'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mike O'Hearn, famously known as the "Natty Greek God", does not look any less than a superhero. At 53, he has an unrivaled physique that makes him appear several decades younger.
Over the last four decades, O'Hearn has established himself as one of the greatest natural bodybuilders in the industry. He's been crowned as the Fitness Model of the Year seven times and has gone on to win the Mr. "Natural" Universe title four times.
Recently, Mike O'Hearn opened up about his routine and workout to Muscle and Fitness, wherein he revealed his monstrous upper back workout for a superhero back. O'Hearn, who looks like he stepped out of a comic book, is a credible source when it comes to building dense muscle. In this piece, we'll take a look at the workout under discussion and what makes it so special.
Mike O'Hearn's Upper Back Workout
1) Behind-the-neck-pull-up:
The 53-year-old bodybuilder likes to kick things off with a few sets of behind-the-neck pull-ups. This variation of the classic pull-up is a proven muscle-building beast. It accentuates your V-taper by working your lats and engaging your shoulders, making your waist look slimmer by comparison.
“Upper lat’s going to fire, you’ve got no issues with that. But try to catch the little details. The little details would be that lower back. Are you contracting all the way through? I try to pinpoint the smallest area… toughest area to get to. If you can focus on that, everything else fires automatically.”
2) Behind-the-neck-pull-downs
This list includes another behind-the-neck exercise. This one, much like the previous exercise, offers great lat engagement and allows for greater muscular contraction than the generic variant.
3) Chest-supported pulldowns
For this exercise, O'Hearn used a tip given to him by bodybuilding legend Francis Benfatto, renowned in the industry for having one of the most toned and symmetrical bodies.
“It’s a great exercise. So you’re basically doing a combination of seated rows and pull-downs but with the rope. The cool thing about this is you can put the elbows anywhere you want and that depends upon how you’re flexing your back.”
4) Seated bent-over wide-grip row
To cap off his stellar back workout, O'Hearn switched things up by doing a seated row with a wide grip. Going wide on rows allows for greater latissimus dorsi recruitment and forces your upper back to take the load, instead of shifting it to the lower back.
“So when you’re on stage, one of the little things Arnold (Schwarzenegger) said to me is, “What is the first thing they see when you walk on stage? It is the shoulders, the traps… That area… That superhero walkout…” So, for me, this is that motion…”
Conclusion
Mike O'Hearn boasts one of the most incredible physiques in modern-day bodybuilding. He has stayed at the top of his game for nearly four decades now, and judging by the grit and determination with which he trains, even at his age, he doesn't appear to be planning to slow down. Whether he truly is natural or not remains to be seen, but until then, there's a thing or two we can learn from this icon.
