Commitment to Upper Back Training

A few months back I made a commitment to getting my upper back stronger, and lately it has become an obsession of mine.  I am hitting upper back 3 times a week every week in some capacity.  Generally Monday is my main bench day so I hit some back along with the bench work.  Thursday's I hit accessory bench work, triceps, and again upper back.  Saturday mornings I do a lighter upper back workout, where I focus more on rear delt and shoulder retraction movements.  On Saturday morning, I wont hit the major movements such as Rows, Shrugs, and Pullovers.

Here are the movements I have relied on to increase my upper back strength:

1) Barbell Rows

Pretty simple here.  These have been the staple of my upper back training.  I start by placing a loaded bar on the floor, I keep my body in basically the same position throughout the sets.  I lift every rep off the floor into my torso, and then lower the bar back to the floor.  I pause the bar on the floor and repeat.  Generally I do 5 sets of 5 reps with a fixed weight after working up beginning with 135.

2) DB Rows

I like to use DB Rows when I take my shirted bench.  I alternate sides and do fixed sets with a set heavy dumbbell.  I do these strict as well, making sure to lower the weight almost to the floor to release my back, then pull back into my torso and contract my lats.

3) DB Shrugs

DB shrugs have become a staple in my training, and they need to be.  I wasn't able to shrug for awhile due to a clavicle issue, but that is in the past now.  I vary between heavy weights for lower rep sets, and higher rep sets with moderate weights.  In my experience nothing blows up the traps anywhere close to the way that DB shrugs do.  I also like to stick with dumbbells as they allow a more true range of motion than a barbell.  On a lot of occasions I look at guys doing barbell shrugs with loaded bars, and they are using their whole bodies to get the weight up.  That is not the point.  The point is to contract the traps.

4) DB Pullovers

I used to do these frequently, but have fallen off.  A couple of weeks back I did these with my training partner Enis at the World Gym in Dunellen.  The next day I could really feel my upper back.  Since that day I have committed to doing these once a week.  These really force you to stabilize, as well as allowing for a great stretch of the lats and rib cage, and a good contraction portion as well.  I feel these are the type of movement that will help me to lock my back in for my power movements.

5) Lat Pulldowns

The staple of everybody's back training is merely and assistance movement to me.  Generally I do these towards the end of a back training session, and I use moderate weight for high reps.  I find it is really important to fully release the back at the top of the movement, and it is essential to drive the shoulders back at the bottom portion of the movement.

6) Vogelpohl Pulldowns / Rows

I absolutely love these!  An interesting pulldown exercise using a high cable.  Standing up away from the cable pulldown I row the cable into my upper abdomen and hold.  Same principle as a lat pulldown, release at the top, retract the shoulders at the bottom.  Be careful not to use hip drive to do this movement, but rather to let the back and shoulders do the pulling work.

Rear Delts& Shoulder Retraction Work

1) Face Pulls

I originally started doing face pulls to help to relieve shoulder pain associated with benching.  I stick with them to help hit the upper portion of my back and my rear delts.  These can be done using either a high cable or some mini bands.  Start with the cable or band high and away from you and pull into your face driving your elbows outward.

2) (Chest Supported) Horizontal DB Shrugs

Set up on an incline bench as if you were going to do chest supported DB rows.  Instead of rowing just shrug your shoulders backwards and squeeze.  I like to in vision squeezing a pencil in the middle of my back.

3) Bucket Rows

Here is an interesting movement that I relied on for trap training during my clavicle injury.  I stood up holding a 25 lb plate in each hand, then one arm at a time I would trace the trajectory of my body straight up with the plate, until my elbow was far behind me and there was no more room to pull the plate up my body.  Then I would release and do the other side, and alternate.  These helped a lot during that period, but I haven't been doing them recently as I am healthy enough to perform shrugs once again

Sunday Safety Squat Bar Box Squats and Assistance Work

Back to work at Eastside this morning.  My training looked like this:

Safety Squat Bar Box Squats
65 x 5 x 2 sets
165 x 2
215 x 2
255 x 1
305 x 1 (Added Metal Viking Briefs and a belt)
345 x 1
395 x 1
435 x 1 (I believe this was my previous PR, haven't done this movement since early this year)
465 x 1 (P.R.)
485 x 1 (P.R.)
505 x 1 (P.R.)

