Bare Bones: Back

Bare Bones: Back

Bare Bones: Back Cardio sucks. There's no beauty or grace in it. You're not moving huge weight. It's just painful. But you do it because you have to-a necessary evil. Whether you're preparing for a show or just trying to get in top condition...

When I train back, it's all about bare bones, brutal training using only the most simple, basic and straightforward means. It builds dense, hardy muscle that is just as strong as it appears to be. To take it up a notch further, I'm willing to contend that this brutal back session can be completed using nothing more than a chin up bar and a single barbell. This sure isn't fare for the pretty boy set. Throw the $5000 "Unilateral Hyper Iso Rhomboid Row" machine on the scrap pile and lets get down to the business at hand… We're going retro to build the back of the future. Clear out some space in that dusty corner in the back of the gym, the men are about to put in some hard work.

Exercise 1: Wide Grip Chins are a mother, because, after a certain point of progress and development, the bigger you are the more difficult this exercise becomes. The more you weigh, the more you have to pull towards that bar. These are to be performed dead hang style, with as wide a grip as possible. From the completely extended position, getting a full stretch, you are going to pull yourself toward the bar hard, squeeze to accentuate the contraction at the top and lower yourself slowly. Choose a number: 20, 30 or more, and work towards that total set by set until you reach that particular mark.

Exercise 2: Barbell Rows This is the godfather of back thickness exercises and as such, should be shown the proper respect. Using a shoulder width grip and with the knees bent in a powerful pulling position and the back at a 45 degree angle, pull the bar forcefully into the belly button area. Contract the back muscles hard, and lower the bar slowly. 4 sets of these bastards at 6 to 12 reps per should be plenty.

Exercise 3: Makeshift T-Bar Rows Stealing this one from Mr. O, this is an exercise done when your gym lacks equipment yet you need to make due. Place an Olympic bar in the corner of a power rack facing outward diagonally and hook a narrow grip rowing attachment to the top of the barunderneath the collar opposite the cornered end. Load that same side with 45's and straddle the bar assuming the same stance you used for barbell rows… Voila, you've just built your own t-bar station. 3 sets here ranging from 12 on your first set all the way down to a final ballbuster of 4-6 reps.

Exercise 4: Narrow Grip Pull-Ups If your chinning bar has a neutral grip use it, if not, grab the attachment you used for your homemade t-bar rows and hook it to the chinning bar. Again, get a full stretch at the bottom, feeling that pull on your lats all the way up to your armpit. Dead hang at the bottom all the way up to an exaggerated contraction at the top. Three sets to failure and you'll be cooked.

Bare Bones: Back Exercise 5: Rack Deadlifts Find a power rack or cage or a couple of cinder blocks or beer kegs so you can set the barbell at knee level. This form of deadlift more directly targets the back, taking the legs somewhat out of the equation. Get low for the initial pull off of the rack and focus on bringing your upper body erect by means of contracting the lumbars. Squeeze your lower back at the top and then lower under control until you tap the pins. 4 sets of these at 6 to 10 reps and it is time to stick a fork in ya.

That is some bare bones, raw dog, blood and guts training. It takes so little when it comes to facilities and equipment but so much in terms of will and desire. Dungeon workouts, big house style, the kind of shit that makes monsters out of mere mortal men. This is the punishment you must endure. To seek the inner freak is your sentence, the gym your prison and the weights the abusive warden. You must dominate your surroundings and own the weights, never letting the weights own you. You must do your time like a man. After all, this iron cage is your kingdom; this dusty floor is your domain. What is to others a torture cell is for you, home sweet home.

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