
Bromley challenging dr. Israetel for goat status with the bulgarian style of uploading youtube videos
For me:
1) Vetical pull exercises like Pullups and Pulldowns works better with a regular overhand grip as wide as possible.
2) Horizontal pull exercises works better 4 me with a neutral grip that's shoulder withd apart. I prefer chest support incline dumbbell rows on a 45 degree angle or standing bent over cable rows (yes cables)
3) Single arm back exercises allows me for a better mind to muscle connection to target specific areas in the back. For single arm movements, I prefer a D-handle with neutral grip.
Nice Video!!
Heavy barbell rows> any other back exercise
I love the straight talk 🙌
This year I really started to focus on the hard back movements- bent over toes, chins and T bars. With variations like deadlift rows. Higher reps for lats; 8-20 feel the best for me. All my other lifts exploded as my upper back/ lats got stronger. In fact, at 53, all my PR goals for the year have been reached for the year and it’s only August. These movements are exhausting on the lower back as well.
Bromley your tips are imo extremely sound and on point, thank you for your contribution!
This and the Volume is king video are one of the best ever
Takeaway: Dump all exercises and specialize only in rowing.
3 variations at least
70s Powerlifter has gotta have enough back work. I do the bent rows woolam style because that has always worked nicely for me
i prioritized upper back before… ended up outgrowing my dress shirts 😂
I'm on round 3 of buying all new clothes, oof
Comparing the Barbell Row to the Push Press and not the Strict Press made a light bulb go off in my brain. I understand now why people do it that way
Because of you I am now addicted to working out my back.
I just failed 445 dl bc I couldn’t lock it out. Failed just above the knees. I was sooo Close. Time to build my back like Baki
Thanks for the free stuff bro!
God bless!
Stand up straight with your shoulders back - Jordan Peterson. Besides that, looking like a god damn Ninja Turtle is cool as shit too
Muh back
I found this channel today and I love it
I have since i began fallowing you implemented 2 backdays. 1 full whit barbell rows and chins and the other whit barbell rows goodmornings and so on. And im doing the same wave loaded progression as i have in the other compund movements. So sets increase just as in squats. Well this i not new to me. Ive always had rows being as important than presses and squats and deads.
When I hear the words "mind muscle connection", they almost always are coming out of the mouths of snot nosed 19 year old newly certified personal trainers that have no muscle and a slight beer gut. I started working out in the mid 80's and every time I saw a mass monster he was moving huge amounts of weight with body english. I always hated training upper back cause I could never feel shit. Then a mass monster told me to not give a shit and work it anyway. I did and now I am 225 pounds with a huge back. Now I can feel my back working. You can't feel a muscle like back until you actually get some back muscle....then you can feel it contracting.
There's something about your tone that's making me want to go train back
“Mistake your row work for deadlift work” ahh, yes. The sweet ego kiss.
about body english I think it's important to clarify, for 90%+ of lifters hip and leg drive on rows simply shouldn't be used, they don't really help the back to get stressed more, however some spinal flexion and extension(especially upper back) is useful since it stretches your mid, especially lower traps and lats significantly more and some dynamic erector training is also great(if you remove hip and leg drive the weight is low enough compared to your deadlift numbers tha tit should definetly be safe), how much should be determined by how much erectors vs. the rest of the back are the limiting factor(if both get to failure simultaneously or the erectors have 1-2 more reps in the tanks that's great) and how much you want to focus on either. the last
What about Snatch Grip High Pulls? Between those and Block Pulls, I’ve had more upper back growth in the last year with minimal rowing volume.
Those are good too, theres a reason oly lifters back are big af
What the..you have exact same thinking as me. I;ve been doing that for while now and with minimal rowing movements (no standing bb row to save erector for deadlift&squat) and see some great results on upper back especially the trapezius. Almost look similar to Lu Xiao Jun's trapezius.
I wish that upper body pulling strength was also contested. People would've trained it eagerly then.
Powerlifting should be a test of one lift each for upper body pull, upper body press, and lower body. Right now it has two lower body tests (squat and deadlift) and the later always suffers due to former.
Nope, great information. I'm 5 years into training and feeling my way around . Its clear I don't know shit, but this makes pefect sense to me so we're all good. Thanks 🤘
that metaphor at 4:02 was spot on
Just found this channel and just put the fire under my ass again I'm always pushing hard but this has really made me step it up I hit back last night and just watching this I want to do some dumbbell shrugs right now
Snatch-grip deadlift👍🏻
A good way to tell I wrecked my back is when my lats / rear delts cramp up nasty when I try to wipe or reach behind in the shower that night 😂
I can't, for the life of me, activate my lats. I have tried a so many different exercises at so many different angles. But I never feel anything in my lats. My entire back lights up but never my lats. I have rear delts for days, and my traps are coming in nicely. But my lats are nowhere to be found. What the hell am I doing wrong?
Try some close grip assisted pull ups or sum and maybe try using straps. For me they burn my lats but give it a shot
Kickass video, my man 👍
Another important exercise most folks don't do is external/internal shoulder rotation. Make your shoulders almost injury proof and add thickness to the upper back/armpits.
Can you do a strength goals video for back exercises the way you did with the big three?
