Back and biceps go together like steak and potatoes, or a summer day  a stringer tank. This is a day of your training week worth looking forward to… and it’s worth doing right! But the best back workouts for mass aren’t just about heavy lifting, and the best biceps workouts for mass aren’t just about chasing the pump (although that’s definitely part of the fun). You need to do the best exercises, and do them right! Vince will show you how in this in-depth video guide. Find out which exercises you need to add to your next pull day workout and how to execute them properly!

If you are looking to pack on mass, don’t just focus back and biceps! Dial in your entire training week with Vince’s other Ultimate workouts:

Monday: Ultimate Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Ultimate Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest and/or steady-state cardio
Thursday: Ultimate Legs & Glutes
Friday: Ultimate Shoulders
Saturday: Ultimate Arms
Sunday: Rest, play, and meal prep

For a demonstration on the proper form of each of the exercises in this back and biceps workout, watch this video from the V Shred YouTube channel!

Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Muscle Gains

A. Pull-up 3 sets, 8-10 reps (do machine-assisted pull-ups if necessary, rest 90 sec.)
B. Bent-over barbell row 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (rest 90 sec.)
C. Straight-arm pull-down 4 sets, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps (rest 60 sec.)
D. Seated cable row, neutral grip 4 sets, 10-12 reps (rest 60 sec.)
E. Preacher curl 4 sets, 10-12 reps (rest 60 sec.)
F. Alternating dumbbell curl 4 sets, 10 reps per arm (rest 60 sec.)

Back Workout Exercises

1. Pull-up

Pull-ups are one of the best back exercises, and it’s a great way to warm up all of the muscles on your back. To do this correctly, make sure to lead with your shoulders and squeeze your elbows into your side. Avoid swinging and kicking your legs to keep the focus on your back muscles. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

2. Bent-Over Barbell Row

Bent-over barbell rows are popular in a lot of back workout routines, especially for bulking up. This compound exercise works multiple muscles on your back simultaneously. Do 4 sets, decreasing your reps with each set.

There are 3 big mistakes we see most people make when performing this exercise. Check out this video to ensure you are using proper form.

3. Straight Arm Lat Pull-Down

This exercise is great for your lat muscles. Try to keep weight at a minimum to keep the focus on the lat muscle instead of the triceps. Make sure to keep elbows slight bent and keep your chest out. Do 4 sets with decreasing reps with each set.

4. Seated Cable Row, Neutral Grip

For this back exercise, make sure to keep your chest pushed out while pulling back on the cable. Pull back with your elbows by your side instead of flaring them up and out. Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Intra-Workout Supplements

One tip you may not hear often is the importance of taking am intra-workout supplement. Halfway through your back and biceps workout, it could be beneficial to take some quality BCAAs. These are building blocks of protein and will instantly help with muscle recovery, fuel your energy, and hydrate you with a boost of electrolytes. For BCAA supplements, we recommend Sculpt Nation BCAAs. They are digest quickly and can help keep you going for the rest of your workout.

Biceps Workout Exercises

1. Preacher Curl

Preacher curls are a great exercise for working out both heads of the biceps, but it does put more emphasis on the short head of the biceps and improve the thickness of your biceps. Remember to squeeze your biceps when you’ve pulled the bar to the top. Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

2. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Alternating dumbbell curl is a great arm exercise which also targets both heads of the biceps. With this exercise, don’t lift dumbbells beyond your capacity. You will have a harder time maintaining proper form. Do 4 sets of 10 reps for this exercise.

Your biceps are the secondary movers in your back exercises, which makes it easy to target both back muscles and biceps for this workout. In every workout, you need to be mindful of the muscle groups you’re targeting to achieve your muscle mass goals. Most importantly, don’t forget that the best way to see results from these exercises is by practicing good form.

Don’t forget to eat for gains!

Want to grow? Then you need to eat like you mean it. The best way to do that is to use a calorie and macronutrient calculator that can be customized for muscle growth! This is exactly why we built one right into the V Shred App. Download it for your Apple or Android device and start eating for pure gains!

