Tom Venuto's BodybuildingSecrets.com

The ALL-ROW Back workout

Tom Venuto

Thursday, August 25th, 2005. Today I hit back in my late morning session and came back later for calves. Today’s back workout was 100% rows and my goal was to work on the middle-upper back area including the upper lats, rhomboids and lower trapezius. This program nailed it! I was sore right in that spot between the shoulder blades.

BACK

A1 Seated Cable row to chin, straight bar 12” pronated grip
Set 1: 120 lbs X 12 reps
Set 2: 130 lbs X 11 reps
Set 3: 140 lbs X 10 reps
A2 Seated cable Row to stomach, straight bar 12” pronated grip
Set 1: 120 lbs X 12 reps
Set 2: 130 lbs X 9 reps
Set 3: 140 lbs X 8 reps
B1 Smith Machine Bent Over Row
1 warm up set
Set 1: 155 lbs X 15 reps
Set 2: 205 lbs X 12 reps
Set 3: 225 lbs X 11 reps
Set 4: 245 lbs X 8 reps, drop to 205 lbs X 6 reps, drop to 155 lbs X 8 reps
C1 T-bar Rows
Set 1: 125 lbs X 12 reps
Set 2: 150 lbs X 10 reps
Set 3: 150 lbs X 10 reps
C2 Seated cable row to chest (close grip/triangle bar)
Set 1: 140 lbs X 12 reps
Set 2: 140 lbs X 12 reps
Set 3: 140 lbs X 11 reps

Workout Commentary

My goal today was to really blast the middle upper back for detail and continue to work on thickness with lots of rows.

I started by attaching a short straight bar to the low cable pulley. Using less weight than I would normally use for low cable rows, and taking an overhand (pronated) medium grip (a little closer than shoulder width), I rowed the bar to the chin for sets of 10 to 12 reps. Without letting go of the bar or even pausing, I continued to row the weight to the stomach for another 11 or 12 reps per set. Because the high rows to the chin are more difficult and the low rows to stomach are easier, I could continue repping out even after getting to failure on the rows to the chin. A very effective combination that hit the entire back, especially the middle upper back from the high rows. Great stuff! This is a “5-star” superset.

My second exercise was bent over rows in the smith machine. I’ve been working these the last couple of workouts, and continued with more of the same, while going a little heavier than the previous sessions, up to 245 lbs this time. For me, this is decent weight for precontest training.

Last two exercises were tbar rows supersetted to low cable rows with close grip (standard triangle bar) pulled to the chest. Once again, I was targeting the middle upper back and by the time I was finished with this combination, that’s exactly where I felt it (was sore right there between the shoulder blades the day after as well).

Published on 25 August, 2005

Post a comment

If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.

Please enter the letter "f" in the field below: