Back and Traps

[JKurz1]

I've been training in a new gym with a guy who's been competeing (bb) for years. His theories on legs and back are much different than most, and I wanted to hear your thoughts...........On back day, he does deads every other week, but never with reps < than 6.....i.e.....barely goes past 275 or 315, because he says there is no point to risk injury with this movement. Same with legs....squats no more than 225. It's weird because he's about 5'10, 210-220 and is stronger than a f-ing muel (i.e. skull crush 185lbs, bench 4 plates +).......anyone else have this theory?


He also swears by trio-plex bars..........lol.........oh well...........

 

[wnt2bBeast]

i think trio plex bars taste good too lol...interesting ideas ur friend has..Im guessing rather than upping weights he will up his reps, right? thats another way if increasing intensity, strength, growth..

 

[onerepmaximum]

I like to change it up, but I don't go very heavy with deads either. I stay at or under 315 and do reps. On squats, sometimes I'll go heavy (for me) and do 6-10 reps and somedays I'll stay at 225 and do 15 or so reps. Protein bars have a time and purpose.

 

[JKurz1]

I've never had a trioplex.........guess I just cant get past the sugar and falso label claims.......as for his training, it baffels me.........his back is gigantic too, dont know if its hereditary, or what, but his back routine his half-assed as he says its his least fav. to train.......everyone else train low reps? Wonder if size is attributable to higher reps while strength is low rep.........

 

[bigdho]

What kind of gear and at what amounts?.........Just curious.

 

[JKurz1]

I like to change it up, but I don't go very heavy with deads either. I stay at or under 315 and do reps. On squats, sometimes I'll go heavy (for me) and do 6-10 reps and somedays I'll stay at 225 and do 15 or so reps. Protein bars have a time and purpose.

I have a bar daily, but never a trio-plex..............thats all........

Onerep, can I see your back routine? Do them by themselves?

 

[JKurz1]

What kind of gear and at what amounts?.........Just curious.

We havent gotten there yet...like I said, new gym, etc...........He's taken quit a bit, but not in crazy amounts.......that I know for sure.............and, he's off way more than he's on...he does 1-2 cycles a year and that's before shows............

 

[cwick0]

This guy has some similar view points to mine, but the 225 on squats is a little light. However, i suspect he does them at high reps so that more than counter balances everything. I truly believe his philosophy of not going less than 6 reps on anything (i usually set the bar at 5 rep minimum). I suspect he says that if someone cant do the weight for 6 reps that the weight is to heavy for them and they shouldnt be doing it.

How thick is his back and how big are his legs? What are his goals with both?

I suspect he has a huge chest, but my guess is that his back is a little thin in comparison. He probably has a similar modo to me that he focuses on his upper body more, plus we have similar numbers with the weights, but i am a lot heavier, im 5'10.5" at 250 with a huge chest, but a little thin on the back.

 

[onerepmaximum]

I have a bar daily, but never a trio-plex..............thats all........

Onerep, can I see your back routine? Do them by themselves?

Sure, I start off with weighted chin ups (palms facing away) 3x8-12
Deads or bentover barbell rows dead will be 3x12-15 BR will be 3x8-12
Seated cable rows (various bars, just to change things up) 3x8-12
reverse flyes either with dumbells or pec-dec (be careful to focus on your back, but you will still get delts) 3x8-12
upright rows 3x8-12

No matter what on back day, I'll get chinups and deads or bentover barbell rows. I'll change and substitute the other excersizes around them. Some of the other ones that I'll do are one arm bentover dumbell rows, chest supported rows, T-bar rows, reverse grip (palms facing you) lat pull downs or anything else I can think of to punish my back.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

Had another thought, maybe this guy is happy with his size and musculature and is only seeking to maintain and if any new growth comes thats a plus?

 

[JKurz1]

This is what we do.........

Deads 2 warmups, 135, 185
then 4 sets..........10,8,8,6

Dbell rows 3 sets, 10,10,8

Lat Pulldown (squeeze), 10,10,8
switch the handle for 3 more sets..........

Seated cable row 10,10

pullovers supersetted with hypers x 3

Shrug x 5


Looks like a lot, but its an hour workout.............thoughts?

 

[JKurz1]

Had another thought, maybe this guy is happy with his size and musculature and is only seeking to maintain and if any new growth comes thats a plus?

