• 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
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout 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
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Strongman News » How Sam Belliveau Trained Her Back For the 2024 Rogue Strongwoman Invitational

How Sam Belliveau Trained Her Back For the 2024 Rogue Strongwoman Invitational

Belliveau ranked eighth overall in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Written by Terry Ramos
Last updated on November 13th, 2024

At the 2024 Rogue Strongwoman Invitational, Sam Belliveau, four-time Canada’s Strongest Women (2021-24) and world record holder for the circus dumbbell clean and press (185 pounds at the 2024 Arnold Strongwoman Classic), ranked eighth overall in the contest’s debut in Aberdeen, Scotland. She scored a win in the fifth of six events.

To achieve that standout event performance, Belliveau’s prep consisted of training with her fiancé, 2022 Canada’s Strongest Man and 2021 World’s Strongest Man bronze medalist Maxime Boudreault, six sessions per week.

Sam Belliveau’s Back Training

  • Hammer Grip Lat Pulldown
  • Smith Machine Barbell Bent-Over Row
  • Machine Single-Arm Row
  • Iso-Lateral Lat Pulldown
  • Machine Lying Rear Delt Flye
  • Reverse Grip Iso-Lateral Lat Pulldown

[Related: Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders]

Back Day Mic’d up | Q&A Answers

Hammer Grip Lat Pulldown & Barbell Bent-Over Row

Boudreault prefers lat pulldowns with a hammer (neutral) grip to mimic a log press. Belliveau performs lat pulldowns slowly, ensuring the lats remain under constant tension. Time under tension duration during exercise optimizes muscle growth. (1)

Barbell bent-over rows develop lower lats depending on the line of pull and degree of hip hinge. “Our backs are important for so many little accessory works, especially for our main lifts: yoke, deadlift,” Belliveau said. Training on the Smith machine isolates the back more as it doesn’t require as much stabilization as the free-weight alternative. 

How Does the Strong Couple Train Before Events?

Boudreault emphasizes that training depends on schedule and prep needs. Typically, they have seven to eight competitive shows each year, and they prioritize the major events, which include the Rogue Invitational.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sam Belliveau (@sambelliveauu)

They ramp up intensity about eight to 12 weeks before a contest. During the off-season, they concentrate on improving their weak areas. “To get ready for a comp, probably 12 weeks out. I’ll deload a week prior to the show,” Boudreault explained. 

Boudreault stated that training lighter is beneficial. “It’s not always pedal to the metal because that’s where you’ll get injured.” He shared the following tips:

  1. Balance your routine. Doing one week of speed exercises and heavy lifting can help prevent burnout.
  2. Listen to your body. If you are tired, avoid going for a heavy load. Always leave two to three reps in the tank to avoid failure for the main lifts.
  3. Do accessory exercises. They help one get stronger. “Don’t half your accessories. They will help you get a stronger compound movement. You’re only as strong as your weakest muscle,” Boudreault explained. 

Reference

  1. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200

Featured image: @sambelliveauu on Instagram

About Terry Ramos

As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Find out more about Terry's training services here: terrys-training.ck.page/b777772623

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

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