IFBB Pro and YouTube star, Sam Sulek is working towards his first pro show, and as he builds his physical muscles, Sulek is also thinking about his mental approach to bodybuilding. Fortunately, the details man demonstrated his latest back day workout, taking us through a stimulating session that you can try for yourself.
Before Sulek hit the gym on Day 114 of his offseason, he discussed the differences between powerlifting, where a plan is more rigid, against the strategy of a bodybuilder, which is less focused on pure strength, instead requiring the growing of particular body parts for a successful show. As a bodybuilder, the up-and-coming competitor feels that there is more conflicting advice than in powerlifting, because there are other issues at play such as the fact that our bodies grow muscle in a way that is individual to us. To that end, Sulek has learned that in bodybuilding, the numbers are not as important as the technique.
“If I came in here and I tried to do fifty sets of back, I think we can all agree that’s gonna be overkill,” said Sulek. “That will not do me any better, potentially it will do me worse, than if I did twenty sets or if I did fifteen, or whatever.”
So, when it comes to building his back better, the smart social media icon sticks with what works for him: “Decently heavy pulldowns, as well as lighter pulldowns, with a squeeze and a longer hold,” explains the bodybuilding influencer. “I’ve actually started to understand the value of feeling a long stretch, and a slower eccentric. Not on all movements, but with some, I really like it,” he explains. When it comes to this ideology, Sulek says his back is one of the areas that he likes to apply this approach to, and here’s how you can try it for yourself.
Sam Sulek’s Offseason Back Workout
- Wide Grip Cable Lat Pulldown — 2 Sets
- Close Grip Seated Cable Rows — 2 Sets
- Single Arm Iso Row— 2 Sets
- Iso Lat Pulldown Machine — 1 Set
Sam Sulek’s Offseason Back Workout Breakdown
Sulek starts out heavy with the wide grip lat pulldown, a great mass builder for the shoulders and upper back. He performs two sets, hitting failure within the 8-12 rep range of hypertrophy. He then tackles the close grip seated cable rows with the same intensity, taxing his traps, lats, and rear deltoids, along with secondary muscles like the biceps.
Moving on to the seated ISO row machine, Sulek opts for a more unilateral approach, alternating his arms but sticking with the same muscle building rep range. Once again, the new IFBB Pro competitor’s control is on display here, as Sulek makes slow and purposeful reps, feeling the stretch. The rowing action will put the bodybuilder’s entire back to work, including the lats, rear delts, rhomboids, and trapezius, while the single armed reps will encourage balance and bring up the lagging side.
Finishing off with what he calls the “very squeezed focused” lat pulldown machine, Sulek is once again looking to widen wingspan of his lats, and he’ll also hit a host of other areas like
the arms, chest, back, and core. He makes sure his last reps are among his best, by using time under tension. To try this workout for yourself, go heavy but be sure to simulate Sulek’s style and allow for controlled reps, and add a squeeze at the end of each pull. Now that’s a great approach that any bodybuilder can lean into.
Watch the entire video here:
