Men’s Open bodybuilder Hunter Labrada took a hiatus from YouTube after the 2023 Olympia, where he finished sixth overall, ascending one rank from the 2022 Olympia. On March 5, 2024, Labrada returned to share a pull workout to develop thicker lats.
Labrada has received feedback from Olympia judges relaying that to further climb the ranks, Labrada must improve his back development. Check out Labrada’s back training during his off-season in the video below:
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Hunter Labrada’s Back Workout
Labrada joined forces with fellow bodybuilder Jordan Vanderflier and IFBB Pro League competitor Roy Evans in the following six back exercises:
- Single-Arm Cable Pullover
- Barbell Row
- Unilateral Lat Pulldown
- Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Machine Reverse Flye
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Single-Arm Cable Pullover
Labrada kicked off his pull day with one-arm cable pullovers. He arched his back and cued tucking the elbows into the hip pocket during the pull. Labrada found that this method engages the lats more acutely when maintaining an engaged core to lock the ribcage down.
The objective of the programming wasn’t to reach failure but rather to mobilize the scapula, enhance mobility, and stimulate blood flow to the lats. “The rest of the exercise is about beating the sh*t out of your lower lats,” said Labrada.
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Barbell Row
Labrada incorporated lifting straps for barbell bent-over rows, performing four sets and increasing the weight each time, with the last set taken to failure. This session was the first time Labrada has performed bent-over barbell rows in over three years.
For years, Labrada incorporated high-volume to the barbell rows to grow his back. “[I did] bent-over rows once or twice a week for five years straight trying to grow a back,” he shared. “Unfortunately, I am not Ronnie Coleman or Dorian Yates, so I must do other things to grow my back.”
Unilateral Lat Pulldown & Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Labrada utilized the plate-loaded Nautilus machine with a neutral grip on his single-arm lat pulldowns. The neutral grip facilitated his natural alignment: upright chest and protracted shoulders.
Labrada performed each set unilaterally to adjust strength imbalances and implemented slowed negatives.
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Labrada emphasized lifting heavy on chest-supported T-bar rows. He performed three ramp-up sets, increasing the intensity of each subsequent set. The support from the bench maintained Labrada’s posture while he focused on engaging the lats.
Machine Front Lat Pulldown & Machine Reverse Flye
Labrada used an underhand grip first, transitioning to a wide overhand grip for front lat pulldowns performed on a Megamass Fitness machine. Research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research has shown that altering grip width during lat pulldowns engages the muscles in distinct ways. A medium grip resulted in greater biceps activation than a wide grip. (1)
Labrada concluded his session on the reverse flye machine to target his rear delts. After the workout, Labrada departed for the 2024 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, which ran from Mar. 1 to 3. Labrada chose not to participate in the competition, opting for rest after a rigorous seven-month preparation for the 2023 Olympia.
References
- Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., Wiik, E., Skoglund, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2014). Effects of grip width on muscle strength and activation in the lat pull-down. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 28(4), 1135–1142.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
