Forget the back in your training at your own peril. The traps, lats and lower back are some of the biggest and most important muscles in the body and are highly important for a range of movements. If you want to improve your power in every exercise and want to develop a striking silhouette, then hitting the back hard is crucial.
Craig Capurso knows just how to build huge muscle across his back using his high volume training routines, and here we have a peak into the routines he uses. Read on for a super effective high volume back session that will give you armour plating like an armadillo.
Watch the Video Below for More on this Awesome Back Workout:
T-Bar Row
Craig Capurso starts his back workout with a T-Bar row of 100 reps, using as many sets as necessary to reach that target. This pre-exhausts his entire body and really sets the tone for the session to come.
To perform the T-Bar row, load up one end of a barbell, then row it upwards towards you to engage the lats. Craig uses an ab strap which he attaches to the bar to give himself a greater range of motion. He also uses a weight belt to provide his body with the extra support to avoid injury through this intense amount of repetitions.
Superset: Reverse-Grip Cable Row + Neutral-Grip Pull-Down
Next up, the reverse-grip cable row. Here you’ll be using the cables and rowing the weight in towards yourself. At the same station, you’ll perform pull downs by simply setting the cable higher up and pulling it straight down. This is a great superset that hits the lats from two separate angles. Use an underhand grip to get some bicep work in there too.
Superset: Cable Incline Reverse Flye + Straight-Arm Push-Down
Lie on an incline bench facing forward, and then perform a reverse flye behind your back using cables. This will also target the rear deltoids which are often forgotten in shoulder workouts. Now without resting you’re going to head straight to one side to perform tricep push downs but without bending the elbow – making them straight arm push downs. Think of it like the reverse of forward raises and a great way to confuse the muscle.
Static Pause Pull Up
The static pause pull up is a pull up with a pause right at the top, then gradually lowering yourself down. Craig recommends going for ten seconds at each point on the way down, and stopping around three or four times on the way down. He only performs two repetitions and finds it’s enough. You should find you’re completely finished by the end having used an isometric hold to squeeze out every last bit of endurance. He also finds it a useful way to train for posing – something that pro bodybuilders might find useful to incorporate into their training.
So there you have it, a powerful workout for hitting the back that’s probably nothing like you’ve ever seen. Get ready to walk like a gorilla for a few days!
