Back + Core
July 24 - Back + Core
Updated Jul 24, 2026 05:42 PM
Overall goal: increase from about 150 lb to 160 lb through controlled, muscle-focused weight gain; get stronger, build a wider back and lats, create a bigger-looking physique, and maintain a strong, relatively flat-looking core by limiting unnecessary fat gain.
Today’s goal: return to back training after the July 8 session, build wider lats and a thicker rear-delt/upper-back shelf, then complete direct core work.
How this session supports the overall goal
- Strength: progressively add clean reps, then load, on Lat Pulldown and Long Pull.
- Wider back/lats: prioritize vertical pulls and shoulder-to-hip elbow paths through Lat Pulldown, Single-Arm Pulldown, and Straight-Arm Pulldown.
- Look bigger: build mid-back thickness and the rear-delt/upper-back shelf with Long Pull, Rear-Delt Fly, and Face Pull.
- Flatter-looking core: strengthen the abdominal wall with decline crunches and improve deep-core control with dead bugs. Visible flatness also depends on overall body-fat level, nutrition, sleep, and daily activity; ab training cannot spot-reduce belly fat.
Main win: complete Lat Pulldown + Long Pull with clean control, then finish bodyweight decline crunches. Do not turn today into another 24-set marathon.
Rules today
- This is your first back session in 16 days. Use the old numbers as references, not obligations.
- Keep 1–2 clean reps in reserve on the first working sets.
- Lats: shoulders down, elbows toward ribs/hips, and no curling the handles.
- Rows: still torso and a one-second squeeze. Lower the load if momentum appears.
- Cut optional curls first if time or energy is low—not the main pulls or decline crunches.
Warm-up
- 5 minutes easy treadmill or bike.
- 1 light set of face pulls × 15.
- 2 ramp-up sets on Lat Pulldown before the working sets.
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Lat Pulldown — Main Width Lift
Visual: cached closest match — wide lat pulldown.
!320
How: use your usual Precor/Icarian angled neutral-wide handle. Chest slightly up, shoulders down, neutral wrists, and elbows toward ribs/hips. Do not lean far back.
Target today: 4 sets × 8–12. Re-establish clean work around 90–100. Try 100 × 11 only if the first sets move smoothly with no shoulder shrug.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 | 90 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 100 | 100 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 100 | 100 | 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 80 | 90 | 10 | 10 |
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Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown — Width Focus
How: start with a full overhead stretch, keep the shoulder down, and drive the elbow toward your hip without twisting your torso.
Target today: 3 sets × 10–12 per side. Build clean reps at 60–70; target 70 × 11 only if both sides stay controlled.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 70 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 70 | 70 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 70 | 80 | 10 | 10 |
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Long Pull — Mid-Back Thickness
Visual: cached closest match — seated cable row.
!320
How: chest tall, pull elbows back, pause at the body, and return under control. Do not round and yank.
Target today: 3 sets × 8–12. Aim for 90 × 11 with a still torso before considering 100.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | 80 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 80 | 90 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 90 | 90 | 10 | 10 |
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Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown — Lat Isolation
Visual: cached closest match — rope straight-arm pulldown.
!320
How: slight hip hinge, arms mostly straight, shoulders down. Pull toward your thighs using your lats rather than pressing with your triceps.
Target today: 2–3 sets × 10–15. Try 60 × 11–12 with a controlled stretch.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 50 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 10 |
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Cable Rear-Delt Fly / Reverse Pec Deck — Shelf Builder
How: use soft elbows, keep traps down, and pull out and slightly back. Stop when the rear delts finish the movement.
Target today: 3 sets × 12–15. Prefer controlled 55–60 work over forcing heavier sets. Beat 60 × 10 by adding clean reps.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | 55 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 55 | 70 | 10 | 8 |
| 3 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 10 |
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Face Pull — Optional Upper-Back Finisher
How: pull toward your forehead, keep your neck long, and rotate your thumbs back without shrugging.
Target today: 2 controlled sets × 12–15. Skip if your rear delts and upper back already feel fully trained.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70 | 70 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | 80 | 80 | 10 | 10 |
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Core Block
Bodyweight Decline Crunch — Required
How: secure your feet, cross your arms over your chest, relax your neck, and curl your ribs toward your pelvis. Do not bounce or pull mainly through your hip flexors.
Target today: 3 sets × 10–15 controlled reps. Add reps before increasing the decline angle; no added weight needed.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bodyweight | bodyweight | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | bodyweight | bodyweight | 10 | 10 |
Dead Bug
How: brace your lower back gently against the floor and slowly extend the opposite arm and leg. Exhale during each extension.
Target today: 2 sets × 8–10 slow reps per side. Beat the recent 7 controlled reps without losing your brace.
| Set | Prev Weight | Weight | Prev Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bodyweight | bodyweight | 7/side | 5/side |
| 2 | bodyweight | bodyweight | 7/side | 5/side |
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If short on time
1. Lat Pulldown — 4 sets 2. Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown — 3 sets 3. Long Pull — 3 sets 4. Rear-Delt Fly — 2–3 sets 5. Bodyweight Decline Crunch — 2–3 sets
Skip Face Pull and the third Straight-Arm Pulldown set first. The main pulls and decline crunches define a successful workout.
Source: July 08 - Back · Core reference: July 13 - Legs + Core