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Ronnie Coleman is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has won a staggering eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles and is a bonafide legend in bodybuilding.
If there was one muscle group of Coleman's that stood out, it was his back. He had a V-shaped tapered back, with wide outer lats and thick muscles lining the cuts of his physique. His upper back stole the show wherever he went, and Coleman's back workout has become quite popular.
Of course, if you’re focusing on building a back like Coleman's, you need to be ready for blood, sweat, and tears. The way Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither was Coleman’s back.
Ronnie Coleman's Back Workout
If you want to do Ronnie Coleman's back workout, you need to be ready to lift heavy weights. Although he used lighter weights for definition and range of motion, Coleman did not skimp on the heavy weights.
Ronnie Coleman's back workout comprised the following:
- a back thickness workout and
- a back width workout.
Ronnie Coleman's Back Workout for Thickness
Let’s begin with how Coleman worked around the routine to focus on adding thickness to his lat muscles. Here's a look of the exercises he followed:
Conventional deadlift: 3 to 5 sets of 4–13 reps
Barbell bent-over row: 3 to 5 sets of 8–20 reps
T-bar row: 3 to 5 sets of 8–20 reps
One-arm dumbbell row: 3 to 5 sets of 10–20 reps
Coleman has said that the exercises listed above were good for bringing out the 3-D appearance of his back. As a result, he didn’t skip those exercises even though some bodybuilders believe these exercises can have a negative effect on recovery.
Ronnie Coleman's Back Workout for Width
This part of the back workout isn’t as intense as the one above, but it still required Coleman to lift considerably heavy weights.
Lat pull-down: 3 to 5 sets of 8–20 reps
Behind-the-neck pull-down: 3 to 5 sets of 8–20 reps
Seated cable row: 3 to 5 sets of 8–20 reps
Lying dumbbell pullovers: 3 to 5 sets of 10–15 reps
To increase the width, Coleman often focused on exercises that allowed him to stretch his muscles at the top of the motion. He would work multiple sets of widening exercises to enable his muscles to fire up and flare.
The two back workouts allowed Coleman to become the man with a monster back. Moreover, he ensured he trained his back at least twice a week. He followed a few tips during training to maximize muscle growth.
Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Tips
Coleman's fundamental belief was about structuring his workouts with proper strategy. That led him to follow three very important strategies to grow his back:
1) Intensity
Every exercise he picked for his workouts was done with intensity. His intensity was unmatched, especially during his upper back days. He would train the muscles, big and small, till failure. In turn, the muscle fibers were forced to become thicker and stronger.
2) Progressive Overload
This is another strategy that's widely recommended in the fitness industry. Progressive overload allows the muscles to constantly withstand additional resistance so that the fibers can keep growing.
The only way to ensure you’re becoming stronger is through progressive overload. It doesn’t always mean you lift heavier. You can add additional reps and sets to your workout as well.
3) Feel the Stretch
The muscles get worked when you feel the stretch in each muscle. If you’re not feeling the stretch, the load on the muscles is incomplete. Additionally, a full stretch means you’re using the proper range of motion.
Bottom Line
If you aspire to be the next Ronnie Coleman, it's not going to be easy. When Coleman aspired to become who he's today, the legendary bodybuilder embarked on a journey that very few dared to.
Coleman's back workout may not be for everyone, but it's a routine that can help you add quality mass to your back if you follow it.
