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View Full Version : How many sets do u do for back?



Canuck_Muscle
03-17-2009, 08:19 AM
I wanted to get an idea of how many sets u people do for your back and what the rep ranges are. I personally just do a total of 9 sets for mine 6 of those being for width and 3 for thickness. My rep ranges are roughly 10 to 12. I will go lower occasionally. My main exercises are wide grip pulldowns, undergrip pulldowns, and either barbell rows or cable rows for thickness. I will also substitute undergrip pulldowns with v bar pulldowns from time to time.

DaveV
03-17-2009, 08:22 AM
deadlift - 3
t-bar - 3
wide grip pulldowns - 4
underhand close grip pulldowns - 4
shrugs (sometimes done on shoulder day) - 3

14 to 17 sets

Canuck_Muscle
03-17-2009, 08:26 AM
deadlift - 3
t-bar - 3
wide grip pulldowns - 4
underhand close grip pulldowns - 4
shrugs (sometimes done on shoulder day) - 3

14 to 17 sets


Cool man. I hear a lot that for the back to get total stimulation u should do more sets for it but I have back problems as it is and doing what I do for it sets it on fire lol. How has your training program been for u in terms of results for your back?

DaveV
03-17-2009, 08:31 AM
Cool man. I hear a lot that for the back to get total stimulation u should do more sets for it but I have back problems as it is and doing what I do for it sets it on fire lol. How has your training program been for u in terms of results for your back?

Don't know yet. This is my third week of training. I do know that I'm spent after my workout. Deadlifts taking the most out of me. Sometimes I cut back the pulldowns down to 3 sets.

Canuck_Muscle
03-17-2009, 08:39 AM
Don't know yet. This is my third week of training. I do know that I'm spent after my workout. Deadlifts taking the most out of me. Sometimes I cut back the pulldowns down to 3 sets.

Right on. If u are just starting out deadlifts are gonna make your back explode. They are a pretty dangerous lift that is why I don't do them because of my back problems. I like barbell rows they are a great movement that I feel safe doing. Hopefully your program works well for u. It seems like a good set up covering all the bases.

DaveV
03-17-2009, 08:41 AM
Yeah. All my workouts cover all the major areas. Just trying to keep it real simple while I start up.

Strikerrjones
03-17-2009, 11:33 AM
Slow widegrip pullups: 3
Barbell Rows: 3
T-Bar Rows or Machine Rows: 3
Deadlifts: 4

Usually my sets don't go over 8 reps except for pullups and the first two sets of deadlifts.

BigJD69
03-17-2009, 11:57 AM
12 sets

Voland
03-17-2009, 12:34 PM
I did back today and this was my workout:

3 sets pullups
2 sets seated rows
2 sets one arm dbs rows.

Hardly Krishna
03-17-2009, 01:11 PM
It definitely varies workout to workout, but last week was,
DB Rows - 5 sets
Underhand Pulldowns - 4 sets
Hammer Strempf Iso Low Row - 4 sets
Chest Supported T-Bar - 4 sets plus drop set
Smith Machine Rows - 7 sets 10 reps 30 sec rest each set.

Typically I'll do low pulley rows as well, but I was pressed for time.

Koubs
03-17-2009, 01:28 PM
My back does get more sets than any other bodypart, and has seemed to respond well to it... I do 9-11 sets for back, depending on whether or not I do deadlifts (every other week).. 4-8 rep range... 4-5 exercises, 2-3 sets each... Lots of row movements have been my emphasis lately

ANADROLicfreak
03-17-2009, 01:31 PM
i like more sets for back considering it is a huge muscle to train.up to 20 total sets.on gear maybe 25 sets.some days you get tired though.just depends

buckimscl
03-17-2009, 01:43 PM
20-25 sets depending on width or thickness focused workout.

Wheels
03-17-2009, 01:57 PM
No more than 4 work sets, Rest Paused, during HIT training.

When I work Volume it's in the area of 9 - 12 work sets.

gman
03-17-2009, 01:59 PM
12-15 sets

anthony1992
03-17-2009, 02:44 PM
12-16 sets

tjoe
03-17-2009, 03:31 PM
Hmmm...
today, 2 warm up sets and 1 all out. Deads:245 x 5, 335 x 5 and then 425 x 12 (all standing on a 3" platform for a greater ROM)

Yesterday:Hammer iso row 1plate x 20, 2plates x 15 and 3plates x 10, 10, 10 and then body weight rows hanging under a supported bar me x 10, 12, 12

This thursday: Don't know yet, not there :) but 2 moves, some sort of pulldown maybe a pullover. couple warm ups and then 2-3 "heavy".

