Monster Back Blitz – How To Build A Massive Back

Introduction

If you’re a fan of bodybuilding then you’ve most likely heard the phrase: “Shows are won from the back.” Some of the greatest backs of all time belong to the likes of Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates and Lee Haney. I would even throw Arnold Schwarzenegger into the mix because of his famous silhouette photo where his back just looks massive. One thing that all of these guys have in common is that their training intensity and volume was always to the max. They were all fans of heavy compound movements especially barbell rows and deadlifts.

Building a massive back is no easy task. The back is one of the largest body parts and it takes a lot of heavy lifts and volume to make it grow. The back needs to be attacked from all angles to ensure maximum muscle stimulation.  Another challenge is that it’s hard for a lot of people to activate their back muscles. One of the problems is that it’s very hard to see the muscles that you’re working to make that mind muscle connection. While it’s important to go heavy, it’s equally as important, if not more important to get a maximum stretch and squeeze on every rep. The last thing you want to do is just throw the weight around. Sure it might look impressive, but you’ll be denying your back’s true potential.

This workout is designed with all of these concepts in mind. We want a maximum stretch, squeeze, and pump with every rep. We want to hit the back with a lot of compound movements from a bunch of different angles. Focus on creating that mind muscle connection with every rep. Give this monster back blitz workout a try and watch your back grow.

Important Note: When I refer to working sets this means that you should be struggling to get the last rep in the rep range. If the rep range is 6-8, and you can easily get 12, then the set does not count and you need to increase the weight. Once you get to the point where you’re struggling to get within that rep range do you start counting those sets towards your working sets.

Workout

Assisted Pull Up

I always used to avoid the assisted pullup thinking it was for people who couldn’t do real pull ups. The problem with real pull ups is that a lot of the tension is placed on your biceps and forearms. Sure you will activate some of your lats but if you want maximum contraction then the assisted pull up is here to help. The benefit of the assisted pull up is that it takes your arms out of the movement so you can fully focus on your back. This is an excellent way to start your workouts by activating your lats with a full stretch, squeeze and pump.

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 10

Lat Pulldown With Mag Grip Or Chinning Triangle Row Handle

This is another great exercise that focuses on your upper middle back as well as activating your lats. You can get a really good stretch at the top and a great squeeze at the bottom. I’ve inserted links to what the extensions look like so you know which one to use. More gyms are starting to carry the mag grips but they are expensive so they’re harder to find. If you can’t find a mag grip you’re gym is most likely going to have the double grip row handle that’s used on the seated cable row machines.

Equipment

Mag Grip	Chinning Triangle

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 10

Smith Machine Barbell Rows

Now that we’re warmed up we can start to move some heavier weight. I personally like doing barbell rows on the smith machine because like the assisted pull ups, the machine takes the tension out of your arms and puts it all on your back. If you’re not a fan of the smith machine you can do traditional barbell rows but I would give the smith machine a try to see how you can really get a good squeeze when the tension on your arms is taken out of the equation.

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 6-8

One Arm Dumbbell Rows

One arm dumbbells rows are great for helping you get a really good stretch in your lats. It also helps to get in some unilateral work to help with any muscle imbalances. The problem with this exercise for  a lot of people is that they go too heavy and just throw the weight around. Try this with a lighter weight and really focus on the stretch and squeeze. Imagine that you’re pulling with your elbow and now your biceps.

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 6-8

Rack Deads

Racks deads are a much better alternative to regular deadlifts for bodybuilders. This movement helps to focus solely on the back and takes the rest of the body out of the equation. When you do a regular deadlift you pretty much use your entire body to accomplish the lift. This is great if you’re a powerlifter or just looking to increase overall strength, but for building a better back rack deads are the way to go.

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 5

Seated Cable Rows

Seated cable rows are a great way to finish your workout because you can get a really great pump with this exercise. Ending your workouts with a really good pump is a great way to help stretch the muscle fascia which will help the muscle to grow. Be sure to pick a weight where you can really focus on the squeeze. When you pull the weight back try to hold the contraction for a second or two. This will really help to make those back muscles burn.

Working Sets: 4
Reps: 8-10

Summary

If you’re looking for a workout that is guaranteed to leave your back swole and sore then give this monster back blitz a try. Building a barn door sized back is no easy task and is not for the timid. You will need to be able to lift some heavy weight while also getting a maximum stretch and contraction with every rep. This is no easy task and could take years to master. Making the mind muscle connection cannot be stressed enough of how important it really is. If you give this workout a try I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. So until the next time be sure to stay swell and swole my friends!