Flex 2018-03-01 Flex Magazine | Page 28

If Elssbiay ends Heath’ s title run, it will be in no small part due to his back, including a rear lat spread striking for its impossible, light-obliterating dimensions that can figuratively swallow other competitors whole.

Surely, his approach to back training isn’ t likely to change course too much in 2018, as he settles in with his crew at the palatial Oxygen Gym in Kuwait City. There, as he has in the past, he’ ll surely lean on exercises that have brought him growth and cuts, including dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns to the front and to the rear, and seated cable rows and machine rows, among other mainstays.

About three years ago, the Egyptian-born Elssbiay met trainer Ahmad Alaqi, who introduced a progressive approach to his back, chest, leg, and shoulder workouts. As Alaqi explained in 2015,“ We vary the rep range from 15 to six. Each week, we decrease the number of reps. So we start Week 1 with sets of 15 reps. Next week we go to 12 reps. The week after, 10, then eight, and finally six. And then we go back to 15 and start over again.” As the reps decrease, the weights rise over the five-week progression.

BACK WORKOUT

Here’ s how a back workout using Big Ramy’ s training approach might look. For each movement, you’ d do warmups as needed to get to your working weight, nudging up the poundage week to week as the target number of reps per set drops. Other moves Big Ramy relies on include Hammer Strength pulldowns, barbell rows, deadlifts, and stiff-arm pulldowns.

Monday Chest

On the following pages is a walk-through of five of Big Ramy’ s standard back moves, with form pointers to squeeze the maximum stimulation out of each.

# SHOWDOWN

On Oct. 11, nearly four weeks removed from the Olympia, Elssbiay posted a simple statement to his Facebook page, accompanied with a contest shot from the 2016 Prague Pro:“ Be all in or get all out, there is no halfway.”

On Oct. 20, he posted another short, potent reminder of his resolve:“ Change comes one day at a time. # never # give # up.”

Of course, social media declarations don’ t win contests. Unbridled effort, intensive concentration, and a willingness to grind it out day after day in the gym while eating a steady slew of plain proteins, veggies, and clean carbs are the only ways forward. We can firmly assume Big Ramy, having come so close to the pinnacle, won’ t waver as he pounds away between now and next September.

All the while, half a world away, Phil Heath will be doing the same in his Colorado compound. Two men, set to face off for their sport’ s ultimate prize, with history on the line to boot.

For fans, the rematch can’ t come soon enough.

Machine Row 3 – 4 15, 12, 10, 8, 6

Lat Pulldown to Front

3 – 4 15, 12, 10, 8, 6

Seated Cable Row 3 – 4 15, 12, 10, 8, 6

ELSSBIAY’ S TRAINING SPLIT

Tuesday Legs

Wednesday Delts

Thursday Back

Friday Arms

Targets Latissimus dorsi, midback muscles( rhomboids, teres major, teres minor)

Also Works Traps, rear deltoids, biceps

Grip Palms facing or palms down; straps are helpful to extend your ability to hold on

Step by Step Adjust the seat

Grasp the handles with a palms-down( pronated) or palms-facing( neutral) grip, and lift the weight up a few inches into the starting position.

Pull the handles evenly toward you as your elbows go backward past the plane of your back, while also simultaneously shifting your shoulder blades inward near the apex of the repetition.

Hold the peak contraction for a brief count, then return along the same path, extending your elbows and feeling a stretch through your lats and midback.

Stop before the weights touch down so that you can maintain tension throughout the set.

26 FLEX | MARCH’ 18