Stavman
03-17-2009, 03:33 PM
Technically, only 5 sets total.

bigtimektz
03-17-2009, 05:17 PM
1 Rest-Pause set for width.
2 work sets for thickness.

Ninja Loco
03-17-2009, 07:43 PM
3 sets per exercise.

Canuck_Muscle
03-17-2009, 09:38 PM
3 sets per exercise.

How many exercises do u normally do per workout Ninja?

ellocogrande
03-17-2009, 10:44 PM
12-14 sets

Lou
03-17-2009, 10:52 PM
2 sets:)

Sledge
03-17-2009, 10:52 PM
12 sets on back day, 6 sets shrugs on shoulder day, 3 working sets deadlifts on hammie/calf day.

Hardly Krishna
03-17-2009, 11:13 PM
today's work out was

Underhand Pulldowns 5 x 10
Close Grip Pulldowns 3 x 10
Hammer Strempf Iso Low Row 3 x 10
Low Pulley Row 3 x 10
T-bar 3 x 10 SS with 2 arm DB Rows

Smith Machine Row 7 sets 10reps

KEVDIESEL
03-17-2009, 11:19 PM
3-4 sets per exercise

Canuck_Muscle
03-17-2009, 11:21 PM
today's work out was

Underhand Pulldowns 5 x 10
Close Grip Pulldowns 3 x 10
Hammer Strempf Iso Low Row 3 x 10
Low Pulley Row 3 x 10
T-bar 3 x 10 SS with 2 arm DB Rows

Smith Machine Row 7 sets 10reps


Have u experimented with low and high volume? How do u like the high volume? U are doing 18 sets of rows alone LOL that is fucking nuts. U must have some crazy thickness going on back there.

Ninja Loco
03-18-2009, 12:53 AM
How many exercises do u normally do per workout Ninja?
Usually 4. 6-8 reps per set, then I up the weight


Rotation A
Pull ups: currently 12 with a clean, slow hang. Full tension, no release at the bottom.
Bent over rows: currently with 315
CG Pulldowns: currently 295 (stack)
DB rows: currently with 170s

Rotation B
Deadlifts: currently 405
Pulldowns: stack
Close grip seated rows: stack plus a 25 or 45
DB rows: same as above

Northman
03-18-2009, 02:04 AM
12 sets


Diddo

Hardly Krishna
03-18-2009, 03:50 AM
Have u experimented with low and high volume? How do u like the high volume? U are doing 18 sets of rows alone LOL that is fucking nuts. U must have some crazy thickness going on back there.
Yeah, i've done Frequency/HIT/High-volume...frequency I always get good size/strength gains, but my joints get ripped up and I get overtrained fast.

HIT training I never feel like I get a good work out, but I get to move some HEAVY ass weight and make constant strength gains. Same thing w/ any power-training/5x5 programs I'd make constant strength gains, but no muscle soreness or pumps. (I still rotate it in every few months)

HIGH VOLUME!! This is what I started with, and I wish I had never discovered the 5x5 programs that ruined my shoulders, I wish I would just made steady gains doing High Volume training, and just use 5x5/HIT/Frequency as auxiliary programs. Bro I used to train until my body was numb, until I had gotten a pump and lost it, went and got some food came back and worked out til my pump came back! I'm talking like 25-30 sets for tri's, more so for back/chest/shoulders..legs just squats and bi's never got trained..I'd pyramid everything down then back up if I had to. I WAS AN IDIOT!

I'm babbling, I don't do as many sets as I used to...but It taught me how to feel the muscle working, and what exercises did & did not work for my body. I think everybody's first serious routine should be high volume while pyramiding weight.

Canuck_Muscle
03-18-2009, 04:07 AM
Usually 4. 6-8 reps per set, then I up the weight


Rotation A
Pull ups: currently 12 with a clean, slow hang. Full tension, no release at the bottom.
Bent over rows: currently with 315
CG Pulldowns: currently 295 (stack)
DB rows: currently with 170s

Rotation B
Deadlifts: currently 405
Pulldowns: stack
Close grip seated rows: stack plus a 25 or 45
DB rows: same as above

Holy shit Ninja that is some serious weight brother. 315 for barbell rows is pretty fucking impressive. How many reps can you get with that?

Canuck_Muscle
03-18-2009, 04:10 AM
Yeah, i've done Frequency/HIT/High-volume...frequency I always get good size/strength gains, but my joints get ripped up and I get overtrained fast.

