• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Top Athletes
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
    • Competition Results
    • Latest Research
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini Massage Guns
      • Individual Recovery Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainers
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
        • Best Fat Burners for Men
        • Best Fat Burners for Women
        • Best Non-Stim Fat Burners
      • More Supplements
        • Best Supplements for Muscle Growth
        • Best Supplements for CrossFit
        • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
        • Best Supplements for Bodybuilding
        • Best Supplements for Men
        • Best Supplement Stacks
      • Individual Supplements Reviews
    • Equipment
      • Cardio
        • Best Treadmills
        • Best Rowing Machines
        • Best Exercise Bikes
        • Best Ellipticals
        • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Strength
        • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
        • Best Dumbbells
        • Best Kettlebells
        • Best Barbells
        • Best Squat Racks
        • Best Free Weights
        • Best Weight Benches
        • Best Resistance Bands
        • Best Slam Balls
        • Best Weighted Vests
        • Best Leg Extension Machines
        • Best Cable Machines
        • Best Power Racks
        • Best Pull Up Bars
      • Best Home Gyms
        • Best Smart Home Gyms
        • Best Gym Equipment Under $100
        • Best Home Gym Essentials
        • Best Home Gym Flooring
      • Individual Equipment Reviews
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Apparel
        • Best Weightlifting Shoes
        • Best Cross Training Shoes
        • Best Gym Bags
        • Best Gym Shorts
      • Training
        • Best Weightlifting Belts
        • Best Knee Sleeves
        • Best Lifting Straps
        • Best Grip Strengtheners
        • Best Wrist Wraps
        • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Individual Fitness Product Reviews
    • Certifications
      • Best Sports Nutrition Certifications
      • Best Personal Trainer Certifications
      • Best Nutrition Certifications
      • Individual Certifications Reviews
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
      • Individual Program Reviews
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Nutrition Tips
      • Daily Protein Needs
      • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
      • Foods With Creatine
      • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Bent-Over Row
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Crunches
      • Farmer’s Carry
    • Best Exercises
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Back Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Glute Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Hamstring Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Calf Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
      • Triceps Exercises
    • Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • German Volume Training
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • The Cube Method
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Build Your Own Program
    • Fat Loss
      • How to Burn Fat
      • Spot Fat Reduction
      • How to Train on a Cut
      • Body Conditioning
      • Workouts
        • Kettlebell Circuits
        • Dumbbell Complexes
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Muscle Gain
      • Muscle Hypertrophy Explained
      • How to Build Muscle
      • How to Maintain Muscle
      • What Researchers Say About Muscle Gain
        • Workouts
          • 20-Minute Workouts
          • Kettlebell Circuits
          • CrossFit Workouts for Muscle
          • Bodybuilding Workouts
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Bodybuilding News » Legendary Bodybuilding Trainer Charles Glass Tells You How To Achieve a Wider Back

Legendary Bodybuilding Trainer Charles Glass Tells You How To Achieve a Wider Back

Going heavy doesn't guarantee anything

Written by Stephen Sheehan, ISSA CPT, CNC, CSCS
Last updated on November 1st, 2024

With four decades of coaching experience, Charles Glass has helped countless clients sculpt stage-worthy physiques. And if there’s one lesson “The Godfather of Bodybuilding” has learned over the last 40 years that specifically applies to back training, it’s this: There’s a time and place for everything.

Glass gave viewers a glimpse into what it’s like to go through one of his workouts in a video posted on his YouTube channel on Oct. 21, 2024. The grizzled veteran of the muscle-building community provided specific coaching cues for developing wider lats and deeper delts.

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements]

Back to Class With Charles Glass

The grizzled veteran of the muscle-building community started the session with the seated cable row, a staple in just about every bodybuilding back workout. A horizontal pull movement that effectively engages your lats and traps, the seated row can quickly deviate from a back-builder to a biceps-drainer if you’re not careful.

  • To avoid this, Glass had his client sit on a short plyo box positioned directly behind the seated row bench. This allows for a complete stretch where you can pull with your back and contract all the way through.

Glass emphasized form and control over load, noting that he didn’t use a lot of weight on the seated row. When his client mentioned that many YouTube training videos say you must lift heavy to develop a big back, the longtime bodybuilding coach dispelled that notion.

  • “We do believe in training heavy, but there’s a time and place for it,” Glass said.

[Related: Best Mass Gainer Supplements]

Unconventional Setup, Better Results?

After his client completed several slow-and-controlled sets of seated rows, Glass pulled another card out of his bag of cable-training tricks with a unique lat pulldown variation.

The Setup

  • Glass positioned an adjustable weight bench directly behind the seated row bench, setting it to about a 45-degree incline.
  • His client sat about halfway up the back pad, placing his feet on the seated row bench for leverage and leaning forward with his torso.
  • Holding onto a long triceps rope with his arms fully extended, the trainee drove his elbows back, pulling and squeezing his lats at the top of the movement.

[Related: Best Weight Benches]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleksiy Mokshyn (@alexmokshyn)

Why go through such trouble with a perfectly good lat pulldown machine nearby?

  • “It goes one way,” Glass explained. “This we can manipulate a little bit more and get the same contraction.”

Glass pays attention to every detail, pointing out that even the most nuanced change can make a major impact.

  • “I need the angle so you can pull and lift the chest up,” Glass said. “If you’re sitting down in there, it’s going down to the bottom and you end up folding over.“

After pointing out both strengths and areas for improvement in his client’s physique, Glass finished up at a plate-loaded bent-over row machine. Again, he emphasized two familiar cues: fully stretching and contracting the muscle and using your back instead of your biceps to execute a movement that’s also taxing on your core.

If there’s one thing you can take away from the legendary trainer, it’s that a full range of motion matters more than moving massive amounts of weight—at least when it comes to building a wide back.

More Bodybuilding Content

  • Trying To Out-Pose Chris Bumstead Made Runner-Up Mike Sommerfeld “Sore for 5 Days”
  • How Martin Fitzwater Used 4,000 Carbs to Fuel His Impressive Olympia Debut
  • Jay Cutler’s “Blueprint” For Shoulder Development

Featured image: Charles Glass GOB / YouTube

About Stephen Sheehan, ISSA CPT, CNC, CSCS

Stephen is an ISSA-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. A two-time University of Florida graduate and longtime rugby player, he brings over ten years of strength training experience to BarBend, with particular expertise in personal training, nutrition, weight loss, and sport-specific strength and conditioning tactics. When he’s not writing or hitting the gym, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and practicing his DJ skills.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

EveryPlate Review

EveryPlate Review (2025): A Tasty, Budget-Friendly Meal Kit, Tested By Our Experts

ARMRA Colostrum Review

ARMRA Colostrum Review (2025): A Certified Nutrition Coach’s Critique of this Trending Supplement

Sun Home Luminar Review

Sun Home Luminar Review (2025): Our Experts Sweat It Out With This High-Quality Outdoor Sauna

Cover image for CookUnity review of a filled reusable box of 6 CookUnity meals

CookUnity Review (2025): An Expert-Tested and Flexible Prepared Meal Service

Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens Review

Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens Review (2025): Our Experts Examine This Nutrient-Filled Profile

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap