June 10 - Back

Goal: wider lats + fuller rear-delt/mid/lower-trap shelf behind the shoulders.

Main win: make this a real width-focused back day: 2 vertical pulls + 2 lat-isolation moves, then rows/rear delts. Beat one clean target without turning the session into biceps yanking.

Best targets today

• Lat Pulldown: 90 × 8
• Close-Grip Pulldown: 80 × 8 or cleaner 70 × 12
• Straight-Arm Pulldown: 60 × 11
• Long Pull: 90 × 11

What we’re improving today

• Add Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown because unilateral overhead-to-hip pulling is money for lat width and mind-muscle connection.
• Keep the backbone: Lat Pulldown / Close-Grip Pulldown / Straight-Arm Pulldown / Long Pull.
• Keep rear-delt/trap-shelf work in: Face Pull + Cable Rear Delt Fly / Reverse Pec Deck.
• Landmine row stays optional because low-back/bent-over fatigue can get annoying. Do it only if back feels good after cable rows.
• Add a real biceps block after back work. Back + biceps makes sense: pulling already warms biceps, and bigger arms support the wider upper-body look.
• For wider-looking biceps/arms, prioritize hammer/neutral-grip curls for brachialis + brachioradialis thickness, then cable curls for biceps tension.

Priority order if the gym is busy 1. Lat Pulldown 2. Close-Grip Pulldown 3. Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown 4. Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown 5. Long Pull 6. Rear delts / face pulls 7. Biceps block: Hammer Curl + Single-Arm Cable Curl 8. Optional landmine row / back raises only if low back feels good

Rules for today

• Lats: stretch at the top, shoulders down, elbows to hips, neutral wrists, no biceps-dominant pulling.
• Width bias: on pulldowns, think armpits down to pockets, not hands to chest.
• Rows: 1-sec squeeze, chest tall, no momentum reps.
• Rear delts/traps: 12–20 reps, lighter and cleaner. If traps take over, lower the weight.
• Add weight only after clean reps. Ugly reps do not count.

Warm-up

• 5 min easy bike/walk
• 2 light ramp sets on Lat Pulldown before working sets
• 1 light set of Face Pulls or Rear Delt Fly before heavy pulls

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Lat Pulldown

Visual: cached closest match — wide lat pulldown.

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How: Use your usual Precor/Icarian angled neutral/wide black V-shaped handle. Chest slightly up, shoulders down, neutral wrists, elbows drive toward ribs/hips. Do not lean way back or curl the handle down.

Target: last session stayed at 90 × 7. Get 90 × 8 clean today. If 90 feels bad, own 80 × 10–12 first.

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Close Grip Lat Pulldown

Visual: cached closest match — close-grip front lat pulldown.

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How: Use your padded neutral close-grip attachment. Neutral wrists, neck long, shoulders down, elbows down/in. Do not turn it into a curl.

Target: last time hit 70 × 12. Try 80 × 8 if warm-up feels good; otherwise repeat 70 and make it cleaner.

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Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown — Width Focus

Visual: MuscleWiki lat cable exercises. Use a single D-handle from high cable.

How: Kneel or stand slightly back from the cable. Start with a big lat stretch overhead, shoulder down, then drive elbow toward your hip/pocket. Keep ribs down; do not twist your torso to finish the rep.

Target: 3 sets × 10–15 each side. Start around 25–35 lb. This should feel like lower/outer lat, not biceps. Pause 1 sec at the bottom.

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Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown — Lat Width Add

Visual: cached closest match — rope straight-arm pulldown.

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How: Slight hip hinge, arms mostly straight, shoulders down. Pull rope/bar from eye level to thighs by driving lats, not triceps.

Target: June PR was 60 × 10. Try 60 × 11 only if lats stay locked in. Otherwise use 50–55 and make every rep slow.

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Long Pull

Visual: cached closest match — seated cable row.

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How: Chest up, pull elbows back, pause at the body. Do not round forward and yank.

Target: last session hit 90 × 10. Main PR attempt today is 90 × 11 if form is clean.

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Bent Over Landmine Row — Optional

Visual: cached closest match — barbell bent-over row.

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How: Brace, stay hinged, pull through elbows. No jerking off the floor. Skip if low back feels cooked after Long Pull.

Target: last completed target before skip was around 65 × 8–10. Today just rebuild clean if you do it.

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Face Pull

Visual: MuscleWiki rear/shoulder cable exercises. No exact cached GIF; use strict form.

How: Pull toward face/forehead, elbows high-ish, rotate thumbs back. Think rear delts + lower traps, not upper-trap shrug.

Target: last session best was 70 × 12. Try 70 × 13 or hold 70 for cleaner 12s.

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Cable Rear Delt Fly / Reverse Pec Deck — Shelf Builder

Visual: MuscleWiki rear/shoulder cable exercises. Use reverse pec deck if cables are busy.

How: Soft elbows, pull out and slightly back. Keep traps down. Stop when rear delts finish the rep; do not crank your shoulders behind you.

Target: last best was 50 × 10. Try 50 × 11, or stay lighter and chase a real 12–20 rep rear-delt burn.

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Back Raises — Optional lower-back prehab

Skip by default if rows already hit your lower back. If you do them, keep them bodyweight and controlled — this is not a max-effort finisher.

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Dumbbell Hammer Curl — Arm Width Builder

Why: this hits brachialis/brachioradialis, which makes the arm look wider/thicker from the front and side. This is better for your “wider biceps” goal than only doing regular curls.

How: Neutral grip, elbows pinned, curl without swinging. Stop 1 rep before form gets ugly.

Target: 3 sets × 8–12. Start around 20–25 lb if available. If 25s get sloppy, use 20s and own the reps.

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Single Arm Cable Curls — Biceps Tension

Target: required today after back work. Strict reps, full stretch, hard squeeze. Do not let shoulders roll forward.

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Rope Curl / Cable Hammer Curl — Optional Finisher

Only if elbows feel good and you still have time. Use rope hammer style for more brachialis/forearm width.

June 01 - Back