Ben Pakulski Back Workout For Mass - Optimally Work out Your Back

[masthead716]

[TropicalSunset]

Cool...I actually like his videos, but him doing a back video is like JoJ doing a calf video. Will watch though.

[TropicalSunset]

Very cool video again. He seems to really flourish showing people how to train. Just not genetically blessed in some departments, but man he is really knowledgeable about form and technique and other aspects of bodybuilding.

I would LOVE to see him commentating at the Olympia...I feel like he would not be biased and would be WAY more knowledgeable than other guys there, even the infamous Dr. Layne.

[bartosh]

While his back sucks, he is one of the smartest lifters. So much to learn from his techniques

[endurancell]

Cool...I actually like his videos, but him doing a back video is like JoJ doing a calf video. Will watch though.

Whenever I watch a BPAK video it reminds me of how big a role genetics play at this level, makes you think what a guy like JOJ would look like if he trained with Ben's techniques his whole life. he's a very smart dude

[TropicalSunset]

Totally...Genetics is not all of it, but let us not kid each other, it is the majority of the reasons someone is successful or not.

[stealth_swimmer]

Very cool video again. He seems to really flourish showing people how to train. Just not genetically blessed in some departments, but man he is really knowledgeable about form and technique and other aspects of bodybuilding.

I would LOVE to see him commentating at the Olympia...I feel like he would not be biased and would be WAY more knowledgeable than other guys there, even the infamous Dr. Layne.

Impossible not to be biased in a subjective sport. Maybe not "bias" in the sense of ignoring reality like saying someone who is clearly bigger than someone else is smaller or something like that, but "bias" in the sense of simply favoring a certain type of look over another. None of us can help it, it's just what appeals to our eyes. Hence why it baffles me when people whine and moan about the commentators' "bias"...


Anyways, will watch the vid. Should be good.

[TropicalSunset]

Impossible not to be biased in a subjective sport. Maybe not "bias" in the sense of ignoring reality like saying someone who is clearly bigger than someone else is smaller or something like that, but "bias" in the sense of simply favoring a certain type of look over another. None of us can help it, it's just what appeals to our eyes. Hence why it baffles me when people whine and moan about the commentators' "bias"...


Anyways, will watch the vid. Should be good.

I like you Stealth, but you are so pedantic sometimes it is just too much.

[B-Neva]

the irony is sickening

[pyrolee]

Extremely informative video...this is true bodybuilding...feeling the total sensation of the proper muscles operating...if you aren't doing this type of training, you're doing it wrong...weight is secondary.

[tom11]

Extremely informative video...this is true bodybuilding...feeling the total sensation of the proper muscles operating...if you aren't doing this type of training, you're doing it wrong...weight is secondary.

No, it isn't.

[RoroCwalker]

No, it isn't.

It is secondary.

You first learn/engage the movement, then adapt a weight/resistance to it.

[TropicalSunset]

No, it isn't.

It really is. Unless you are utilizing proper form, you will not be hitting the target muscle correctly. Don't ego lift, but withdraw within yourself and feel your muscles engage.

[masthead716]

From someone who is definitely past the "how much can I lift" phase of their training, I can say, especially for natties, that weight is important. Progressively overloading weight while staying strict with your movements is one of the only ways natties can progress. Guys on gear, especially pro level can be less concerned with weight and more about "the pump".

You could keep all your weights relatively the same as an enhanced lifter and see gains by simply eating more food and increasing/adding to your supplementation. I always hear people say "weight isn't important", but that's all relative to the lifter, they're protocols, how long they've been training, how close they are to their genetic potential etc. Good luck being a seasoned natural lifter and seeing any type of progress if you're not progressively overloading weight. This is just my experience and coming from someone who has trained on both sides, and natural for 8 years. While form is always first, weight is a close second.

[NVious]

From someone who is definitely past the "how much can I lift" phase of their training, I can say, especially for natties, that weight is important. Progressively overloading weight while staying strict with your movements is one of the only ways natties can progress. Guys on gear, especially pro level can be less concerned with weight and more about "the pump".

You could keep all your weights relatively the same as an enhanced lifter and see gains by simply eating more food and increasing/adding to your supplementation. I always hear people say "weight isn't important", but that's all relative to the lifter, they're protocols, how long they've been training, how close they are to their genetic potential etc. Good luck being a seasoned natural lifter and seeing any type of progress if you're not progressively overloading weight. This is just my experience and coming from someone who has trained on both sides, and natural for 8 years. While form is always first, weight is a close second.

Spot on, although I still do think at least on SOME level even top pros SHOULD focus on progressive overload.

The best Mr Os have all incorporated some aspect of strength training in their bbing routines: Ronnie/Arnold/Dorian all lifted incredibly heavy and tried to get stronger.

Yes at a certain point it does go out the window, but IMO the biggest key for success isn't necessarily getting strong along the big 3, but finding your "big 3" that best yield hypertrophy and working at getting strong along those ranges of motion.

[SoWise]

first 18 seconds looks like his right arm is significantly smaller..total mindfuk

[lancs_hotpot]

I take a lot from his vids but theres a lot of bull****. The amount of time and effort wasted on all this crunched abs and thorasic extention when you could somply learn to contract the lats and do the move with decebt form. And those rows, imo a waste of time. Rowing with safe form and using a heavy ****in db will make you grow more than that one legged nonsense will.

And weight isnt secondary. Id say weight and form arent mutually exclusive, in the sense that you need to be doing a movement in a way that recruits the desired muscles and you need a weight thats going to stimulate growth. No natural lifter gets big using light weights and super strict and over-complicated form. All form needs to do is keep you safe and emphasise the stimulaton on a target muscle, thats it, then you can bang the weight on and grow.

[TropicalSunset]

I think the point that we were trying to make is that if you were to pick once, form would always come first. Otherwise, you end up like most people in gyms around the world, doing weights you cannot handle with atrocious form.

Weight matters to the point that you should be using the maximum weight that YOU can do with proper form and not sacrifice form for the sake of the weight. But great posts in this thread.

[B-Neva]

[MrSmellGood]

hahahahaahah!! im laughing to the point of tears over here!

[fretslayer]

From someone who is definitely past the "how much can I lift" phase of their training, I can say, especially for natties, that weight is important. Progressively overloading weight while staying strict with your movements is one of the only ways natties can progress. Guys on gear, especially pro level can be less concerned with weight and more about "the pump".

You could keep all your weights relatively the same as an enhanced lifter and see gains by simply eating more food and increasing/adding to your supplementation. I always hear people say "weight isn't important", but that's all relative to the lifter, they're protocols, how long they've been training, how close they are to their genetic potential etc. Good luck being a seasoned natural lifter and seeing any type of progress if you're not progressively overloading weight. This is just my experience and coming from someone who has trained on both sides, and natural for 8 years. While form is always first, weight is a close second.

Great post. Never "used" but I would imagine that what you said rings very very true. You're not going to get big lifting for a pump and not increasing your lifts progressively over time.

[wala]

That last second. Classic.... Huh!

[DPNZ]

No, it isn't.

It really is.

While progression is of utmost importance for continual gains (as a natty), if your form suffers and you stop feeling it. It's not going to work.
So yes, the weight is secondary.

[stealth_swimmer]

I like you Stealth, but you are so pedantic sometimes it is just too much.

I don't see how i was being pedantic, and negged for making me use the dictionary!

It really is. Unless you are utilizing proper form, you will not be hitting the target muscle correctly. Don't ego lift, but withdraw within yourself and feel your muscles engage.

x2. I always tell people to get the proper form and mind to muscle connection. Progressive overload is still needed, but you wanna progress using *that* form and *that* squeeze/feel/mind-muscle connection while progressing in weights.

It really is.

While progression is of utmost importance for continual gains (as a natty), if your form suffers and you stop feeling it. It's not going to work.
So yes, the weight is secondary.

Again, agreed 100%. I did the "go balls-to-the-wall heavy" thing for a little bit and listened to people who said mind to muscle connection and feel were not necessary....and my gains suffered for it. They came, but much slower. I went back to lightening it up, even going 12-15 reps or more at times, but was mostly focused on going as heavy as I could while maintaining the proper feel and progressing with that form. What do you know? My gains started coming faster again. It's gotten to the point where I really don't care to listen to people telling me I should go heavier. I do from time to time, but it's not my mainstay. It's just something I do from time to time in order to use heavier weights in my normal workouts when I get back to them.