If you just asked “what’s a macro,” hey, we’ve been there. The answer: Hire a V Shred custom coach to make you a personalized muscle-building meal plan to fit your budget, and fill your sleeves even faster!

A great way to kill your gains is to not give your body what it needs after a tough lift. Your body needs specific  nutrients to recover after working out. If not, you could experience muscle loss, fat gain, sore joints, and loss of strength. POST WORKOUT by Sculpt Nation takes out all the guesswork. It is jam-packed with amino acids and the other essential nutrients your body needs for rapid recovery to keep your body primed to build muscle, burn fat, and get stronger after every single workout.

Want to really dial in your arms? Your journey starts with Vince’s legendary Big Arms program. This is a six-week arms specialization that will add size to your biceps and triceps. It will hurt, but it will be worth it! 

The post Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Muscle Gains appeared first on V Shred.

Thick isn’t a word most want to hear when discussing their fitness goals and progress– unless you are trying to build an impressive back!

In that case, both THICK and WIDE should be your goal! 

In previous articles, we’ve shown you our favorite exercises for back width.

Today we are going to focus on BACK THICKNESS.

If you want a balanced back, it’s important to learn to differentiate between exercises that are best for back thickness versus back width…. and do both! 

How do you do that? It takes some strategy, which we are going to help you with today! If you don’t care about any of that and just want the exercise, CLICK HERE. 

BACK ANATOMY

Before we dive in, it may help to understand the basic anatomy of your back. 

The back consists of several powerful muscles that are all interconnected — the lats, traps, teres major, rhomboids, and spinal erectors (and that doesn’t even include all the other muscles in your lower back.)

Your back is a POWERHOUSE with many different muscles, so there will always be some overlap. But if you are strategic with your back training, there are plenty of ways to bias specific back muscles over others — which is crucial in whether you are targeting muscles responsible for width or thickness.

TRAINING FOR THICK -VS- WIDTH

Something as simple as how you set up an exercise, your grip, arm path, hand placement, how much you lean forward or backward, etc., can all dictate what part of your back you are working. 

We are focused on back thickness, so the exercise we are showing you today favors the parts of your back most responsible for creating density.

What muscle is that?

It’s actually pretty much every muscle in your upper and middle back — and to an extent, even your rear delts! 

Biasing muscles like traps, rhomboids, and spinal erectors are touted for helping develop a thicker back — while isolating your lats is how to get a wider back. 

However, lat density is also important for “thickness,” and your lats will no doubt get hit hard with the row variation we are showing you today!

HOW TO BUILD BACK THICKNESS

The best way to achieve density will be by incorporating heavy multi-joint compound movements designed to hit ALL of your upper and middle back muscles! 

Deadlifts and Bent Over Rows are great examples — keep doing those!

But there is another exercise for a thicker back that most people don’t think about doing. And that is …  The Single Arm T-Bar Row.

It is also often referred to as “The Meadow Row” and less frequently, “The Perpendicular Landmine Row.”

WHAT IS THE SINGLE ARM T-BAR ROW

Dumbbell rows are staples on back day for good reason. They are excellent at building strength and density.

This exercise is very similar to a one-arm dumbbell row, except you use a bar instead of DB’s and stand with both feet planted on the floor instead of one knee up on a bench. 

Another key difference is that this row allows for a more significant elbow-out arm path that does an even better job of hitting the upper back — while also providing a more extensive range of motion so that you can hit the lats pretty hard as well.

That extra “stretch” puts additional stress on the lats, promoting even more overall muscle damage and growth — which is what you are looking to do if muscle density is your goal! 

Some secondary muscles will also be used for this row – like your lower back, abs, biceps, and shoulders. It is also great for developing grip strength.

Oh .. and the reason it is sometimes called The Meadow Row is because this movement is said to have been made popular by the legendary bodybuilder John Meadows.

