July 2019 musculardevelopment.com MD 117JASON ELLIS
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YouTube: Breon Ansley“I’m not afraid of
volume or higher reps.
The back is a huge,
complex group of
muscles, and it needs a
lot of work to reach its
full potential.”
Breon, your entire physique is
incredible, but I’m always impressed
with your back development. Can you
give me your back routine?
Thank you so much! My back
workouts are never exactly the same,
but this is a good example of one.Lat Pulldowns – 5 x 20
A lot of times I use a short straight
bar instead of the standard wider one,
but still with an overhand grip. Having
my grip closer in forces my elbows to
stay tucked in closer to my body, and I’m
able to get a more complete contraction
of my lats that’s lower down the belly of
the muscle,Seated Machine Rows – 5 x 20
There are various grip options on
most rowing machines. I tend to choose
ones that have my hands pronated and
angled, like holding the handles on a
small bicycle. You also might note that
I’m not afraid of volume or higher reps.
The back is a huge, complex group of
muscles, and it needs a lot of work to
reach its full potential.Back
RouTIne
foR
classIc
lInes
Bent Barbell Rows – 4 x 12
This is a very basic movement for back
thickness. I prefer to be fully warmed up
with a couple of other exercises before I hit
this one. It helps keep me safe from injury,
and it also means I don’t need to go quite as
heavy because I’ve already done some work
for the lats. I like to pull the bar to a couple
of inches below my belly button to work
more of the lower lats. You can never have
too much development there!Dumbbell Rows – 3 x 12
By the time I get to these, I certainly don’t
need to pull a 150-pounder. I keep the weight
challenging but not too heavy, focusing more
on getting a full range of motion and feeling
a deep contraction of the lats on every rep.Rack Pulls – 3 x 15
Rack pulls are an abbreviated form
of deadlifts that take the legs out of the
equation so you can concentrate on the
back. Doing them near the end of my back
workout allows me to tie together all the
areas of the back I’ve worked up to that
point. These hit everything from the traps on
down to the spinal erectors.Focused Pull-ups – 3 x 15
I like to finish back off with a movement
most guys lead off with, pull-ups. I’m not
getting a ton of reps on these, especially if it’s
the off-season and my bodyweight is higher. I
don’t even necessarily worry about a full range
of motion. What’s I’m aiming for is to burn out
every last muscle fiber in my upper back and
lats, doing my reps in the mid-range of the
ROM and getting a good stretch at the end of
each set before I drop to the floor.