Suggestions for Back, and ? about Triceps

[TheBandit]

Here's my current back routine

Front Lat Pulldown- 3 sets
Bent Over BB Row- 3 sets
Low Cable Row- 3 sets
Deadlift- 3 sets

My question is, is this too much/not enough volume for back?? I'm not sure about it...

Also, I've been advised to drop my sets to 6 total sets for biceps since they're a small muscle, my question is, should I drop to 6 total sets for triceps with 2 sets for each exercise as well?? Heres my tri routine..

Skull Crushers- 3 sets
Overhead DB extension- 3 sets
Pushdowns- 3 sets

Thanks


~Bandit

 

[blood_drinker]

ditch the dead IMO and add bent over db rows. works better because i am always sore and dead performance suffers. the routine is great if you do that.

 

[Robboe]

Do 3 types of row? How exactly are you a moderator?

Choose one type of pullup/pulldown. 2-3 sets
choose one type of row. I prefer DB row. 2-3 sets.

Only deas if your lower back can handle them and squats in the same week.

You do squat right?....

 

[gymtime]

Be nice Robboe. Blood knows his shit, FOR A YOUNG PUNK!!!!! (j/k Blood).

I think your back workout looks fine. I'd just mix it up a little every week. I'll do one pulldown, one straight row, and one low row every week and just change up the excercises. You migh tbe pushing the limit my adding the deads, but that's ok.

As for your arms, don't base your number of sets on the size of the muscle. It's meaningless. With me, every muscle group gets three sets of different excercises, bis are no exception. So there's no reason to drop down to two sets IMO.

Suggestion on your tris: skull crushers and pushdowns are almost the same excercise and shouldn't be done on the same day. I suggest you do one palm down, press excercise (like pds, or skulls), one neutral grip (like your db exts), and one reverse grip like a one- or two-arm cable pulldown, or rev. grip skulls.

 

[MonStar1023]

Front Lat Pulldown- 3 sets
Bent Over BB Row- 3 sets
Low Cable Row- 3 sets
Deadlift- 3 sets

Drop the pulldowns and replace them with wide-grip front chins... Then I would move onto bentover rows like you have there (Yates style of course) and then move onto deadlifts... If your going to do an exercise after all of this I would probably say low cable rows like you have or close-grip pulldowns....

Thats a lot of compound movements for one day too you might want to alternate deads and bentover rows every other workout. I would always include chins though theres not much out there better for developing a great back.

 

[GenetiKing]

As for your arms, don't base your number of sets on the size of the muscle. It's meaningless.

It's meaningless? You will have a hard time arguing that point. Actually it matters quite a bit. Unless you're a genetic freak, your bi's nor tri's will grow by pounding them with 12 - 20 sets. Hit 'em hard and quick, go home, eat, rest, and you will grow. Trust me.

Suggestion on your tris: skull crushers and pushdowns are almost the same excercise and shouldn't be done on the same day.

You lost me here too bro. Bandit, skulls and pushdowns are completely different exercises and it's fine to do them on the same day. First of all, the inner tricep head is contracting from a different angle on skulls than it is on pushdowns since the inside head attaches at the shoulder joint and both movements are performed from different positions in regard to said joint. It's called points-of-flexion (POF) training for multi-joint muscles. Look into it. Secondly, pushdowns performed on a cable machine offer continuous resistance throughout the range of motion, while skulls have their own strength curve due to their free-weight nature.

And 6 sets is more than enough for either bi's or tri's.
An ideal tricep routine would be:
Skulls 2 x 6-8
Overhead DB extensions 2 x 6-8
Pushdowns with rope or triangle 2 x 10-12

Good luck.

 

[gymtime]

Jeeez, the mods and vets are kickin' my ass today!

OK OK, GK is right about the smaller muscle group thing. But I just learned that one recently. It's actually a good thing for me to know because my bis have always lagged far behind my tris. So I will give the "hardgainer" thing a try, see how that goes.

But I'm gonna stick to my guns D ) on the tri excercises. GK, I said "almost" the same excercise, in the sense that they are both palm forward, press excercises, similar enough to be done on different days.
I think that grip variance is more important. Just my opinion.

 

[TheBandit]

An ideal tricep routine would be:
Skulls 2 x 6-8
Overhead DB extensions 2 x 6-8
Pushdowns with rope or triangle 2 x 10-12
Good luck.

Sounds good to me, I'll try it, Thanks man


Bandit

 

[blood_drinker]

Robboe - you are wrong with saying that 3 types of rows will not work for you as a shocker. Take Jeff Willet's back routine

cable pulldowns 3 sets (4-6)
Seated cable rows 2 sets (4-6)
Bent over barbell rows 2 sets (4-6)
One armd dumbell rows 1 set (4-6)

Weighted hyperextensions 2 sets (6-8)
good mornings 2 sets (6-8)

I use this routine and I have personally it was a great shocker. I think barbell rows are one of the best exercises for back development. It is a basic compound movement that allows you to handle a lot of weight through a full range of motion. I also like the seated straight bar cable rows as the give me a really good range of motion and a great stretch at the end of the movement. This is not a permanent routine - I am just posting something that busted my plateau.

The reason I said ditch the deadlift is because my legs are usually sore on back day and this hurts my deads peformance. Only if I do back before legs do I do the deads - but I like my split as it is now.

I also like to incorporate weighted pullups every once in a while. I think they are a great compound exercise for overall back development.

Basically what I had suggested was just one exercise different - but for a good reason - avoiding overtraining.

 

[Robboe]

Jeff willet? the dude that lives off nytro pro! haha...

I wasn't arguing with you about ditching the deads BTW.

I like weighted pull ups too, with a supsinated grip to put my bices in their strongest position. It also means less sets for bis are necessary too.

Other than that i'm sure what exactly you'd like me to say