The amount of weight you use is not important. The fact that you're going heavier *over time* is what's important, provided your form and mind to muscle connection is good.

I take a lot from his vids but theres a lot of bull****. The amount of time and effort wasted on all this crunched abs and thorasic extention when you could somply learn to contract the lats and do the move with decebt form. And those rows, imo a waste of time. Rowing with safe form and using a heavy ****in db will make you grow more than that one legged nonsense will.

And weight isnt secondary. Id say weight and form arent mutually exclusive, in the sense that you need to be doing a movement in a way that recruits the desired muscles and you need a weight thats going to stimulate growth. No natural lifter gets big using light weights and super strict and over-complicated form. All form needs to do is keep you safe and emphasise the stimulaton on a target muscle, thats it, then you can bang the weight on and grow.

That's the thing - you gotta get STIMULATION out of it. If you're not, then simply going heavy isn't gonna do much. I've seen it plenty of times. I really don't know what people are talking about when they say "I've never seen someone doing heavy squats with small legs" for example, when I've seen a boatload of people like that in real life both at my gym and in the high school football weight room back in the day. I've seen people with chicken legs who could do 315 for reps for multiple sets, and I've seen people squatting 225 with great form and squeezing who had much better leg gains from it. Like you said, form should keep you safe AND provide your muscle with stimulation.

The cues he's giving these people is for LEARNING purposes. It's to get that feel down. After you've gotten the proper form and feel down, THEN you can progress with that same stuff in mind and get better gains from it, imo.

For me, this has been especially true of my chest and back exercises.

[Natural_O]

From someone who is definitely past the "how much can I lift" phase of their training, I can say, especially for natties, that weight is important. Progressively overloading weight while staying strict with your movements is one of the only ways natties can progress. Guys on gear, especially pro level can be less concerned with weight and more about "the pump".

You could keep all your weights relatively the same as an enhanced lifter and see gains by simply eating more food and increasing/adding to your supplementation. I always hear people say "weight isn't important", but that's all relative to the lifter, they're protocols, how long they've been training, how close they are to their genetic potential etc. Good luck being a seasoned natural lifter and seeing any type of progress if you're not progressively overloading weight. This is just my experience and coming from someone who has trained on both sides, and natural for 8 years. While form is always first, weight is a close second.

Bravo! I agree with you 100% brother! I've been training over 35 years and you are exactly right. When you are natural and you have been training for a long time, the amount of weight you use is very important. It seems to be a trend lately in the gym to train light and "just feel the movement". Correct form is very important, I agree, but training light will do nothing for you, especially if you are natural. As for back training, I have always believed that the basic exercises like barbell rows, Dumbbell rows, T-Bar Rows and even Seated Cable rows are the best movements for building mass and thickness and wide-grip chins are the best for building width. The main point is to arch the lower back so you can fully contract the lats. Once you lose the arch in the lower back, you will feel the movement more in your biceps and lower back than in your lats. And weight is important!

[dom1987]

Reminds me how Dorian Yates trains, but with even more science which Ben has probably proven it works by actually doing it?

I do wonder if these things are really necessary though. The one thing that the majority of good pros and natural bodybuilders do with training is keep things simple.

[purdey]

Skimmed through the video and it reminded me of useless PTs at the gym. Teaching a rigid form with poor ROM. For example, you can get so much more out of one arm rows by stretching out at the bottom and twisting your torso at the top. But hey, Im not the pro lol.

[Paranoy]

Whenever I watch a BPAK video it reminds me of how big a role genetics play at this level, makes you think what a guy like JOJ would look like if he trained with Ben's techniques his whole life. he's a very smart dude

So Ben's crap back is due to genetics, while JOJ's weaknesses are due to JOJ not using Ben's ubersmart techniques.

Sounds legit.

[lancs_hotpot]

Skimmed through the video and it reminded me of useless PTs at the gym. Teaching a rigid form with poor ROM. For example, you can get so much more out of one arm rows by stretching out at the bottom and twisting your torso at the top. But hey, Im not the pro lol.

You're right though. Even Dorian whos all about form wouldnt go for that ****, keep your back safe grab a heavy dumbell and row in the general path that uses your lats, simple. Even using monentum can be beneficial in a big row.

[Ryanreece]

I hate to sound bro but I would never take back advice from Ben pak. Not only does his back suck but its injured.