Asking for criticism

[barnzy7]

Looking for criticism, even if you say I look like shit thats cool.

Didnt put pics of abs because I'm trying to bulk right now so dont really have any abs.

For back what do you guys think? What can I do for lower back besides deadlifts? that seems to be my downfall. Anyways Id love to hear what you think.

18 yrs old
185lbs
5'9
training 2-3 years
Natural
Bench 260
Squat 365
Dead Lift 405

Thanks to anyone who comments.

 

[Eze]

You are young, but on the right track.

Keep your calories high and clean.

Lift heavy and focus on compound movements.

Gains will come with consistency and patience

 

[jonk430]

You are young, but on the right track.

Keep your calories high and clean.

Lift heavy and focus on compound movements.

Gains will come with consistency and patience

Yup looking good kid.. keep up the hard work and gains will come with it.

 

[JMEALS]

Dude you got a nice solid base goin on...consistency, diet,hard work and youll be there in no time..but your def on the right track

 

[outlawtas]

Back -

Bent over Barbell rows
Tbar rows
Pull Downs
Machine Rows

A big thing for back is to lighten up the weights...most people go far to heavy on back and aren't able to get the right mind muscle connection. This is crucial for all bodyparts, but especially back. After you develop the connection you increase the weights.

 

[Dlove]

Nice delts. Focus on your lats now and you will look really proportioned. You pullin your deadlifts? Looking hard bro, good job.

 

[barnzy7]

Thanks for the comments, Dlove my bad for not knowing what you mean by pulling my deadlifts.

Without a belt or wraps I max out at around 415, straight leg Ive never tried more than 225 Im afraid of ripping my hammys, also get a ripping sensation in my upper back thats very uncomfortable when I do straight leg.

 

[quasimodo01]

good solid base for a 18 year old! keep eating big and training heavy and you will do well

 

[phluxx]

You look good, and have a lot of size, but if I had to criticize you I'd have to say you have a nonexistant lower back.

Just read that you actually deadlift and have a decent pull. I can't understand why you have such little back definition. I have huge grooves all the way down my lower back, and I only dead for LB.

I only deadlift every other week, and I'm on a 5x5. I find lower back doesn't recover fast enough to deadlift with heavy weight every week. On weeks I deadlift, I'll bent over row after @ 12-10-8 x 3sets, followed by heavy lat pull downs @ 8reps x 3sets., tbar rows @ 8reps x 3sets heavy as possible while keeping form tight and feeling a full flex in my back.. when not deadlifting i replace lat pull downs with sets of alternating grip pull ups

 

[barnzy7]

I dead lift every time I do back, I finished with 425 yesterday so I honestly dont understand why I can get any definition in my lower back.

I only do abs maybe once a week. Could that have anything to do with it since they are antagonists of each other?

This was the routine I did yesterday:

Deadlift- 135x10/225x5/315x5/405x1/415x1/425x1

Lat pull- 160x10/180x8/200x7

Upright Row-1plateX10/2plateX10/3plateX8/3plate+25x5

Seated Rows- 120x10/140x10/160x10
(went light to try and hold to work Lats)

Reverse Flys DB-15x16/20x12/25x10

Triangle Pull Down- 140x10/160x9.5/180x5

Straight Bar Rows- 110x10/130x10/150x10
(went really light on this one too)


Bicep Circuit.

I this workout varies week to week but I always do deadlifts,lat pull downs, rows.

Any critiques or suggestions to this would be much appreciated. Ill post this in the training forum as well.

 

[Andru1313]

Do some weighted pull ups wide grip. My back stated to grow more when i started to add that.

also bent over rows. But i would hit the wide pullups.

 

[phluxx]

Strange. You might want to consider a higher volume of work in your deadlift/back day like a 5x5 routine.

 

[barnzy7]

Strange. You might want to consider a higher volume of work in your deadlift/back day like a 5x5 routine.

So, reading up on the 5x5 I've been trying to slowly incorporate it into my routine.

It looks like the routine would go something like this, please correct me if im wrong.

deadlift 5x5
rows 12x2
weighted pull up 12x2
(Or switch up the with something else)

or something like that? I was a little confused because to me that seems like just not enough to do for a workout, but Im obviously wrong because it works for so many people and works well.

If you don't mind could you post what your back work out looks like?

 

[Dlove]

I dead lift every time I do back, I finished with 425 yesterday so I honestly dont understand why I can get any definition in my lower back.

BTW on one of your previous replys I get that same rip in the back of my lat. LOL. Actually Im at my office right now and after intense cardio this morning bitch hurts.

Try to mix it up with some rack pulls. Also deadlifting every week can be a little much especially if your squatin heavy. You look like you could do chin-ups real well? Hit them! As far as the lower back only thing thats helped me over the years has been hyper extensions and stiff leg deadlifts on the smith. Lats are tough cause remember the more you pull your Deads the thicker your waist. Always keep in mind the body is an illusion and proportionalize the best you can. If you see somethin lackin like your chest say. Go a lighter and stricter on other exercises before chest day. My Legs for 6 3 280lbs were pathetic so I decided not to go as heavy or intense on Back day and explode on squat day. Shocking and switching shit up works wonders.

BTW 18yrs. old, keep it up and train smart strict and true to form and your gonna be a thick mo-fo by 21.

 

[phluxx]

A big thing for me is not to deadlift every week. Deadlifting causes a lot of strain, and I find every other week causes massive growth when you allow your lower back to recover properly. The other reason is because it interferes with squatting, and vise versa.

Week1
Deadlifts - 2 warmup sets, 5 working sets (all 5 reps). The working sets are all the same weight. If you successfully make all of your pulls, bump it the next dead week. I've been bumping 20 pounds every 2 weeks .

Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 8

TBar Rows - 3 sets of 12-10-8 with excellent form/squeezing of back (this should go without saying)

Heavy lat pulldowns medium-ish shoulder width grip - 3 sets 10-8-8

Week2

Same as week 1 except I find I have more energy from not deadlifting, so I might replace lat pull downs with say.. 3 sets of 10 of wide grip pull ups, and 3 sets of 10 of neutral grip

 

[leanbody]

hey dude - lookin good. These guys already covered the back workouts - I'd say watch your diet - eat clean and eat big - you'll put on some mass in no time. Good work bro!

 

[barnzy7]

A big thing for me is not to deadlift every week. Deadlifting causes a lot of strain, and I find every other week causes massive growth when you allow your lower back to recover properly. The other reason is because it interferes with squatting, and vise versa.

Week1
Deadlifts - 2 warmup sets, 5 working sets (all 5 reps). The working sets are all the same weight. If you successfully make all of your pulls, bump it the next dead week. I've been bumping 20 pounds every 2 weeks .

Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 8

TBar Rows - 3 sets of 12-10-8 with excellent form/squeezing of back (this should go without saying)

Heavy lat pulldowns medium-ish shoulder width grip - 3 sets 10-8-8

Week2

Same as week 1 except I find I have more energy from not deadlifting, so I might replace lat pull downs with say.. 3 sets of 10 of wide grip pull ups, and 3 sets of 10 of neutral grip

Just letting you know I started doing what you said and trying to use the things you said about your workout and my back seems to have exploded since them. My lats are noticeably growing and my lower back is starting to become more defined.

Thanks for the great advice.