High Volume Workout For Insane Gains

Most people hitting the gym love to train the “glamor” muscles -- chest, biceps, and shoulders -- but few, if any, lifters devote as much effort or time to training a group of muscles that dwarfs those other muscle groups -- the back.

To a certain extent, this is understandable.

Next to the legs, back training is the most grueling and demanding muscle group to train, some would even argue that back training may be even more difficult than leg training due to all the different muscle groups contained in the “back.”

Having a well-developed back not only makes you look more muscular, but it also gives you a wider-looking top half. This helps given the image of a narrower waist, contributing to the highly sought-after v-taper.

To help you build a better back, we’ve created an intense back workout for insane gains.

This workout incorporates both high volume and heavy weights to build a monster back.

You’ll use a variety of exercises, grips, set and rep schemes to hit the back from every angle, and make it grow like never before.

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Fuel Up for Your Workouts

To not only survive this high volume workout, but dominate it, you’ll want to make sure you’re properly fueling your body and mind for the intense work ahead.

What constitutes as the “optimal” pre-workout meal can vary from one person to another. Some individuals like to have a big, high-carb meal right before hitting the gym, while others don’t like having the sensation of feeling “heavy” and simply have a whey protein shake, such as Primeval Labs ISOLIT or WHEY, before training.

Only you know what works best for you, and it could change from one day to the next, or which workout you happen to be performing on a given day. Maybe you like to have a big meal prior to a chest or arm day, but want something lighter for the shoulders, back, or legs.

As we said, pre-workout nutrition is highly individual, but at the very least, you’ll want to make sure you have some protein in your system prior to training, that way your body has a steady supply of amino acids to support muscle recovery and growth.

In addition to having a solid pre-workout meal, it may also be helpful to take a serving of a high-energy, high-performance pre workout supplement, such as Ape Sh*t.

Like we said above, this insane back workout entails high volume and heavy weight. Having some extra energy, focus, and performance enhancement from a premium quality pre-workout can go a long way to helping you perform your best in the training session ahead.

Speaking of which...

High Volume, Big Back Workout

Back Training Tips

1-Arm Barbell Row

As the saying goes, “you gotta row to grow!” and there is much truth to this age-old axiom.

Rows are great for overall back development as they hit the lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts. 

Depending on your setup as well as the angle of pull will determine which region of the back you’re emphasizing with the movement (lats vs rhomboids, etc.).

The setup is the same as performing a 1-arm dumbbell row with your non-working arm resting on your leg, providing a stable base of support while you pull the barbell up and back. However, instead of rowing a dumbbell, you’ll be using a barbell hooked into a landmine attachment, or jammed into the corner of a room.

Additionally, when performing the 1-arm barbell row, you’ll be grabbing the thinner part of the barbell just below the collar. 

When rowing, make sure your shoulders are square to the floor and your back is flat. Do not allow your back to round or your torso to rotate to the side when rowing.

To get an even greater stretch on the lats, use 25-pound plates as it makes the barbell lower to the floor compared to using the 45-pound plates.

Meadows Row

After completing four sets of the 1-arm barbell row, we move on to one of the best back exercises for rhomboid development and upper back thickness -- the Meadows row.

Named after the “Mountain Dog” John Meadows, the Meadows row is a 1-arm barbell row in which you grab the fat end of the bar with a pronated grip and pull with the elbow out to the side. 

Additionally, since you’re grabbing the thicker part of the barbell, it may also be helpful to use straps or Versa grips so that your grip isn’t the limiting factor in the exercise.

Again make sure your non-working arm is resting firmly on your lead leg to provide a stable base of support during the exercise.

Chin-Ups

A classic upper-body bodyweight exercise for building a thick, beefy back, the chin up (or pull up) belongs in every training program.

With chin-ups and pull-ups, it’s tempting to try and hang a bunch of weight from your waist and knock out as many half reps as possible. Don’t do this!

Your goal with chin-ups is to build a bigger back (and biceps), not try to impress the other people in the gym (who honestly don’t care how much you’re lifting).

Use good technique (as with every other exercise) during chin-ups. Control the descent, pause at the bottom in the fully stretched position, then explosively pull yourself to the top.

Seated Cable Rows

Now that we’ve got the heavy exercises out of the way, it’s time to really hammer the back with some more volume and pump it full of blood.

The great thing about the seated cable row is that it provides a tremendous stretch on the back and (since it’s a cable machine) provides constant tension throughout the entire range of motion.

Using the long handles when performing seated cable rows will allow you to drive your elbows farther back, getting a stronger contraction on the back muscles. Additionally, make sure you’re not keeping the scapula locked down and back the entire time. In the stretch position, allow the scapulae to pronate as this will allow for a greater stretch on the back muscles as well as promote proper movement mechanics.

Dumbbell Pullover

Capping off this workout is another classic exercise from bodybuilding past -- the pullover. 

Now that the entire back is pumped full of blood, it’s time to stretch everything out.

If you haven’t performed pullovers in quite some time, make sure to ease into the stretched position of the exercise. Don’t force yourself to go farther if you lack the mobility or stability to perform the exercise.

As you become more accustomed to the movement, you’ll be able to sink deeper and deeper into the stretched position and set those lats on fire.

One other thing to keep in mind when performing the pullover is to stop the movement when the dumbbell is directly over your forehead. There’s no need to bring it all the way over your chest as by that point there really isn’t much tension on the lats.

Reverse Pec Dec

Finishing off this insane back workout is a move for the forgotten muscles of the back (and shoulder) -- the rear delts.

You can choose your preferred rear delt exercise (face pulls, bent over dumbbell flys, rear delt cable flys, etc). We chose the reverse pec dec at it allows for constant tension on the rear delts throughout the entire range of motion. With dumbbells, you lose tension at the bottom of the exercise.

Rear delt cable flys are also a great option as well if you have access to a cable machine.

Did you enjoy this workout? Check out more back workouts here: https://primevallabs.com/blogs/news/7-tips-to-build-a-bigger-stronger-back-workout-included