It is often said that bodybuilding shows are won from the back. Posterior chain muscles are often challenging to develop as athletes cannot see them in the mirror while training. As such, establishing a mind-muscle connection is all the more critical.
Men’s Open division bodybuilder Hunter Labrada fell from fourth place at the 2021 Olympia to seventh the following year. Most of the judges’ critique he received was regarding his back. Labrada took a long off-season to plug the gaps in his physique and secured his 2023 Olympia qualification via his 2023 Tampa Pro win.
On Oct. 10, 2023, Labrada took to his YouTube channel to share his back workout four weeks out of the 2023 Mr. Olympia. Check it out below:
[Related: Coach Hany Rambod Trains Reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan on Chest Day]
Hunter Labrada 2023 Olympia Back & Hamstring Workout
Here is a snapshot of Labrada’s back and hamstring workout:
- Seated Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Machine T-Bar Row
- Lat Pulldown
- Lying Hamstring Curl
[Related: Will Tennyson Delves Into the Impact of Body Dysmorphia]
Seated Machine Row
Labrada opened with seated machine rows to bias his upper back. He kept his elbows tight to his sides on concentrics to maintain constant tension on his lats, rhomboids, and lower traps. Labrada used lifting straps to eliminate grip strength as a limiting factor, thereby loading heavier weight. He kept his chest against the pad throughout the exercise for stability.
Labrada trained the row through his full range of motion. His elbows eclipsed his midline at the top of each rep as he fully contracted his lats. He allowed his lats to stretch fully at the bottom of each rep to train the muscles in their lengthened positions.
Lat Pulldown
Labrada used handle attachments and a neutral grip for lat pulldowns to adjust the line of pull to effectively load the lats. He kept his chest proud and scapula depressed to ensure his lats moved the weight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoeuKxpXs5/
Labrada employed slow eccentrics with a pause at the top for time under tension. A 2022 study in Biology of Sport found that “slower eccentric duration showed a beneficial effect on hypertrophy and that varying eccentric duration may help promote favorable muscle growth.” (1)
Machine T-Bar Row
Labrada used a deliberate rep cadence on the machine T-bar rows to ensure an active mind-muscle connection. He prioritized proper form while lifting two 45-pound weight plates for the initial set. Labrada moved up to three 45-pound and one 25-pound plate on the second set before finishing with three 45-pound plates on the final set.
Lat Pulldown
Rowing promotes back thickness. Vertical pulls like lat pulldowns and pull-ups enhance back width, accentuating the V-taper achieved via broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Labrada concluded his back training with an additional round of lat pulldowns.
Road to 2023 Olympia
Labrada displayed significant progress since the 2022 Olympia at the 2023 Tampa and Texas Pro shows. We’ll see if he can peak properly at the absolute ideal moment on the Olympia stage to display the efforts he’s made to accommodate the judges’ critiques of his physique. The 2023 Mr. Olympia contest is scheduled for Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, FL.
References
- Azevedo PHSM, Oliveira MGD, Schoenfeld BJ. Effect of different eccentric tempos on hypertrophy and strength of the lower limbs. Biol Sport. 2022 Mar;39(2):443-449. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2022.105335. Epub 2021 Jun 1. PMID: 35309524; PMCID: PMC8919893.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