Sumo Speed Squats
135 x 2 (Wore Titan Centurian Briefs and a belt)
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 1 x 3 sets
365 x 1 x 3 sets
405 x 1 x 3 sets

GHR's
4 sets x 15 reps

45 degree Back Extensions
4 sets x 10 reps

Did some foam rolling with a rumble roller at the end as my right side lower back and hip have been tight. 

This was my first time in the Metal Viking Briefs and I think it went well as the SSB is quite a humbling bar, and I felt like I kept good positioning and maintained my arch.  I also felt I could have made at least one more jump, but considering I just competed last Sunday, cutting it with a 70 pound PR seemed quite logical.

I generally pull raw with a loose bench belt on backwards, today we tried something totally different.  I did speed pulls as a second movement with the sumo stance, wearing my loose Titan Centurian brief and my power belt.  The feedback from my training partners on the sumo pulls was quite positive, and I think we are going to see what I can do with this stance.

All in all a great way to come back after the meet.  Despite my right side hip and lower back feeling a little beat up I felt great.

Saturday Morning Light Assistance Work

Trained at the World Gym in Dunellen on Saturday morning, still coming back slow considering I did a meet Sunday.

Vogelpohl Pulldowns
4 sets x 120 x 15 reps

One Arm DB Rows
3 sets x 125's x 5 reps

Face Pulls
4 sets x 150 x 15 reps

Ab Pulldowns
4 sets x 120 x 15 reps

I anticipated doing more work, but considering how I felt I decided to cut it after 4 movements.  The one arm DB Rows felt heavy as hell, so I cut them at 3 sets.  My plan was to do 5 sets of 5 with a reasonable weight, but it didn't feel so reasonable once I got started.  Also didn't want to do too much as I was hoping and planning on putting something on my back Sunday.

IPA Nationals 2011 In Review

Friday morning I had the opportunity to speak to an exercise science class at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey.  Some of the topics I covered were conjugated periodization, proper squat form and technique, the use of bands for developing the hamstrings and posterior chain, hip flexion movements, hip flexion vs knee flexion, and the use of supportive gear in powerlifting, amongst other things.

Saturday morning I weighed in for IPA Nationals at 6:30 AM and weighed in at 302.9.  We ate breakfast as a crew at 7:30 AM at Round the Clock diner in York, PA.  From our Eastside crew Dave Kirschen was competing on Saturday as a 198.  Dave benched a PR 580!  I had the opportunity to help assist a raw lifter in the 181 class, Larry Dyles, who managed to squat a raw World Record 600 lb squat at 178 lbs.  I now refer to myself as a World Record Powerlifting coach!

Sunday morning we did the Round the Clock diner thing again as a group.  I competed along with Danny Diemert and Justin Enes from our East-side crew, as well as my friend Andy Vale from Rhode Island.  Other notable lifters on Sunday were Jason Pegg and Dan Kovacs.  I was very fortunate to have a great support group for this meet including John Bott, Mike Stuchiner, Dave Kirschen and Anthony Ditillo from our East-side crew as well as my long time training partner "Big Steve" Morris, Mike Romeo, and Steve "The Iron Ferret" Rizzo from our crew at Apollon Gym in Edison.  Without this crew of guys I don't know if I would have had the day I managed.  I managed to go 9 for 9 with 27 white lights in my second consecutive meet.  Since joining the East-side crew I am 18 for 18 in meets with 54 white lights!

I took a 615 squat opener.  As I approached the monolift I realized they had the rack height, 5 notches too low.  Then I was looking at head judge Mark Chiallet and nodding waiting for a squat command.  Luckily my training partners told me to squat back, and the 615 was a good lift.  Took 665 on my second, setting me up for my goal squat of 700 pounds.  My 700 on my third attempt was a good lift as well!  If I had to say what one lift meant the most to me going in to this meet, I could honestly say if I didn't squat that 700, I would have been disappointed.

