Canadian natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and YouTuber Jeff Nippard uses science-backed training, diet, and recovery techniques to build muscle and strength. He uses his channel to relay the latest strength research to his 3.8 million subscribers.
On July 10, 2023, Nippard share a high-volume pull-day workout aimed at back and biceps hypertrophy with the support of what science currently suggests is most effective for that goal. Check it out in the video below:
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Jeff Nippard’s Back and Biceps Workout
Nippard did six exercises in his science-backed pull-day workout:
- One-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown — 3 x 12-15
- Pull-Up — 1 x AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
- Kroc Row — 3 x 10-12
- Cable Shrug-In — 3 x 10-12
- Reverse Pec Deck Flye — 3 x 10-12
- Overhead Cable Biceps Curl — 3 x 10-12
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Warm-Up
Nippard’s warm-up routine included five minutes on a stair climber, followed by a few dynamic stretches. Warming up before a training session helps prime the muscles by boosting blood flow, improving mobility, and potentially reducing the risk of injury.
One-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown
Nippard used a cable pulley for these pulldowns. He grabbed a D-handle attachment with a neutral grip in his left hand. He assumed a half-kneeling stance, grounding his left knee and placing his right hand on the right knee for stability.
Nippard emphasized the importance of keeping the cable and forearm in a straight line. He recommended readjusting the height of the pulley if the lifter cannot maintain their forearm at 45 degrees throughout the range of motion.
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Keeping his elbow close to his side, Nippard pulled the handle, driving through his elbow until his upper arm was perpendicular to the floor. Pulling the elbow behind the torso removes the tension from the lats and engages the shoulders.
Pull-Up
Nippard performed a single set of bodyweight pull-ups to failure. Per a National Strength and Conditioning Association study, “muscle failure promotes greater muscle hypertrophy in low-load” training. (1)
Pull-ups are a great exercise…that you shouldn’t avoid just because they are harder than lat-pulldowns.
Nippard used a wider-than-shoulder-width overhand false grip. He maintained a proud chest while moving through his full range of motion. His chin maneuvered over the bar at the top. He stopped shy of disengaging his scapula at the bottom.
Kroc Row
Kroc rows allow a slightly more upright posture than the conventional single-arm dumbbell row. Nippard prefers this row variation as it allows him to use “controlled cheating.”
[Read More: Best Upper Chest Exercises for Building Muscle]
Nippard opined that some science-based lifters tend to leave gains on the table by being overly strict with their form. “Sometimes [strict form] can hold you back if you’re severely limiting the loads you’re capable of using in the name of perfect technique,” explained Nippard.
Cable Shrug-In
Nippard performed this exercise on a functional trainer with its arms at the lowest setting. He grabbed the D-handle attachments with a neutral grip and assumed a staggered stance a little more than a foot in front of the pulleys.
According to Nippard, the orientation of the cables tends to line up better with the direction of the upper trap fibers, which fan out horizontally. Nippard tucked his chin into his upper chest and pulled his shoulders toward his ears.
Reverse Pec Deck Flye
Nippard underscored the significance of pulling the arms “out and back” instead of “just back” during concentric. The former can be more effective in engaging the posterior deltoids. Excessively bending the elbows leads to greater mid-back engagement via the rhomboids and mid-traps.
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Nippard encouraged varying grip positions in every set to train the rear delts at different angles. He recommended using a neutral grip on the first set, an overhand grip on the second, and internally rotating the shoulders to grab the handles at an angle between the vertical bar and the handle for the final set.
Overhead Cable Biceps Curl
Nippard performed the biceps curls kneeling in front of a cable pulley. He set the pulley at a height that allowed him to maintain his upper arm at 45 degrees throughout his range of motion. Keeping his elbow pinned, Nippard pulled the handle behind his head.
Per Nippard, overhead biceps curls are more effective at biasing the long head than conventional cable biceps curls, helping improve the biceps peak. Though Nippard only included a single biceps exercise in this pull-day workout, he encouraged viewers with lagging biceps to increase their volume with various biceps exercises such as dumbbell biceps curls or incline dumbbell curls.
References
- Lasevicius T, Schoenfeld BJ, Silva-Batista C, Barros TS, Aihara AY, Brendon H, Longo AR, Tricoli V, Peres BA, Teixeira EL. Muscle Failure Promotes Greater Muscle Hypertrophy in Low-Load but Not in High-Load Resistance Training. J Strength Cond Res. 2022 Feb 1;36(2):346-351. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003454. PMID: 31895290.
Featured image: @jeffnippard on Instagram
