Back Workout of the Week – Winter 2013 Week 1
Posted: November 17, 2013 Filed under: 30 - Back Workout of the Week! | Tags: Back Strength, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Strength, Strength Training Leave a comment »
I introduced the Brute Force Back Workout of the Week (BWOW) a while back (Brute Force BWOW 1). I had bombed out of the USA Powerlifting Open Nationals in 2010 because I couldn’t successfully hit any of my bench press attempts. What does that have to do with back training you ask? That entire training cycle I didn’t work my back or biceps at all, two huge stabilizers for your bench press. I was unable to control the bar as it got to my chest, and couldn’t complete a single bench press.
After that I went on a rampage for a year and a half, punishing my back and biceps with a different high intensity workout every week. My back size and strength exploded. So did my bench press, earning me the bench press gold medal at the International Powerlifting Federation Masters World Championships in 2011 and 2012. BWOW grew out of this training success.
I’m resurrecting BWOW with the idea of applying a periodization scheme to my back training, just as you would for your other core lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift). Week 1 will be a very high volume back workout.
Week 1: Volume Training
Warm-ups: Warm up your upper body to prep for your back session
- Light shoulder internal and external rotation – 3×15
- If you need more warm-ups, do a few light sets of lat pull downs
Pull-ups: One of our goals this training cycle will be to increase your pull-up strength.
- If you cannot get at least 5 pull-ups on your own, use assistance
- Assisted pull-up station
- Resistance bands, set up for reverse resistance
- Use the minimum assistance required to get at least 5 reps
- If you can get at least 5 reps on your own, add weight to your first set
- Use double overhand, wide grip
- Perform 4 sets to failure
Coffee getting through it on beard power alone
Barbell Rows: This will be a very high volume set of lifts!
- Select your 10RM for barbell rows
- You should be somewhat warm after pull-ups, but if you need a couple of warm-up sets, take them
- If you are training with a partner with a similar 10RM, use the lower of the two 10RMs
- Set a timer for 15 minutes
- Alternate sets, performing barbell rows to failure
- If you have a training partner, you will alternate with no rest, as soon as your partner finishes you will begin rowing; your total rest should be 30 seconds or less
- If you do not have a training partner, take no more than 30 seconds rest between sets
- I recommend using wrist straps for this exercise; you will likely not be able to hold the bar without them to effectively work your back
Dumbbell Rows, Supported:
- Select your 10RM weight dumbbell
- Perform 3 sets to failure
- Use wrist straps if necessary (again, for dumbbell rows I recommend using straps to effectively work your back)
- Rest until you are fully recovered between sets (3-5 minutes)
Hammer Curl/Lat Pull-down Superset: We’re going to pre-exhaust your biceps so that your lats have to do more of the work
- If you’ve done the rest of your workout correctly, your rep maxes on these exercises will be relatively meaningless; select a weight you can get the sets and reps in the appropriate ranges
- Start with hammer curls, select a weight you can (still) get 8-12 reps with proper form
- Take 1-2 minutes rest and continue the set with lat pull-downs, using a weight you can get 10-12 reps
- Take 2-3 minutes rest between each superset
- Complete a total of 3 supersets
Hammer Curl/Cable Row Superset: We’re continuing with the bicep pre-exhaust, and performing high rep cable rows; this allows us to engage more of your back muscles in the rows (rhomboids and lower/mid traps)
- Continue the superset with the same weight for hammer curls
- As with previous superset, take 1-2 minutes rest between hammer curls and cable rows
- Select a weight you can get 20 reps with on the cable rows
- Squeeze each rep on the cable row tightly at the top, pinching your shoulder blades together
- Take 2-3 minutes rest between each superset
- Complete a total of 3 supersets
BWOW Man Down!
Assessment:
- Coffee: Rated the workout at about an ‘8’ on our Smokdedness Scale. It was a challenging workout, but we have gone through tougher sessions. That being said, he did text me ‘Curse you Ken Gack!! My back and biceps are destroyed’ the morning after, and biceps were burning for a few days.
