Logan “The Texas Oak” Franklin went to train in Tomball, TX, for a back training session. The video recording of the brutal back workout was uploaded to Franklin’s YouTube channel on Aug. 17, 2022.
Franklin explains his back, rear delts, and abs workout and then starts moving weight stacks. Check out the full workout below:
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Pre and Intra-Workout Meals
Franklin prepped his pre and intra-workout meals to fuel his heavy back workout. His pre-workout meal consists of 50 grams of protein from Vanilla GAT Sports Whey Matrix with 10 grams of L-Glutamine, 60 grams of carbs from instant grits, and another 30 grams from a Nature’s Bakery Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bar.
Franklin’s intra-workout drink consists of two scoops of grape Carbotein by GAT Sports, containing 62 grams of carbs, mixed with 12 ounces of Body Armor for electrolytes and hydration with 10 grams of added L-Glutamine. Franklin drank his pre-workout protein shake and digested it for 20-25 minutes before consuming his carbs.
Franklin admitted that he is not a big eater and that potentially contributed to staying relatively lean year round — he eats what he needs for fuel.
Incline Stiff Arm Pulldowns
Franklin sipped his intra-workout and warmed up his lats on an incline variation of the stiff-arm pulldown. He utilized straps instead of a rope or bar, focusing on a full range of motion with a squeeze at peak contraction. He allowed for a stretch in the fully lengthened position.
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Franklin went light at the start of the movement to focus on getting the blood into the muscle, find the squeeze, and gradually increase the weight for a peak set. He then performed a back-off set to finish the exercise.
Franklin takes every set to near failure as he believes doing so leads to better hypertrophy, especially for back training.
Single-Arm Lat Pulldowns
Next up were alternating single-arm lat pulldowns on a plate-loaded machine, starting with two 45-pound weight plates on each side. He worked up to eight 45-pound plates total. Franklin rotated the handle on the way down, squeezing into the hip before slowly coming back up to fully stretch the back at the top of the movement.
Bent-Over Barbell Rows & Chest-Supported Row
Franklin slung on his weightlifting belt for some bent-over barbell rows. Back growth development often results from heavy, controlled compound movements to near mechanical failure.
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Starting at 185 pounds, then upping to 225 pounds, Franklin worked his way up to 275 pounds before backing off for another set with 225 pounds.
Trying to catch my breath while keeping my core engaged…it’s so hard…it’s going to show on stage when…I can hold my core the entire time.
Franklin performed a chest-supported seated row with rotating handles to allow for a more natural position throughout the entire movement.
Reverse Pec Deck, Hyperextensions, & Cable Crunches
Franklin finished his back workout with a tri-set involving the rear delts, lower back, and abdominals. Starting with rear delt flyes on the pec deck, he followed with bodyweight hyperextensions to carve out the critical “Christmas tree” striations in the lower back. He closed with cable crunches and hanging leg raises.
Posing Practice
Franklin stripped down to his shorts and hat for a posing session. Posing practice is critical throughout prep as it requires a lot of refined technique and endurance. Franklin was approximately four months out from the 2022 Olympia at the time of this back workout. We’ll see how Franklin’s training pays off when he steps on the Olympia stage in Las Vegas on Dec. 16-18, 2022.
Featured images: @logan_franklin on Instagram