He's got one of the freakiest upper bodies in the business, dwarfing anyone who steps on stage next to him. When he hits his lat spread, an eclipse falls over the audience, with lats like a cobra ready to attack. This mega-freak we're talking about is none other than Muscle Asylum ProjectTM superstar, and possibly the world's largest bodybuilder, Joel Stubbs.
Joel Stubbs is willing to do whatever it takes to grow his physique into something that will have everyone talking. Despite his age, "Big" Joel Stubbs has managed to pack on abnormally large muscle size.
It takes more than just genetics; it takes hard work, and in this feature Joel shares with us how he built his massive back as well as tips and techniques you can use to morph your back into the biggest it's ever been.
Joel Stubbs Big Back Workout
- Chin-Ups: 6 sets x 10 reps
- Deadlifts: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Bent-Over Rows (On heavy days): 6 sets x 10 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Rows (On light days): 4 sets x 10 reps
- Seated Machine Rows: 4 sets x 15 reps
- Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets x 15 reps (heavy days), 6 sets x 15 reps (light days)
- Hyperextensions: 3 sets x 15 reps
If you're trying to add mass to your back, Joel Stubbs' back-attack training can help you put on the size you've been working towards.
Big Back-Attack Tips
1. Vary Your Grip
Joel likes to vary his grip on certain exercises using a wide grip, close grip and/or underhand grip to carve out his massive back.
2. Use A Full Range Of Motion
Always use a full range of motion on all of your back exercises to maximize muscle fiber recruitment. For example, on lat pulldowns, allow your shoulders to lift up towards your ears to fully stretch out your lats, then depress them down and inward on the pulldown phase of the lift.
3. Experiment With Rep Ranges
Try experimenting with various rep ranges in your back training. The back is one of the largest muscle groups in the body and may require a higher rep range to exhaust the greatest amount of muscle fibers.
Using very low rep ranges may cause other smaller muscle groups to reach failure first, before the back can be fully stimulated.
4. Utilize Peak Contractions
Many bodybuilders utilize peak contractions in their back training in an attempt to bring out more separation and detail. To do this, try holding the contracted position of your back movements for two seconds while actively flexing your back.
5. Hit Every Area
For a truly impressive back, you need the right combination of width, thickness and deep separations. Try including two rowing movements, two pulldown movements and one extension movement to hit all areas of the back.