5 BACK BLASTING MOVES YOU SHOULD BE DOING

Build a bigger back with these five back blasting moves from IFBB pro bodybuilder Nathan Epler

NATHAN EPLER’S PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT

1 scoop HOSSTILITY stim pre-workout in Grape Bubble Gum flavor

NATHAN EPLER’S BACK WORKOUT

Pullover Machine
Nathan begins his workout on the pullover machine. To perform this exercise correctly, you will start with the arms overhead. Rest your elbows on the pads of the machine, and keep your hands relaxed. The force should be exerted through your elbows. Pushing through the elbows excludes the weaker muscles of the arm from limiting the amount of work that can be completed. Pull the handle of the machine down until it reaches your lap, pause, and squeeze, then reverse to the starting point in a controlled manner, pause, and continue into the next rep. 

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Nathan’s second exercise is a plate-loaded lat pull down. He prefers the squeeze and contraction of this movement when performing on plate-loaded machines, however, this can be performed on pin-loaded machines also. Sit comfortably on the pulldown seat and place your feet flat on the floor. Adjust your seat if needed, and also your knee pad so that the upper thighs are tucked firmly under the pad. Pull the bar down until it’s approximately level with the chin. Shifting just slightly backward is ok, try to keep your upper torso stationary and keep your elbows close to the body and maintain control as you lift and lower the weight. The bottom of the motion should be where your elbows can’t move downward anymore without moving backward. Be sure to stop at this point and focus on the contraction. Repeat this movement.

Underhand Row
Now moving onto his rowing movement, Nathan opts for an underhand row. After 3 x sets of 8 reps, Nathan executes a triple drop set for his final set. This consists of 6 x reps at his maximum weight, followed by 10 reps with the weight reduced by 33%, and a final 11 reps after being reduced by a further 33%, including paused reps and full focus on contraction. When performing this exercise, be sure to adjust the seat or your grip to allow your wrists to follow your elbows through the movement. When pulling the handles towards you, lift your chest slightly, and pull your shoulder blades together whilst keeping your lower chest firmly to the pad. Allow your shoulders to roll forward when you extend your arms back into the beginning position. 

Assisted Pull-Ups
Nathan has put these towards the end of his workout when his lats are already fatigued to get a better connection for this exercise. Having already performed a wide grip movement, he places his hands in a neutral position to target the muscle in an alternate way. It also allows for less stress on your shoulders and wrists and is additionally a good grip choice to help develop your forearm strength.

Cable Pullovers
To finish his back workout, Nathan uses his preferred attachment for cable pullovers. To perform a standing cable pullover, Attach a straight bar, or MadGrip like Nathan, to a high cable pulley station. Bend over at a 45-degree angle, knees slightly bent and shoulder-width apart. Fully extend your arms straight in front of you as you overhand grip the attachment. Bring the bar/grip/rope slowly down, where your hands will meet your sides, and squeeze. Then slowly reset in the starting position getting a full stretch.