Thats a good idea!
@@AlexanderBromley I think it would really help a lot having a concrete number to judge yourself by especially since those standards aren't as widely known as the others.
@@AlexanderBromley I would be keen on this
Good stuff.
Love the tree branch analogy
I use weighted chins fore strength and rows for mass.
Videos like this make me feel unsure if my pure hipertrophy methods are the way to go. Im doing rows on the 10 to 20 rep range, heavy ish. I have a pretty good back, but sometimes feel like I m missing out on heavy chins and rows.
Shoulder pain does arise in my case if the weight gets to high though.
Pen rows, reverse grip rows, bent over dumbbell flys and pull ups are the only exercises I do for my back development, and I have that cobra v tapper with a Christmas tree, I used to pretty much only do cables and machines for my back in my early 20s, now in my mid 30s I only do free weight training with calisthenics for every body part, im way stronger, jacked like a bodybuilder, and functional like a CrossFit athlete in everyday life, I will never go back to machines or cables again
Recovering from illness, I'm just doing good mornings, pullovers and shrugs for high reps. Seems to be working.
I thought I was the only one who programmed back on lower day. Thanks for the video Alex.
Is it a TH-cam rule change or something where videos now take forever to get to the point?
You are right
I work my ass-off in the gym!!! I've been hitting it hard for 6-years now. Your vids are AWESOME and I learn a TON. I know you've brought this up in the past, but genetics plays a HUGE ROLL in a Man's overall thickness!! I'm a tall, slender built man (my son too)...I'm 6'1" and currently 210 pounds. I'll never have a "thick" and wide back...my bones are much smaller than the guys I work-out with. There are guys who put half the time into the gym as me with backs 30+% bigger than mine. I look damn good without a shirt on, but the thickness will never happen.
Have you considered cutting back on volume to allow for recovery?
@@fonpol4925 - I have. Ironically, our gym is closed all week for maintenance and so it's forcing me to take a break.
My lats pushed my arms out so I didn’t realize my arms were a weak point for a while😂
Great information and tips
How might I balance lifting and wrestling, do I just eat more or workout less? (As a sophomore varsity wrestler)
I think Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization has a video about bodybuilding training while doing jui jitsu, which is obviously different but probably some crossover if no one else gets back to you
This was just great! Thank you.
Great stuff thank you
If you "superset" bench with rows, that's actually doing the exact opposite of prioritizing. I'm pretty sure superset is usually done with the same muscles, like supersetting lat pulldowns with biceps. What you're talking about antagonist training, which is what I do. But it should not be supersetted. If you superset, I think that would mean with minimal rest. If you do rows right after bench press, you will be tired to do rows and not get as good growth. Which is exactly what you said not to do, and that is correct.
I go out of my way to make everybody know i am a threat. It's the key to a good upper back
Thanks!
I've been rowing since I started lifting.
Tfw back still smol.
If it's not sustainable, how do you explain the Bob Peoples deadlift technique and the success he had as a natural lifter over many years setting a world record?
Alexander, Would doing a heavy back session the day after a big bench session interfere with recovery from the bench day?
This convinced me to start using some cheat to my rows.
Been doing street workout/calisthenics for most of my life (pull/chin ups, rows,...), but my back EXPLODED from pendlay rows just doing them for 2-3 years now, and I am 28
8:08 ok so takeaway: upper back training gives you purpose in life, got it, noted.
Love the emphasis on rowing but I’m seeing less and less of a reason to ever do standing rows again. It works both the upper back and the posterior chain less fully than either a chest supported row works the former or RDLs (or other hinges) work the latter. My rowing options are one arm DB, Meadows, chest supported on incline, or inverted.
Certainly looks cooler.
dude you are making excuses to not lift a hard ass exercise. Nothing builds a deadlift up better than heavy ass bent over rows. The first time I deadlifted I pulled 405 like it was nothing, cause I was doing 315 on BOR.
@@exwifeschewtoy5516 you do traditional bent row for 315 or pendlay?
@@exwifeschewtoy5516 I’m actually encouraged you built up to 315 on BOR WITHOUT deadlifting because I’d think you couldn’t get that high on BOR without building up the deadlift first
I knew my small back was the source of my depression
So Starting Strength was right emphasizing chins over pullups?
do you think strict machine work is absolutely necessary? i personally enjoy doing strict pull ups and chinups on my deadlift day immediately after finishing deads and then i do kroc rows and bent over rows after my pressing work (i will def be moving them infront of my pressing work as per your advice tho)
None of this is absolutely necessary. If you have some good pet exercises that you love doing and take seriously and if you progress them forward over time, you will gain from it. There are successful lifters who like to exaggerate range and strictness and I've known some absolute monsters who were built off nothing but overloaded partial/cheating movements with insane effort.
Now, if things have gotten stale and you're looking for a new kick, you might be surprised at what a few sets of some strict machine work does if you aren't used to it.
What is you opinion on the one arm dumbbell row? I like that one the most 💪
What about pre fatiguing my back before hand. I like a stable movement for a set to burn my back then going into my rows
I wanna go ham on bent rows but afraid it'll tax my CNS because I'm also going ham on squats.
I’d love to use body English. But I just feel my back creaking when I do