Women’s Physique competitor Dana Linn Bailey and Men’s Open bodybuilder Regan Grimes met up at the Mecca of Bodybuilding — Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA, for a back workout. They both were attending the LA Fit Expo, so they decided to team up for a training session.
We are getting too wide. We will have to walk sideways through doors.
As they planned which machines in the gym to incorporate into their programming for the day, they found their way to the outdoor area of the facility to kick things off with neutral grip lat pulldowns on the cable machine. The entire workout was filmed and shared on Grimes’ YouTube channel on June 30, 2022. Check it out below:
[Related: Watch Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin Conquer a Heavy Back Training Session]
Wide-Grip Pulldowns and Pull-Ups
Bailey and Grimes kick off the workout with a unilateral wide-grip pulldown variation. They each performed sets individually, resting while the other performed their reps. Both appeared to go to failure during the three sets that were shown on camera.
Grimes and Bailey moved on to several sets of pull-ups on the fixed pull-up bars bolted to an outside wall of the facility. All of their sets were done with bodyweight and did not cause Bailey any elbow issues as they had in the past.
Since a shoulder injury suffered while snowboarding, Bailey removed the barbell bench press from her programming as it felt stressful on her shoulder joint. Likewise, the pull-up previously caused her tendonitis in her elbow. However, on this day at the Mecca, her joints were agreeable as the workout was heating up.
The duo transferred indoors to perform lat pulldowns. They worked through several sets of progressive overload. Again, only one trained at a time as the other recovered. While they didn’t say if there was a particular goal for this back session, there was an emphasis on lats and training to failure, which suggests both were in the hypertrophy market.
[Related: Chris Bumstead Trains Quads With an Improved Breathing Technique]
Seated Hammer Row & Straight-Arm Pulldown
Bailey and Grimes alternated on a Hammer row machine. The handles are designed to move individually on swivels rather than a fixed path allowing them to better line up the pull with their respective structures. This allows athletes with wider backs to reach full contraction as the elbows can flare out naturally, keeping the emphasis on the lats rather than the upper back when fully contracted.
Straight-arm pulldowns were the follow-up to the seated cable rows, keeping the focus on the lats. Grimes and Bailey chose to use a long rope attachment so they wouldn’t bend their elbows when their lats were in the shortened position. The video has intense underscore playing during these sets rather than commentary. Still, it was apparent that they were conscious of maintaining proper form and using equipment that enabled a clean line of pull.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Hunter Labrada Shares New 8-Week Training Split Before His 2022 Olympia Prep]
Dana Linn Bailey’s Giant Set
The final movement is a favorite of Bailey’s — a superset of multiple movements to burn out the back. The superset consisted of straight-arm pulldowns, standing cable rows, seated face pulls, and Y-raises while laying down, each for 10 reps. Bailey and Grimes ended the day with static holds on the pull-up bar to stretch and some poses for the cameraman.
Regan Grimes & Dana Linn Bailey’s Back Workout
Below are the exercises performed by Grimes and Bailey during their workout.
- Wide-Grip Unilateral Pulldown
- Wide-Grip Pull-Up
- Wide-Grip Pulldown
- Stiff-Arm Pulldown
- Dana Linn Bailey Giant Set
Bailey is currently on a hiatus from competitive bodybuilding and did not state in this video if there were any current plans for her return. Grimes is qualified for the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. It will be Grimes’ third appearance in the Mr. Olympia competition. He ranked 15th overall in 2020 and 2021.
Featured image: @regangrimes on Instagram