- Gack: Rated the workout at about a ‘7’ on our Smokdedness Scale. It was a challenging workout, but the conditioning component of the core lift (barbell rows) eclipsed the strength and hypertrophy component.
Workout Plan: 2013 Winter – BWOW Week 1 v1 – Web
BWOW plans for this cycle:
How to use Wrist Straps to Lift Heavy Weights!
Posted: November 4, 2013 Filed under: 00 - Lifting Tips | Tags: Back Strength, Barbell Rows, Bicep Strength, Biceps, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Strength, Wrist Straps Leave a comment »
Be a man! Strengthen your grip, you don’t need to use wrist straps!
Right? Not necessarily.
To maximize the effectiveness of the exercise sometimes you just have to set your ego aside and use assistance. In this case that assistance is the wrist strap. For example:
- The target muscle group is much larger and stronger than your forearms. Your upper back (lats, traps, rhomboids) is one of the largest muscle groups in your upper body. Without assistance, your grip will give out long before you are able to properly tax your back in either volume or weight.
- You are unable to use an alternating grip to prevent the bar from rolling. Unlike the deadlift, where you can alternate your grip (one pronated hand, one supinated hand), when performing exercises with both hands either pronated (overhand) or supinated (underhand), or when performing heavy dumbbell lifts such as the dumbbell row, without grip assistance the barbell or dumbbell will simply roll away from you when the weight starts to get heavy.
As simple as the wrist strap appears, they can be tricky to get the hang of and use properly. Let me show you how:
For a quick recap:
- The mouth of the strap’s loop faces your hand
- When laying across your palm, the strap points in the same direction as your thumb
- Plant your hand on the bar and start wrapping the strap under and around the bar from the base of your pinkie finger towards your thumb
- Hold the strap to the bar so it will roll with the bar and roll it towards you to tighten your straps
Post Workout Quickie – Deadlift Grip
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: 03 - Deadlift Tips | Tags: Back Strength, Deadlift Technique, Deadlifts, Leg Strength, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Strength 1 Comment »Last week in my Deadlift Setup article I touched on two deadlift setup approaches, the two count deadlift and the three count deadlift. In watching a new lifter last night, I captured one of the difficulties with the two count deadlift.
Notice in the picture to the right that the lifter’s left hand is at least a half an inch wider than his right hand. This is a problem I see frequently with novice lifters. When squatting down to the bar to set up, it’s difficult to watch your hands to ensure proper hand position. Improper hand position will lead to inferior pulls:
- When your hands are off-center like this, the bar will be off-balance, making the pull more difficult
- If your hands are too wide, it shortens your reach, forcing you to squat down farther to get to the bar; you then have to start lower and pull the bar farther
- If your hands are too close, they will drag across your legs, increasing friction, and impacting your grip on the bar
Quick pointers on hand and foot position for the deadlift:
- Feet should be ‘inside the shoulders’, this is a relatively close stance
- Hands should be right on the outside of your hips and legs; your arms should hang straight down from your shoulders, but not drag across your legs
- I like to keep my hands right on the edge of the knurling, so that I have a very easy time finding the correct placement; this is dependent, of course, on the width of your build and the bar that you use
Back workout of the week (BWOW) – Competition Training Week 3
Posted: April 15, 2012 Filed under: 30 - Back Workout of the Week! | Tags: Back Strength, Barbell Rows, ILS, Lats, Power, Powerlifting, Rows, Strength Leave a comment »
Three weeks into the competition training cycle, we will start drawing the volume back. The weight and the volume from your training may be taking a toll on the body. To be as strong as possible on the platform for your Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift, you need to lift smart. Back off on your assistance work and let your body begin to heal and grow strong.
For those who are not training for competition, I include optional exercises so you still feel like a monster when you’re done!
BWOW – Week 6
Goal: Medium Intensity, Light Volume/Horizontal Pulling
Remember to use the Rate of Perceived Exertion, as shown in the training worksheet, to make sure you’re using an appropriate weight.
Barbell Rows
- Warm up to your working set with barbell rows
- 5 sets/3 reps
- Warm up to a weight you would hit failure at 5 reps, the intent is to lift some heavy rows!
- Some cheating in your later sets is Ok (slight movement of upper body to use momentum), we are trying to move as heavy weight as possible
- You should be using a weight that you will need wrist wraps to hold the bar
- Rest 3-5 minutes between sets so that you are fully recovered
Dumbbell Rows – Supported
- 3 sets/8 Reps
- If you are in a competition training cycle, this exercise may be skipped
- Select a weight that you will fail at 8 reps
- Complete each round of the sets to failure
- Minimize cheating, use little or upper body momentum to complete your reps
- As with last week, if you have the breath you may want to mutter between sets
- Use wrist wraps if necessary to hold the dumbbells
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Hammer Strength Rows
- 3 sets/12 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within one rep of failure at the end of each set
- Squeeze the lats at the end of the rep on the hammer strength; squeeze them tightly and pause for a moment on each rep before lowering the weight
- Your lats and biceps should be burning at the end of each set
- Rest around 3 minutes per set so that you are mostly recovered
- If your gym has multiple rowing machines that function at different angles, use a different machine for each set
- If you don’t have hammer strength at your gym, you can substitute a different rowing machine
Standing Hammer Curls:
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of each set
Coming Attraction: Next week we continue drawing down training intensity and volume, and increasing weight in preparation for the USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships. Since we did no vertical pulling work this week, next week will have a vertical focus.
BWOW Training Worksheet: Back Workout of the Week BWOW6 – Competition Training Week 3
Back workout of the week (BWOW) – Competition Training Week 2
Posted: April 9, 2012 Filed under: 30 - Back Workout of the Week! | Tags: Back Strength, Back Training, Barbell Rows, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Rows, Strength Leave a comment »
This week we continue my drive to the 2012 USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships. It’s still early in the training cycle, so intensity remains high. This week had my muttering “what the … was I thinking” between sets, so it should rank pretty well on the smokededness scale.
BWOW – Week 5:
Goal: Medium Intensity and Volume/Horizontal Pulling
Barbell Rows
- Warm up to your working set with barbell rows
- 4 sets/6 repetitions
- With the medium rep range, barbell weight should be relatively high
- Select a weight that you can complete the sets with minimal cheating (ie swinging upper body to use momentum to complete the repletion); you should be within 1 rep of failure at the end of the set – some cheating in the later sets is acceptable
- You should be using a weight that you will need wrist wraps to hold the bar
- Rest 3-5 minutes between sets so that you are fully recovered
Dumbbell Row Drop Sets
- 3 sets to failure each set
- For round one of the drop set, select a weight you will fail at 6-8 reps
- For round two of the drop set:
- If round 1 is over 100lbs, select a weight 20lbs lighter
- If round 1 is under 100lbs, select a weight 10lbs lighter
- Complete each round of the sets to failure
- Minimize cheating, use little or upper body momentum to complete your reps
- Feel free to mutter between sets
- Use wrist wraps if necessary to hold the dumbbells
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Pull-up/Lat Pulldown Supersets
- 3 sets/6 reps (Pull-ups), 12 reps (Lat Pulldowns)
- Perform each set to failure; use spotter assistance or an assisted pull-up machine if you cannot complete 6 reps
- Complete your lat pulldowns immediately after pull-ups without resting
- Rest about 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Seated Hammer Curls:
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of each set
Coming Attraction: Next week we begin drawing down training intensity and volume, and increasing weight in preparation for the USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships.
Back Workout of the Week BWOW5 – Competition Training Week 2
If you want to start at the beginning, you can check out Back Workout of the Week #1 – BWOW1
Back workout of the week (BWOW) – Competition Training Kickoff
Posted: April 1, 2012 Filed under: 30 - Back Workout of the Week! | Tags: Back Strength, Back Training, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Strength Leave a comment »This week’s back workout captures the commencement of my training for the 2011 USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships. As I’ve stated in earlier editions a strong back is key to your big lifts, particularly those executed in a powerlifting competition – the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Because of this, week one will be a fairly intense workout, although it may not take you to the level of the last workout (smokededness).