My bench cycle was very inconsistent and I admit I was nervous about the bench press.  We opened light to play it safe.  I opened at 445, 30 pounds less than my opener from my April meet, and it was quite easy.  We took 475 as my second, and again a good lift.  We took 505 on the third, and again it was a successful bench.  In all honesty it felt quite easy, and I am quite confident I will take my 520 meet PR down in my next meet.

We decided to drop my opening deadlift to 530 as that would give me a 5 pound meet PR.  The 530 felt quite easy.  We took 570 for my second attempt, it was apparently quite easy as the feedback was quite positive.  As I walked off the stage Bobby Fields commented to me that that was a smoke show.  Other people said I was taking warm up weight.  Brandon Lilly came over to me and gave me a few pointers, which I really appreciate and will incorporate into my future deadlift training.  We took 600 on my third attempt giving me a 1805 total.

Ever since I decided to compete in powerlifting, my goal was to achieve an 1800 pound total.  My cousin, Frankie DeMarco who competed with Iron Island Gym in Oceanside, NY (Ken Leistners old gym) told me I'd need a 700 squat, a 500 bench, and a 600 deadlift.  Those were the numbers I hit, now I can set forth a new short term goal, and a new long term goal.  For my next meet I plan to total masters, and my new long term goal is to achieve my elite total.

I won the 308 amateur class, and received the best lifter award in the amateur division!  The York experience was great, as the hall of fame is quite an interesting place to visit.  Mark and Ellen Chiallet ran a quality meet, and the judging was fair and consistent.  I will gladly compete in the IPA again, and will definitely compete at York in the future.

I'd like to thank my family for their support and for coming out for the meet as usual!  I'd also like to thank my training partners for sharing with me all of their knowledge, and for all of their help!  I am very fortunate to be able to train with such a dedicated and knowledgeable group of guys.  I'd also like to thank the crew from Apollon Gym for all of their help and support!  I am really looking forward to helping these guys in their upcoming meets in Bordentown in December, and in Newark in January!

Back to some training

Wednesday:

Sit Ups on GHR
4 sets x 15 reps

Ab Pulldowns
4 sets x 120 x 15 reps

We took the ride down to Skiba's barbell club so that Clint could take his squat openers and seconds and use the monolift, as well as take his deadlift openers.  He squatted really well smoking his 370 opener and his 405 second attempt.  His deadlift openers of 500 and 545 were not his best work as he was over thinking the lifts.


Thursday:

Vogelpohl Pulldowns
4 sets x 120 x 15 reps

Stiff Arm Pulldowns
4 sets x 70 x 15 reps

Shoulder Retraction with Long Ab Strap from High Cable
4 sets x 80 x 20 reps

Ab Pulldowns
4 sets x 120 x 15 reps

We trained at the World Gym in Dunellen this morning.  Clint took his bench opener and second attempt for the December 10th meet today, handling 225, and 240, then finishing with some assistance work.

IPA Nationals: The Squats

We opened with 615, this was my first IPA meet so I had no idea that they didn't use a squat command.  You can notice this by me looking at Mark Chiallet and nodding my head.  Luckily Paper yelled at me to squat back and I complied.

665 was the planned second attempt, and it felt slightly easier than the first attempt.

700 was the goal for this meet, anything less would have been deemed failure by myself.  I came to York to squat 700 and thank God, I did!  The 615-665-700 progression was the plan for this meet, and we met the plan.  My training partners have really helped me to become a better squatter in the past 13 months, and I look forward to the future.

IPA Nationals: The Benches

I can say without a doubt I was most nervous about the benches of all 3 lifts.  My meet PR was 520 which I set April 30th at the SSA Imperium meet at Iron Asylum Gym in Tribes Hill, NY.  My goal going in to this day was to hit 500 again.  My training cycle for bench was inconsistent to say the least, but my coach, John Bott made me take one last bench session last Sunday, and he came up with a game plan and a strategy which would work for this meet.

We took a really light opener, 445, which was actually 30 pounds under my opener from the Iron Asylum meet.

We took a 30 pound jump to 475 for the second.

We came back with 505 on the third attempt, which gave me a 1205 total through the squat and bench.  The 505 felt extremely easy, and gives me confidence going into preparing to PR on the bench going into my next meet.