RT_Nomad, How Do You Train?

[RT_Nomad]

I copied this from another thread:

@RT_Nomad

Granted the first couple decades about the only heavy back work I did was deadlifts, and that because I spent a couple years powerlifting. By the second decade my elbows around the brachialis hurt when I did pullups, so I had to back off of that. I had a good number of years work on the plate loaded Nautilus Pullover Machine using heavy weight. I could never find a position so that I could do a heavy bent over row, so I did machine long pulls (rows).

When I turned 40 a friend talked me into the benefits of heavy barbell rowing. I found a position that worked well for me. I get a very wide stance to the point that the plates barely missed my toes when I set the bar back down to the ground. I was able to “lock my hips” creating a solid foundation for a maximum pull effort.

My back routine:

• Bent over barbell rows: 2 sets of 8 reps with 405lbs
• Deadlift: 2 sets of 10 reps with 505lbs
• Hammer Strength underhand grip pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 reps with either 3 or 4 plates on each side (I cannot remember)
• Nautilus Pullover Machine: 250lbs (plates)
• Machine Long Pulls: 3 sets of 8 reps with the weight stack (whatever that was)

An additional note to the above barbell row. We had two 50kg (110lb) plates. This (265lbs) is the starting weight we did for barbell rows (after a 135lb warmup). Every other week I would do a drop set on the last set of 405lb barbell row. I put two 35lb plates on both sides of the bar and my workout partners would pull off a 35lb plate, for two drop sets immediately after my 8th rep with 405lbs, and then 335lbs, to finish with 265lbs.

I need to add that we always did bent over rows before deadlifts, because we were all bodybuilders. We did not want a tired lower back to inhibit any amount of weight we could use on rows. Plus we were just doing deadlifts to get 10 reps with more in the tank. All deadlifts were done without rounding the back, that can occur to get the last few reps.

We only did one back workout once a week. It was a killer. After back we went to chest for a relatively light chest workout. We did a heavier chest day later that week.