July 29 - Back + Core

Overall goal: build a wider, thicker back while moving toward 160 lb with muscle-focused weight gain. Prioritize lats, mid-back, and the rear-delt shelf; keep direct core work consistent.

Main win: beat one clean back target—preferably Lat Pulldown 100 × 11 or Long Pull 90 × 11—then complete bodyweight decline crunches. Quality beats adding more exercises.

Rules today

• Yesterday was chest: keep shoulders down and stop any pull that irritates the front of the shoulder.
• Leave 1–2 clean reps in reserve on the first working set of each main pull.
• Vertical pulls: elbows toward ribs/hips; do not curl the handle.
• Rows: still torso, controlled return, and a one-second squeeze.
• Add reps before load. Do not force a PR if form changes.
• Cut Face Pull first if short on time—not the main pulls or decline crunches.

Warm-up

• 5 minutes easy treadmill or bike.
• 1 light set of Face Pull or Rear-Delt Fly × 15.
• 2 ramp-up sets on Lat Pulldown; do not log them.

---

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. Build through 90–100. Try 100 × 11 only if the first two working sets stay smooth and shrug-free.

Progress goal: beat the previous clean 100 × 10 by one rep; otherwise match it with better control.

Note: Sets were harder today, i think im physically tired from lack of sleep

---

Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown — Width Focus

Visual: single-arm cable lat example

How: full overhead stretch, shoulder down, ribs controlled, and elbow toward the hip. Keep both sides honest—no torso twist.

Target today: 3 sets × 10–12 per side. Use 70–80 with control. Try 80 × 11 only if both sides match.

Progress goal: add one clean rep to the previous 80 × 10 rather than increasing weight.

---

Seated Long Pull — Mid-Back Thickness (Machine)

Visual: cached closest match — seated cable row.

!320

How: chest tall, shoulders down, pull elbows back, pause at the body, and return under control. Do not round forward and yank.

Target today: 3 sets × 8–12. Aim for 90 × 11 with a still torso before considering 100.

Progress goal: beat the previous 90 × 10 by one clean rep.

---

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 the thighs using the lats rather than pressing with the triceps.

Target today: 3 sets × 10–15. Try 60 × 11–12 with a slow overhead stretch.

Progress goal: beat the previous 60 × 10 by adding clean reps.

---

Cable Rear-Delt Fly / Reverse Pec Deck — Shelf Builder ❌

How: soft elbows, traps down, and pull out and slightly back. Stop when the rear delts finish the movement.

Target today: 3 sets × 12–15. Prefer strict work around 55–60 rather than repeating the loose 70 × 8 attempt.

Progress goal: beat 60 × 10 with 60 × 11–12 while keeping the shoulders down.

---

Face Pull — Optional Upper-Back Finisher

How: pull toward the forehead, keep the neck long, and rotate the thumbs back without shrugging.

Target today: 2 controlled sets × 12–15 at 70–80. Skip if the rear delts or front shoulders feel fatigued after yesterday’s chest session.

---

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 first, then the third Straight-Arm Pulldown set. The main pulls and decline crunches define a successful workout.

Source: July 24 - Back + Core · Progress reference: July 2026 - Workout Stats