Hawaiian Mike dragna doesn’t take the laid-back, island-style approach to his back workout. This IFBB pro goes nose-to-the-grindstone with four moves designed to add slabs of thickness while carving in the topography-map detail coveted by bodybuilders (and anyone who wants a more impressive rear view).
- “Concentration is key when training your back,” Dragna states. “Always focus on your back muscles when pulling the weight instead of letting your arms do the work.”
REVERSE-GRIP PULLDOWN
Start: Place your legs snugly under the pads on a pull-down machine and position your hands approximately 8 inches apart on the bar, palms facing you.
Move: Keeping your torso perpendicular to the floor and your back slightly arched, slowly pull the bar downward, focusing on your back muscles the entire time, until the bar touches your chest. At this point, squeeze your shoulder blades together for maximal contraction. Return to the starting position, extending your arms completely at the end of each rep to achieve a full stretch.
SEATED CABLE ROW
Start: Using a narrow-grip handle, keep your knees slightly bent with your feet flat on the platform in front of you for stabilisation.
Move: With your torso perpendicular to the floor and your eyes straight ahead, pull the handle toward your midsection, again focusing on driving your elbows back until the handle touches your navel. After squeezing your shoulder blades together at the peak of contraction, slowly return to the starting position, leaning slightly forward with your arms extended at the end of each rep to stretch your lats completely.
T-BAR ROW
Start: With your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, take a wide, overhand grip on the handles. Keep your back arched throughout the movement.
Move: Slowly move through a full range of motion, pulling all the way to your chest at the top and lowering to a full stretch at the bottom.
HAMMER-STRENGTH ROW
Start: Adjust the seat so that your forearms are parallel to the floor and your chest touches the pad in front of you.
Move: Hold onto the grips with both hands while pulling with only one side. (Keeping hold with the opposite hand keeps your torso stable during the contraction.) Concentrate on the muscles of the middle back as you pull the handle toward your chest as far as possible without rotating your torso. Complete a full range of motion by slowly lowering the weight until your arm is fully extended. “You can either alternate arms every other rep or do each side separately,” Mike suggests. “Try changing your routine by incorporating both.”
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