HIT training I never feel like I get a good work out, but I get to move some HEAVY ass weight and make constant strength gains. Same thing w/ any power-training/5x5 programs I'd make constant strength gains, but no muscle soreness or pumps. (I still rotate it in every few months)

HIGH VOLUME!! This is what I started with, and I wish I had never discovered the 5x5 programs that ruined my shoulders, I wish I would just made steady gains doing High Volume training, and just use 5x5/HIT/Frequency as auxiliary programs. Bro I used to train until my body was numb, until I had gotten a pump and lost it, went and got some food came back and worked out til my pump came back! I'm talking like 25-30 sets for tri's, more so for back/chest/shoulders..legs just squats and bi's never got trained..I'd pyramid everything down then back up if I had to. I WAS AN IDIOT!

I'm babbling, I don't do as many sets as I used to...but It taught me how to feel the muscle working, and what exercises did & did not work for my body. I think everybody's first serious routine should be high volume while pyramiding weight.

LOL man that is fucking madness. Yeah it is good that u have a program that works for u now. I am like u in that I regret certain things that I did earlier on that just did not give me results. I used to train my body every 2 days for about a year when I first started. It was fucking overkill to the max. I always like pyramiding up as well. It gives u a good idea of what your strength is like and u can take it safely up to your max poundages.

Ninja Loco
03-18-2009, 04:17 AM
Holy shit Ninja that is some serious weight brother. 315 for barbell rows is pretty fucking impressive. How many reps can you get with that?
You think so? There's cats my size in my gym that can move more. But thank you. I can do about 4-6 right now. I power up, but I dont let the weight drop. I try and release rather slow so as to not fuck my back up. Im going to post some vids at rr.com sometime soon, I think.

GSXR1000
03-21-2009, 04:18 PM
20 sets. 6 weeks at 8 reps then 6 weeks at 12 reps, repeat.

Jasoon
03-22-2009, 12:05 PM
i usually do at least 16-25sets, i generally get 6-8sets on barbell rows, because i love them. But mainly workout consists of wide grip pd's, reverse grip pd's, barbell rows, dumbell rows, heavy heavy deadlifts, and cable rows.

Canuck_Muscle
03-23-2009, 06:01 AM
I had an awesome back workout a few days back. I actually put the volume up quite a bit and really enjoyed it. I did 4 sets of wide grip pulldowns followed by 4 sets of v bar close grip pulldowns then I went into 4 sets of barbell rows and 4 sets of cable rows. My back was pumped beyond belief. I am gonna try this routine for the next couple months and hopefully will have some nice results to show for it. All sets were in the 8-12 range.

Ninja Loco
03-23-2009, 12:38 PM
I had a real shitty one on Friday. I was a tad stronger than before. But I just wasnt into it....... sure signs that the six weeks were over. So, Im taking a full 7-10 days off. Spent the entire day yesterday on bed, doing the same again today......... and I already look and feel better :)

buster12
03-23-2009, 03:16 PM
Not very much... I just warmup and get in a heavy set, and drop a little weight, and get a few more reps. Then I move on to the next exercise.

Canuck_Muscle
03-23-2009, 10:50 PM
I had a real shitty one on Friday. I was a tad stronger than before. But I just wasnt into it....... sure signs that the six weeks were over. So, Im taking a full 7-10 days off. Spent the entire day yesterday on bed, doing the same again today......... and I already look and feel better :)

Yeah that is always a good thing Ninja. Rest and recuperation. I have been doing a lot of resting since I have been hard at it once more. When I am on my 4 days off I sleep for about 10 hours day. It feels nice to get that extra sleep in.

Ninja Loco
03-24-2009, 12:36 AM
Yeah that is always a good thing Ninja. Rest and recuperation. I have been doing a lot of resting since I have been hard at it once more. When I am on my 4 days off I sleep for about 10 hours day. It feels nice to get that extra sleep in.
Yeah but it just feels so odd. Sitting around is all cook and well wen you know you arent supposed to be in the gym...... but then gym time comes and you feel it bad. Feels odd as shit to do something else when you know you should be somewhere else. Still, with the way Razor has us training, we have to take a week of every few weeks.

Canuck_Muscle
03-24-2009, 03:15 AM
Yeah but it just feels so odd. Sitting around is all cook and well wen you know you arent supposed to be in the gym...... but then gym time comes and you feel it bad. Feels odd as shit to do something else when you know you should be somewhere else. Still, with the way Razor has us training, we have to take a week of every few weeks.

Oh Razor has a program set up for u? What is that like and how long have u been on it now? I also know what u mean by missing a gym day. Fuck I hate that as well. It eats at u that is for sure.