BWOW – Week 4:
Goal: Medium Intensity and Volume/Horizontal Pulling
Barbell Row/Dumbbell Row Supersets
- Warm up to your working set with barbell rows
- 4 super sets/8 repetitions on barbell rows/rep to failure on dumbbell rows
- Superset barbell rows and dumbbell rows – perform a set of barbell rows, then supported dumbbell rows no rest period between them
- On each set, alternate which arm you start with for your dumbbell rows
- For your barbell rows, select a weight that you can perform 8 reps without cheating (ie swinging upper body to use momentum to complete the repletion); you should be within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of the set
- Select dumbbells that you can complete 8 reps with when performing dumbbell rows separately; perform your dumbbell rows to failure
- Use wrist wraps if necessary to hold the bar and dumbbells
- Rest 3-5 minutes between sets so that you are fully recovered
Cable Rows
- 3 sets/12 repetitions per set
- You should be within 1 rep of failure at the end of each set
- Minimize cheating, use little or upper body momentum to complete your reps
- Squeeze your lats hard and pause for a moment at the top of the movement
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Upright Rows
- 3 sets/10 repetitions per set
- You should be within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of each set
- If you train your shoulders in a separate workout, you may eliminate this exercise
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Pull-ups
- 3 sets/6 reps
- Perform each set to failure; use spotter assistance or an assisted pull-up machine if you cannot complete 6 reps
- If you can complete more than 8 reps, complete them with extra weight
Biceps are important to powerlifting as a stabilizer muscle. It helps you to control the weight at your chest during the bench press. For this reason, this week I have two bicep exercises.
Preacher Curls
- 3 sets/8reps per set
- Use of the preacher curl should isolate the bicep completely
- Select a weight that you are within one rep of failure at the end of each set
Standing Hammer Curls
- 3 sets/8 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within 1 reps of failure at the end of each set
- Minimize movement of the upper body to cheat during the exercise
Coming Attraction: Next week we continue competition training for the USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships.
Free download of this workout:
Back Workout of the Week BWOW4 – Competition Training Week 1
If you want to start at the beginning, you can check out Back Workout of the Week #1 – BWOW1
Back workout of the week (BWOW) – Vertical Pulling Smokdedness
Posted: March 7, 2012 Filed under: 30 - Back Workout of the Week! | Tags: Back Strength, Back Training, Barbell Rows, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Rows, Strength 4 Comments »
I received this text from a friend last week: “Yo Ken, I was wondering if you could send me an insane back workout plan for today. I want to hit it hella hard on my back, and you’re the man to talk to about it”.
Of course I can, and did, send him an insane back workout plan. I thought that you would love to share his pain, and that it was perfect for this week’s back workout of the week. Also it is right in line with our training schedule. This week we are going to shift from a basic strength building workout that focuses on horizontal rowing, to a high intensity workout that emphasizes vertical pulling. That being said, you can blame Jordan for your smokdedness at the end of this one!
BWOW – Week 3:
Goal: High Intensity/Vertical Pulls
Pull-up / Lat Pulldown Supersets
- Warm up using lat pulldowns
- Superset Pull-ups and Lat Pulldowns – perform your pull-up set, then lat pulldowns with no break between them
- Perform at least 6 pull-ups – use spotter assistance, or an assisted pull-up machine if you cannot complete 6 unassisted pull-ups; if you can do more than 6 pullups, perform weighted pull-ups
- Select a weight that you can perform 12 reps of lat pulldowns without cheating (ie swinging backwards as you pull the weight down); be aware that these will be much more difficult after pull-ups; you should be within 1 rep of failure at the end of each set
- Rest 3-5 minutes between sets so that you are fully recovered
- 3 sets/8 repetitions per set
- You should be within 1 rep of failure at the end of each set
- Minimize cheating, use as little upper body momentum as possible; if you cannot complete the sets without cheating reduce your weight
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold the bar
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you are mostly recovered
Barbell Rows – Drop Set
- 1 drop set/3 rounds
- Select a weight you can complete about 6 reps without excessive cheating
- Complete your first round to failure, reduce the weight, and keep rowing with no rest, repeat for your third round
- Set up your bar so your drops are quick:
- If your first round is in the 185-300lb range, drop a 25lb plate from each side per round
- If your first round is under 185lbs, drop a 10lb plate from each side per round
- Use a spotter on each side to remove the plates quickly between rounds
- If you’re using wrist straps, don’t unwrap them between rounds
- Each set of dumbbell rows will be to failure, and weight should increase for each set; select the appropriate weights for the following sets:
- Set 1: 15 reps
- Set 2: 10 reps
- Set 3: 8 reps
- Minimize cheating, use of momentum to complete your reps
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold dumbbells
- Rest around 3 minutes between sets so that you’re mostly recovered
- Note: if the dumbbells in your gym aren’t heavy enough, I have discovered that you can use chains with dumbbell rows!