DEFINATELY NOT THE CASE................

110% total meathead with muscle dyph.

 

[cwick0]

workout looks good to me. I would just work in some barbell rows sometimes. Why the shrugs with back. I know they are a big part of the upper back, but why not with shoulders. Your lat work hits the lower trap, why not hit the upper with shoulders when you scortch your delts?

 

[Dieharder]

ive got a friend also, doesnt compete, but with a huuuge back and he doesnt deadlift over 315, and also keeps his squats relatively light. I think it might be a combination of not liking to train them and i guess risking injury. I myself like to go heavy on deads, and stay in a 5-8 rep range.

 

[tzan]

Diffrent strokes for different folks. I remember when I was starting off I would try to emulate workouts of a guy I knew that competed. He would go real slow and very light. That type of routine just didn't work for me. 10 years later, I'm now friends with him, and it freakin pisses me off how big he is, and knowing how light he goes. I't blows my mind that genetics can play such a large role in bb.

 

[punch]

My back is my best bodypart. I just started doing T-bars again. They are awesome. I never went crazy heavy on back, never really needed to. I think genetics play a huge roll. Dumbell rows are my all time favorite. Nothing beats being able to really concentrate one side at a time.

 

[JKurz1]

workout looks good to me. I would just work in some barbell rows sometimes. Why the shrugs with back. I know they are a big part of the upper back, but why not with shoulders. Your lat work hits the lower trap, why not hit the upper with shoulders when you scortch your delts?

I switch deads and rows every other week.........

 

[JKurz1]

My back is my best bodypart. I just started doing T-bars again. They are awesome. I never went crazy heavy on back, never really needed to. I think genetics play a huge roll. Dumbell rows are my all time favorite. Nothing beats being able to really concentrate one side at a time.

Punch ...you deadlift? How does your routine look?

 

[from zero]

why not hit the upper with shoulders when you scortch your delts?

Because they're part of your back ...

 

[big4life]

I don't go real heavy on deads either, but I am not trying to gain size. As for this guy at your gym, it might be more to do with genetics.

 

[Lord_Suston]

I might agree with your training partner since ehe is going for size versus strength, but why rep 405 on bench but not squat that much??? I bet it is an ego thing or he just doesn't like the feel of a lot of weight over his hips?? I train for strength and to be honest I have a pretty big fucking back, but I would be much bigger if I focused on the squeeze and burn and wasn't dieting all the time to make weight

 

[JKurz1]

I might agree with your training partner since ehe is going for size versus strength, but why rep 405 on bench but not squat that much??? I bet it is an ego thing or he just doesn't like the feel of a lot of weight over his hips?? I train for strength and to be honest I have a pretty big fucking back, but I would be much bigger if I focused on the squeeze and burn and wasn't dieting all the time to make weight

Huh??????????? First you say its an ego thing, then you say you'd be bigger if you trained like he does......lol..........cmon......its not an ego thing, trust me, we train at 5am when there isnt a soul in the gym

 

[cwick0]

Because they're part of your back ...

They are also part of the shoulder girdle. Like i said lats hit the lower part of your traps, not the upper!

 

[cwick0]

Huh??????????? First you say its an ego thing, then you say you'd be bigger if you trained like he does......lol..........cmon......its not an ego thing, trust me, we train at 5am when there isnt a soul in the gym

OUCH! Training at 5am would be the worst nightmare i could ever have. I am absolutely worthless in the morning.

I doubt it is an ego thing either. I can rep and rest pause 405 on bench and dont do 405 on deads or squats.

 

[big4life]

I hit my traps on shoulder day, just because I am too tired after doing my back workout to get a really good trap workout in.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

Diffrent strokes for different folks. I remember when I was starting off I would try to emulate workouts of a guy I knew that competed. He would go real slow and very light. That type of routine just didn't work for me. 10 years later, I'm now friends with him, and it freakin pisses me off how big he is, and knowing how light he goes. I't blows my mind that genetics can play such a large role in bb.

This is true..I saw a guy training arms in my gym, no they werent 23 inches but they were definitely good arms ( the rest of him sucked) and hes doing hammer curls with like 15lb d-bells and concentration curls with 20lb d-bells..im like damn i bust my ass trying to get my guns to grow!!!