Whatever you choose to call it — Single Arm T Bar Row, Meadow Row, or Perpendicular Landmine Row, this is hands down one of the best row variations out there, especially if you have “outgrown” the DB selection at your gym.Just make sure you carefully read our “form tips” below as you DO NOT want to use large 45 lb plates for this exercise! 

HOW TO MASTER THE SINGLE ARM T-BAR ROW
WITH PERFECT FORM

We are breaking everything down step-by-step and giving you some fundamental setup and execution tips to help ensure you focus on doing what you need to do to achieve BACK THICKNESS.

If you are more of a visual learner or need a little more in-depth help on how to perform this row variation, we filmed a short video you can check out below! 

We really suggest you watch first– because remember, one tiny change in arm path or grip, and you could be focusing on width instead of thickness. Or even worse, not even your back at all! 

Set and rep range will vary based on your fitness level, where you place these in your program, etc. In general, we suggest aiming for 3-5 sets of around 12 reps. 

Set-Up

• Position a barbell wedged into the corner of a wall (or a landmine attachment if your gym has one.)
  
• Load the t-bar/barbell with the desired amount of weight.
  
• Do not use big 45 pound plates! Instead, you will want to use smaller plates so you can reach a full range of motion!
• This is really important for this exercise and one of the biggest mistakes we see people make.
  
• Due to the circumference of the barbell, you may want to use lifting straps or grips to eliminate wrist pain. 

Instructions

• Your body will not be positioned behind the bar like a typical row. Instead, you will position yourself in a “staggered stance” with your leading foot perpendicular to the bar.
  
• Grab the end of the barbell with the hand opposite from your leading foot with an overhand grip. (ex: If your right foot is leading, grasp the bar with your left hand.) 
• Rest your right elbow on your thigh for support if needed.
  
• Experiment with head position to see which works best for you.
• Most prefer to look slightly up. Hinge forward, slightly turn your body and get the hip of the side you are working up in the air as high as possible so that you get a really good stretch!
• Row the weight up, out, and away from your body.
  
• Stop when your elbow is at (or just past) the midline of your body and squeeze your upper/mid back hard!
  
•  Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position (as close to the floor as possible.)  **see form tips**
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Switch and do the same number of reps on the other side. 

Form Tips

• Keep your core tight.
  
• Do not arch through your spine or let your back “rotate.” You want to focus on keeping your back motionless!
  
• Do not jerk or use momentum to pull the bar up. If you feel you need to do this .. lower the weight!
  
• Do not allow the weight to slam back to the starting position. You want to control the movement from start to finish! **The eccentric (lowering) should take TWICE AS LONG as the concentric (lifting) portion of the lift.
• While biceps will slightly be used, if you feel this movement in your arms more than your back, try adjusting your grip a little. For example, you may want to use what is called a “false grip” – where you DO NOT wrap your thumb around the dumbbell.
  
• Allow your arm to hang down for a greater stretch and better range of motion, but don’t lock the shoulder blade down. ** This is why you do not want to use large 45lb plates. They are too large and will hinder your range of motion.
• Don’t forget to breathe!!! Exhale as you lift up and inhale as you lower down.

— ONLY DOING REGULAR DB ROWS WILL ONLY GET YOU SO FAR — 

If building a thicker (denser) back is your goal, try adding this unique row variation to your current back program! 

BUT KEEP IN MIND… 

You can’t only hit the weights hard and expect your back to grow!!

Even with a perfectly structured training program that includes plenty of exercises that bias back thickness — your back will never get the density you desire if you aren’t eating for your goals!!

You have to know your macros and then hit them consistently. 

If you want to know what your macros should be, we have a FREE MACRO CALCULATOR that is part of our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ.

In addition to  helping you determine your macros and calorie needs, this quiz will tell you the 3 most important things you can do to get in shape faster and easier, based on your genetics!

It’s only a few questions, free, and your results are instant. So if you are interested, you can CLICK HERE!