Hammer Strength Rows
- 3 sets/12 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within one rep of failure at the end of each set
- I like the way you can really squeeze the lats at the end of the rep on the hammer strength; squeeze them tightly and pause for a moment on each rep before lowering the weight
- Your lats and biceps should be burning at the end of each set
- Rest around 3 minutes per set so that you are mostly recovered
- If your gym has multiple rowing machines that function at different angles, use a different machine for each set
- If you don’t have hammer strength at your gym, you can substitute a different rowing machine
- Finally, if your back and biceps are not completely smoked at this point, perform a drop set for your last set of Hammer Strength rows – this is done just like the barbell row drop set you just did
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of each set – note that at this point in the workout, that weight should be embarrassingly small
- Minimize cheating – bicep curls are meant to isolate your biceps, don’t turn them into an entire upper body workout
- Don’t curl in the squat rack!!!
Seated Hammer Curls
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- Select a weight that you are within 2-3 reps of failure at the end of each set
For a printable copy of this workout: Back Workout of the Week BWOW-3
Coming Attraction: Next week is my first week in training for the USA Powerlifting Masters National Championships. The next eight weeks of back training will be built around my training cycle for that competition.
Note: I do reserve the right to make up words, such as smokdedness as dictated by the situation.
If you want to start at the beginning, you can check out Back Workout of the Week #1 – BWOW1
Back Workout of the Week (BWOW): Week 2 Building Your Back Strength
Posted: February 17, 2012 Filed under: 00 - Lifting Tips, 30 - Back Workout of the Week!, 90 - Brute Force | Tags: Back Strength, Back Training, Back Workout, ILS, Lats, Power, Powerlifting, Strength Leave a comment »Last week I introduced you briefly to why training your back is so important (training balance, support your squat, deadlift and bench press, creating the classical ‘V-shaped’ upper body). In my own experience, a heavy emphasis on rowing exercises has led to a very strong bench press (two Washington State records, one USA Powerlifting national meet record, and a gold medal at the IPF masters world championships).
Week 2 training is very similar to week 1. We are still focused on building your strength foundation. Although the overall plan is very similar, we change the exercise selection to prevent your body from adjusting to the stimulus.
