Critique My Back Routine

[tzan]

I just switched up my splits from back/tri's to back and rear delts. Since I only lift them once a week, I like to do a good amount exercises. Anyways, here it is:

3 sets widegrip pullups
4 sets deadlifts
3 sets bent over barbell rows
3 sets wide grip pulldown
3 sets standing widegrip cable pulldowns/supersetted with low cable rope rows
3 sets rear dumbell flys
3 sets shrugs

I know a lot of people say that widegrip pulldowns are overrated especially since I'm doing pullups, but I really like the pump I get from them. I have a pretty thick inner and upper back(traps), but I'm lacking in the V-shape part of my lats. What do you guys think of this workout?? How would you change it.

 

[Thaibox]

IMO you're doing too much. Pull-ups, Deads, and bent over rows are all serious lifts. If you go balls out on your lifts, this many back things would be virtually impossible.

 

[vinylgroover]

I agree with thaibox. If you're going all out, you should be dead after your third or fourth exercise at least.

Exercise selection looks ok. Maybe your form is letting you down. I used to think i had great form on back exercises and came to a point where i wasn't noticing any growth. I went back, had a long hard look at my form and improved it. The growth came.

 

[tzan]

IMO you're doing too much. Pull-ups, Deads, and bent over rows are all serious lifts. If you go balls out on your lifts, this many back things would be virtually impossible.

Thanks for the reply Thai. Like I said, since I only work each muscle group once a week I like to do a lot of volume. I'm also running a cycle that helps me get through it. You pretty much said exactly what I do: I go balls to the wall on pull-ups, deads, and bent over rows. After that I am pretty tired. My following sets of widegrip pulldowns and the cable exercises are done with light weight to help shape(I'm cutting). Anyone else?? What about my exercise selections??

 

[gymtime]

I also agree with deadlift boy up there. I'd lower the volume even though your on a cycle and even though you're only going once a week. IMO, you'd get more benefit by:

A. Doing deads first as they are the toughest, most compound movements. You want to do deads when fresh.
B. Pullups and wide-grip pulldowns are redundant...pick one
C. Move shrugs to shoulder day.

 

[the People's Champ]

C. Move shrugs to shoulder day.

traps on shoulder day? oddly enough, my traps were more sore from doing seated db presses with a fairly light weight than from doing heavy bb shrugs. good point

 

[gymtime]

traps on shoulder day? oddly enough, my traps were more sore from doing seated db presses with a fairly light weight than from doing heavy bb shrugs. good point

I think traps can be done on either day actually. But I think tzan's volume is a little high so I thought it might be good for him to move them. And yeah, seems no matter how much I shrug, I rarely get sore in my traps. It's usually other shoulder excercises that do it to me.

 

[the People's Champ]

It's usually other shoulder excercises that do it to me.

cool. I thought that was just me using bad form.

 

[Doch910]

Are you going for mass or just to get a leaner look? if you were going for mass i would do about 3 exercises total for back, deads, bent over barbell rows, and one or two other exercises of your choice. But i would do about 6-8 sets of deads, and then about 4-5 of every other. Then about 1 exercises for rear delts.

If your going to for leaner more defined stick to about 4-5 exercises total for back 3-4 sets. Then about 2 exercises for rear delts.

 

[Vortexx]

Focus on the three "most bang for the bucks" exercises, do the hardest first...

4 sets deadlift
6 sets barbell row or T-bar row
6 sets medium grip pulldown to front or close reverse grip pulldown

Doing more sets for the barbell row, you build better neural pathpaths for it and become an expert on it..

As for me, I do the deadlifts on legs day and for back i just do 2 exercises:

8 sets barbell or T-bar row
8 sets medium grip pulldown to front or close reverse grip pulldown

This way i can put even more energy in the barbell rows and now I begin to see signs of thickness in the upperback....

I used to do ALL kinds of back exercises, like wide grip pulldown to neck, dumbell rows , seated cable row etc etc.. but since back is mainly trained with compound movements, I feel i am better of with becoming good at the most productive ones...