Ninja Loco
03-24-2009, 03:43 AM
Oh Razor has a program set up for u? What is that like and how long have u been on it now? I also know what u mean by missing a gym day. Fuck I hate that as well. It eats at u that is for sure.
Ive been on it for the last 4 months or so. It's his bread and butter HIT routine that has two individual weekly workouts rotated back to back. Workout A one week, Workout B the next. Then you start over. It's in his Q&A at MD and on his board. It's best used with a partner, but you can go it alone if you have peeps at your gym who can spot you the right way.

Canuck_Muscle
03-24-2009, 05:47 AM
Ive been on it for the last 4 months or so. It's his bread and butter HIT routine that has two individual weekly workouts rotated back to back. Workout A one week, Workout B the next. Then you start over. It's in his Q&A at MD and on his board. It's best used with a partner, but you can go it alone if you have peeps at your gym who can spot you the right way.

That sounds sweet man. Is this program for mass and strength or for endurance or what? Cuz I know u are into MMA training and all that.

Ninja Loco
03-25-2009, 01:48 AM
That sounds sweet man. Is this program for mass and strength or for endurance or what? Cuz I know u are into MMA training and all that.
You can adapt it to any protocol. Right now Im using it for mass and strength. Once i get to where I want to be I'll switch it to endurance and just use basic MMA and boxing conditioning for cardio.

Bubba Bronko
03-27-2009, 09:44 AM
16 sets

Pull ups 4 x Failure
BB Row 4 x 6-10
Deadlifts 4 x 6-10
Old School T-Bar 4 x 6-10

That is todays workout sometimes I will throw shrugs in there or I will swap 1 arm rows with one em

orhochris
03-27-2009, 10:31 AM
not including warmups... 4-6.

AussieRugbyPlayer
04-06-2009, 09:01 PM
I did back yesterday actually:
Wide grip lat pull down 4x8
Reverse grip lap pull down 4x8
Standing straight arm push down (not the right name) 4x8
Close grip lat pull down 4x8
Chins 4 x F (norm around 8-10)
Bent over BB row (alt week with deads) 4x8
I do a few warm up sets and stretch sets at the start also

I find it takes a lot to reach failure with my back or at least feel like I am working it. The weights are a good heavy working weight and the reps are slow and controled.

I just wish my gym had a plate loaded seated row (the pin loads doesn't go high enough).

GENESIS
04-06-2009, 09:12 PM
with warm ups around 25 sets

GENESIS
04-06-2009, 09:16 PM
i cant believe im reading of people doing less then 10 sets...

someone please explain the reason you do this?

AussieRugbyPlayer
04-06-2009, 09:51 PM
i cant believe im reading of people doing less then 10 sets...

someone please explain the reason you do this?

ditto

I don't understand how you can comprehensively work the largest muscle group with under 10 sets?

Even if you lift extremely heavy for those 10 sets, with good form etc, your arms will give out before your back will.

thesamewords
04-06-2009, 10:02 PM
My back does get more sets than any other bodypart, and has seemed to respond well to it... I do 9-11 sets for back, depending on whether or not I do deadlifts (every other week).. 4-8 rep range... 4-5 exercises, 2-3 sets each... Lots of row movements have been my emphasis lately
My back gets a ton of sets as well. I normally save my deadlifts for last as long as its not my 1RM deadlift. I use different bars in order to hit the back from different angles. i also switch between over and under hand grips (pro/sup).

Canuck_Muscle
04-07-2009, 11:13 PM
i cant believe im reading of people doing less then 10 sets...

someone please explain the reason you do this?


The reason I went lower on the sets is because I had a bad back injury and I have to be careful not to train too much which sucks. But the last month or 2 I have been doing 16 sets and it is a lot better for me. My back is doing fine and as long as I do not go insanely heavy and have good form it is great. I am gonna stick with this and see how I do the following couple months. I may even put one more exercise in there.

chasebny
04-07-2009, 11:30 PM
i cant believe im reading of people doing less then 10 sets...

someone please explain the reason you do this?
Because I only count the sets I go to failure on, and only go to failure once on an exercise. Anymore is pointless, backwards, and only sereves to prove I didnt work hard enough on my original all out set.

My question to the people posting 25+ sets for back is, why post your warm up sets? If I row 205, I dont count a set with 185, because it didnt assist in hypertrophy.

Formula94
04-08-2009, 01:15 AM
This week was:
Pull ups: 15, 12, 12, 10
Deads: 135x15x2, 225x10, 315x10, 405x8, 425x5, 315x6
wide grip pull downs: 3 x 8-12
T-bar: 4 x 6-10
seated under-hand cable row 3 x 12-15
behind neck pull down: 2 x 25

When I'm not on cycle I usually keep the sets around 10-12.