BWOW – Week 2:
Goal:Building Your Strength Base
T-bar Rows:
- Warm up to your working sets
- 5 sets/4 repetitions per set
- Select a weight where you are using nearly maximum effort to complete your reps, additional reps would require cheating
- Minimize cheating – avoid using upper body momentum to complete your reps; one of the reasons to switch from barbell rows to t-bar rows this week to reduce the tendency to cheat on the lift
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold the bar
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover (3-5 minutes); emphasis is on building strength, not conditioning
Dumbbell Rows – Unsupported:
- 3 sets/6 reps per set
- Select a weight where you are using maximum effort to complete the set, you should be unable to complete more than the specified reps
- While we switched to the t-bar to reduce cheating on your primary exercise, the dumbbell row is performed unsupported to allow slightly more cheating; you should be able to pull more weight than last week when using the bench for support – force your back and biceps to move a little more weight than you normally would during your dumbbell rows
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold the dumbbells
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover
Hammer Strength Rows:
- 3 sets/12 reps per set
- Select a weight where you are using maximum effort to complete the set
- Pull your elbows straight back and really squeeze your lats tightly to finish each rep; you really want your muscles burning when you finish each set
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover
- 3 sets to failure; use spotter assistance or an assisted pull-up machine if you cannot complete 6 reps
- Pull-ups should be extremely challenging after hammering your back and biceps
- If you can still complete more than 8 reps, complete your pull-ups with extra weight (and add more weight to your t-bar and dumbbell rows next time you do this workout)
Hammer Curls:
I know we did hammer curls last week, but to quote Louie Simmons (West Side Barbell) hammer curls are “something that should always be done” (Dynamic Bench Press)
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- As with pull-ups, you will have to drop the weight from your normal bicep workout, your biceps should be spent by now
- Hammer curls are meant to work your biceps – don’t use your whole body to complete the reps; if you can’t do the work with your biceps drop the weight
Back Workout of the Week BWOW2
If you want to start at the beginning, you can check out Back Workout of the Week #1 – BWOW1
Back Workout of the Week (BWOW): Week 1 – Building the Strength Base
Posted: February 10, 2012 Filed under: 00 - Lifting Tips, 30 - Back Workout of the Week!, 90 - Brute Force | Tags: Back Strength, Back Training, ILS, Lats, Muscle Building, Power, Powerlifting, Strength 3 Comments »
Why is strengthening my back important? To the less educated, a big upper body means large pecs and (unfortunately) large biceps. In fact, your back consists of a larger group of muscles than your chest, and quite frankly it is a massive back that lets you blot out the sun as you step through a doorway.
But that’s not why we emphasize the back at Brute Force. If you read What Is Brute Force, you recall that rule #2 is to follow a balanced training program. Your back (pulling exercises) needs to balance out your pecs (pushing exercises). More importantly a strong back results in bigger lifts.
Bench Press: Your lats are the foundation you press from. Build strong lats and you’ll feel like you’re pressing off a granite table.
Squat: A strong back will help prevent you from crumpling when you hit the hole with a massive load on your back. Although a leg exercise, where does the bar rest during the squat? On your back!
Deadlift: Your back anchors the weight and is the transition point between the weight hanging from your arms and your power base driving down through the floor.
Brute Force approach to back training:
As with other Brute Force workouts, working your back is meant to be simple and straightforward. Focus is on the horizontal/transverse plane, and emphasis is on your basic compound lifts (again, rule #2) – lots of rows. This workout is intended to maximize the carryover to your bench press.
BWOW – Week 1:
Goal: Building a Strength Base – move as much weight as you can with good form
- Warm up to your working sets
- 5 sets/4 repetitions per set
- Select a weight where you are using nearly maximum effort to complete your reps, additional reps would require cheating
- Minimize cheating – avoid using upper body momentum to complete your reps
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold the bar
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover (3-5 minutes); emphasis is on building strength, not conditioning
- 3 sets/6 reps per set
- Select a weight where you are using maximum effort to complete the set, you should be unable to complete more than the specified reps
- Use wrist straps if necessary to hold the dumbbells
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover
Cable Rows:
- 3 sets/6 reps per set
- Select a weight where you are using maximum effort to complete the set
- Minimize cheating – rocking back using momentum to complete the reps
- Squeeze the weight tightly with your back at the top for a moment before lowering it between reps
- Rest between sets should be sufficient to fully recover
- 3 sets to failure; use spotter assistance or an assisted pull-up machine if you cannot complete 6 reps
- Pull-ups should be extremely challenging after smoking your back and biceps with 11 sets of rows at a high intensity
- If you can still complete more than 8 reps, either you are a hero, or you didn’t push yourself hard enough on your rows; in either case do your pull-ups with extra weight
Hammer Curls:
- 3 sets/10 reps per set
- As with pull-ups, you will have to drop the weight from your normal bicep workout, your biceps should be spent by now
- Hammer curls are meant to work your biceps – don’t use your whole body to complete the reps; if you can’t do the work with your biceps drop the weight