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.
Fast forward to 1992 (I was 43 years old) and this was my back routine that I did once a week training for the 1992 NPC Masters Nationals. (BTW Back is the upper body movement that I could move the most weight)
- 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)
At contest time I weighed 216lbs at 6’0".
This is one of my favorite poses. [1992 Masters Nationals]
