Mike O’Hearn’s Power Bodybuilding: Back Workout

This back workout is centered on some crazy-ass, heavier-than-hell deadlifts and only two secondary lifts: one-arm rows and pulldowns. After you finish these deadlifts, that's all you're going to have left in the tank. Trust me.

This is one example of a Power Bodybuilding workout. Your weights and reps will change depending on where you are in the 12-week program.

Follow that program to the letter, and you too will end up with a big S stamped across your chest.

The deadlift is the best lift in weightlifting. It hits EVERYTHING. It's the superhero lift, the beast lift, the man lift. You can cheat a squat by not going deep, but with the deadlift, there's no cheating. You just grab hold of that bar and rip it from the ground like a freakin' caveman.

Take your time. Warm up slowly. Conserve energy. Don't rush through this. Save your energy for the heavy weights. Wait till you hit the working sets before you really work it.

I don't use straps. You can't use 'em in competition, why use 'em here? I switch grip every set. I don't listen to music. I don't need that to get psyched. I like the noise of the weight. I like feeling the heavy weight tear down my fibers. Go heavy enough, and the next day, you'll feel everything hurting - but in a good way.

It's not a slow pull for me. I rip it up. People ask, "Aren't you going to hurt your back?" but I don't know why people think that way. I don't get hurt. I don't worry. I just destroy the weight. It's not the other way around.

When I deadlift, I'm already putting density and thickness in the mid-back. The one-arm rows hit the lower and outer lat. Beautiful exercise to give you nice wingspan.

Take a wide-screen grip for pull-downs. You know how to do pull-downs, don't you? If you don't, I'm going to come through that screen and slap you silly. Do pull-downs to the chest instead of behind the neck. You get a longer pull down to the chest, more of a squeeze.

Ready? Go out and be great.

THE "POWER BODYBUILDING"
BACK WORKOUT