Muscle rounds for back

[mikeland91]

What's your fave back MRs??

Dose anyone use the same exercises they might use for pump sets ?

Here's my plan for tomorrow

Smith row
CG pulldown
Mid shine rack deads
Dual arm db row

Now I'm Foucusing here on more thickness that's why I've put 3 thickness moves and 1 width
Also I have mid shin racks as one of my loading sets for back ( obv I wouldn't do these in the same week)
Would it be over kill to add these In as MRs ? Or as its a different set type thought it'd be a novel stimulas
Or would it be safer to swap it to , say a smith deadlift ?
Also adding variation

Prob over thinking a bit here lol

[righty]

What's your fave back MRs??

I won't try to answer the rest of your post but fave back MRs - anything that's machine-based and super-safe to go daft b$st$rd mode at and, preferably, hard to cheat with.

So, seated rows with chest touching pad for all reps - if I need to lean back that's a cue that this is my first fail cluster set.

Smith BOR is another, making sure there's no leg-propelled momentum creeping in.

The only non-machine one I use regularly is weighted chins but no kipping reps.

Good old-fashioned drape yourself along a nearly flat bench and do dual dumbbell rows is another - I find these pretty brutal in the final cluster or two after the initial fail-caused drop.

[dens228]

I use pump set exercises for MR's quite a bit. Whenever I'm thinking of using a new exercise for an MR exercise I like to use it as a pump exercise first.
I love T-bars, close grip pulldowns, and barbell rows for MR's.

I hate one limb at a time exercises for MR's. But come to think of it I had one limb exercises in general. No reason, just a personal preference.

[Collabera]

My favorite back MR's are Bent Over Barbell rows, Prison/t-bar rows and supinated grip bent over barbell rows. I don't use the smith machine.

For width I like a close parallel grip Pulldown, weighted pull up and underhand hammer strength iso-Pulldown.

I stick mainly to thickness moves. I will absolutely use these as pump sets as well. I'm not big on too many machines if I can use bigger movements with free weights that force me to work harder. Most of us aren't Phil Heath and can train with machines all day and look full and have no missing pieces. So whether it's a pump set, muscle round or loading set I will pick the biggest and baddest movements for overall size.

When I look at a physique on stage of someone I know uses a lot of machines, it's like looking at a 100 piece puzzle that's finished 90-95%. There's all these holes. You can tell what the finished product is supposed to be but you can tell some areas are more developed than others. To me, free weights fill out that puzzle and leave things balances. You may not be a 1000 piece puzzle, maybe only a 100 piece, but you better make sure that puzzle is finished.

[mikeland91]

[quote='Collabera' pid='10814' dateline='1465666916']
My favorite back MR's are Bent Over Barbell rows, Prison/t-bar rows and supinated grip bent over barbell rows. I don't use the smith machine.

For width I like a close parallel grip Pulldown, weighted pull up and underhand hammer strength iso-Pulldown.

I stick mainly to thickness moves. I will absolutely use these as pump sets as well. I'm not big on too many machines if I can use bigger movements with free weights that force me to work harder. Most of us aren't Phil Heath and can train with machines all day and look full and have no missing pieces. So whether it's a pump set, muscle round or loading set I will pick the biggest and baddest movements for overall size.

When I look at a physique on stage of someone I know uses a lot of machines, it's like looking at a 100 piece puzzle that's finished 90-95%. There's all these holes. You can tell what the finished product is supposed to be but you can tell some areas are more developed than others. To me, free weights fill out that puzzle and leave things balances. You may not be a 1000 piece puzzle, maybe only a 100 piece, but you better make sure that puzzle is finished.
[/quote


Agee with all that
I love bb row for MRs but as there one of my loading moves thought smith rows would be cool ,
Rack pulls for MRs and literally hell ..
I the same mate
I treat MRs as loading sets hard heavy basics move the work

[Scott Stevenson]

FYI - I do not recommend rack pulls (of any kind- smith, bands or what have you) an Muscle Round exercise d/t risk of low back injury.

-S

[Collabera]

FYI - I do not recommend rack pulls (of any kind- smith, bands or what have you) an Muscle Round exercise d/t risk of low back injury.

-S

Completely agree. I tried this a few weeks ago and it was too difficult to keep the load where it needed to be. Even as a loading set it's sketchy.

[Scott Stevenson]

Completely agree. I tried this a few weeks ago and it was too difficult to keep the load where it needed to be. Even as a loading set it's sketchy.

That will depend on the person, the Tier (.e.g, if doing on one set of rack dead in Tier I) and use of pre-fatiguing with a width exercise before the loaded exercise.

-S

[MaxDog]

[quote='Collabera' pid='10814' dateline='1465666916']
My favorite back MR's are Bent Over Barbell rows, Prison/t-bar rows and supinated grip bent over barbell rows. I don't use the smith machine.

For width I like a close parallel grip Pulldown, weighted pull up and underhand hammer strength iso-Pulldown.

I stick mainly to thickness moves. I will absolutely use these as pump sets as well. I'm not big on too many machines if I can use bigger movements with free weights that force me to work harder. Most of us aren't Phil Heath and can train with machines all day and look full and have no missing pieces. So whether it's a pump set, muscle round or loading set I will pick the biggest and baddest movements for overall size.

When I look at a physique on stage of someone I know uses a lot of machines, it's like looking at a 100 piece puzzle that's finished 90-95%. There's all these holes. You can tell what the finished product is supposed to be but you can tell some areas are more developed than others. To me, free weights fill out that puzzle and leave things balances. You may not be a 1000 piece puzzle, maybe only a 100 piece, but you better make sure that puzzle is finished.
[/quote


Agee with all that
I love bb row for MRs but as there one of my loading moves thought smith rows would be cool ,
Rack pulls for MRs and literally hell ..
I the same mate
I treat MRs as loading sets hard heavy basics move the work

I am not sure if this adds anything of value, but I generally take the following approach with back thickness exercises in my FT programming:

(1) Load sets: mostly barbell work including rack deads off blocks, bent over barbell rows (alternating between supintated and pronated) and landmine t-bar rows. I will also do single arm DB rows (deadstop) depending on the gym.

(2) Pump sets: always cable, pulley or pin selected machines and then run 5's in the hole or drop sets, or partials.

(3) MR's: My approach here is to use exercise that are easier to rack but provide a different stimulus than the ones above. So in this case, Hammer strength seated rows, smith bent over rows. I like to do unilateral work here as it brings in some conditioning. Alternating back and forth really tests your Fortitude!

So in this case, it will be Meadows rows (landmine), One Arm Barbell rows (with a landmine) and One Arm DB rows.

All the best,
Mike

[Con]

When I look at a physique on stage of someone I know uses a lot of machines, it's like looking at a 100 piece puzzle that's finished 90-95%. There's all these holes. You can tell what the finished product is supposed to be but you can tell some areas are more developed than others. To me, free weights fill out that puzzle and leave things balances. You may not be a 1000 piece puzzle, maybe only a 100 piece, but you better make sure that puzzle is finished.

Could you post a picture giving an example and showing me what you mean?
I have heard people say this before but I honestly have no idea what they mean.
Unless you mean lacking muscle in certain areas such as spinal erectors?

My favorite MR for back include...
1 arm cable rows
Chest supported rows changing my hand position slightly on each mini set

I did MR's for deadlifts before but as Scott has pointed out it's not suitable.
You end up breathing so hard it can be dangerous as far as form breaking down goes.
Plus a true muscle round with a failure point in there would be CNS and body destroying. If I did an all out set I would be done with all training for a few days!