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