The post Thick vs Wide: You need different exercises for different goals  appeared first on V Shred.

If back width is your goal, you are going to love what we have for you today!

Your back is a huge muscle group that is made up of a bunch of different muscles.

Because of this, you can’t go in on back day and only do some regular pull-ups, one style of pull-down, and some rows, and expect to have a muscular and balanced back.

The way you “set up” an exercise, the way you perform it, even the hand position you use can totally change which muscle in your back you bias.

Today, we will focus on the muscle that can help you have a wider back, and that is your lats — specifically UPPER LATS.

Your lats are a “two-part-muscle” (upper and lower.) For width, it is ideal to try to hit your upper lats a little bit harder. 

The exercise we are showing you today is actually our FAVORITE exercise to throw in a client’s plan if they come to us wanting to focus on back width.

And that exercise is… The Wide-Grip Pulldown 1.5

Basically, it’s a super wide-grip pulldown with the addition of a partial rep at the bottom of the movement. 

That extra ½ rep may not seem like much, but it specifically focuses on the part of the lift that favors the upper lats quite a bit more. 

That little bit of extra love can work wonders for anyone wanting to focus on back width. 

This style of pulldown is not a “staple” back exercise.

It does not replace all of the basics you should still be doing, such as pull-ups, regular pull-downs, rows, deadlifts, etc.

Throw it in when you want to change things up and/or shock your muscle to promote some more upper lat growth. 

There are some setup and technique cues you need to focus on if you are trying to hit your upper lats instead of your lower lats or the middle of your back.

Even if you think you know how to do this exercise with proper form, take a few seconds and watch THIS VIDEO we filmed beforehand.

Set-up and technique matter when it comes to what part of the back you are biasing! 

WIDE-GRIP LAT PULLDOWN 1.5

HOW TO:

• Use a seated cable pulldown machine.
• Grab a standard wide pulldown bar.
• Use a super wide-grip (well beyond shoulder width.)
• Sit with your body directly under the bar, but slightly leaned back, so your arm path allows you to favor your lats instead of your mid or upper back.
• Pull down just as you would with a typical wide-grip lat pulldown (see technique tips.)
• Squeeze at the bottom.
• Only raise the bar ½ way (around  forehead height) and then go back down.
• Squeeze again.
• Slowly go back to the starting position.
  

That is one rep. Repeat for the desired number of reps or until failure. 

REPS/SETS/WEIGHT:
Reps and sets will vary depending on your workout program, etc. We aren’t looking to go low and super heavy with this.

We suggest 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps. 

You will want to use a challenging weight, but due to that extra “½ rep” at the bottom, you will likely need to use a slightly lower weight than you would use with a standard lat pulldown. 

TECHNIQUE TIPS:

• Retract your scapula and press your shoulders down. 
• Squeeze your elbows into your sides both times you pull down.
• Use a controlled motion from beginning to end.
• Focus on your form, especially the eccentric portions of the movement.
  IE: don’t let the weight just “jerk” back to the starting position. Go slow! 

If your lats seem “locked” and unable to grow….

This might be the “shock” your back needs to bust past a plateau! When performed correctly, it is crazy what that little ½ rep can do to bias your upper lats and help you grow a wider back!

Give it a try for at least 6-8 weeks on at least one of your back days each week! As long as you are doing the exercise consistently and correctly — we know you will see a significant improvement in back width!

If you are trying to get results FASTER & EASIER ….

Just like there are specific exercises you want to do based on your goals, there are certain approaches you should take with your diet and training plan.

What you eat, how often you lift (and what style), how much cardio you do, etc.,  — should all be dependent on where you are right now, your long-term goals, and your body type.

If you don’t know your body type and want help with that, we have a 6 question BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take FOR FREE!

You will get your results in just minutes and be given some suggestions as to what you should be doing if you want the best results possible! 

TAKE IT HERE

The post Want a Wider Back? Give your upper lats a little extra love with this ONE exercise! appeared first on V Shred.