Celebrity trainer, social media star, and new IFBB pro Eric Janicki is looking to prove his doubters wrong by turning his monstrous back on the naysayers and leaning into his workouts with some serious intensity. To that end, Janicki recently shared how he’s been getting his back so jacked. Here’s how to try it for yourself.
“Some of my favorite back movements I’m leaning into recently,” shared Janicki with his 1.8 million Instagram followers in a detailed demonstration.
Eric Janicki’s Back-Popping Workout
To complete this workout, you’ll only need to undertake three exercises, but don’t underestimate their epic-ness. To get the most bang for your back, complete a warmup set followed by three working sets of 8-12 reps on each move, aiming for failure or close to failure to bring the body into that all important muscle building stage of hypertrophy.
- Bench Supported Cable Unilateral Row
- Upper Back Chest Supported Row
- Bench Supported Cable Dual Row
Eric Janicki’s Back-Popping Workout Breakdown
Janicki began his workout with the bench supported unilateral row. “Amazing for maximizing stimulus in the lat/low lat,” explained the big man. “Due to (it’s) ability to lever out and match alignment of lat fibers and drive the function of mechanical tension, using the bracing the bench provides.” Indeed, unilateral rows are a humbling exercise because single arm work limits our loading ability. Instead, it hones our coordination and fixes any strength imbalances, because we can’t simply rely on the “good” side to do the lions share of the work here.
The second exercise is the chest supported row, focused on the upper back. Notice how Janicki adds extra padding to support himself while going heavy. “With the added padding for more ROM (Range of Motion), it allows me to ‘turtle shell’ my back (while) in stretch and then ‘drag’ out of the hole; isolating my rhomboids, traps, teres (in the shoulder) and rear delts.” Janicki is also careful not to bounce or use any stretch and reflex momentum, instead making slow and controlled lifts for time under tension to really tax those muscles.
To finish, Janicki further jacks his back with the bench supported cable dual row. “Similar to the unilateral but really thinking ‘elbow to hip pocket,’” he explained of the technique. “Pull to drive force from (the) lats, all the way through spinal erectors,” he advised.
This brilliant back workout proves that you don’t need a long list of moves to hit major muscle groups. “Try them out and let me know whatcha think,” challenged the fast-rising bodybuilding star. And, if you would like to see how Eric Janicki stimulates superior biceps growth, take a look at this previous story.