The rivalry between reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead and defending Arnold Classic (AC) Classic Physique champion Ramon Rocha Queiroz stands as one of the most intense in modern bodybuilding. They have ranked as the top two Classic Physique athletes on the planet for the past two years (finishing as winner and runner-up of the 2022 and 2023 Classic Physique Olympia contests). Though the rivalry is strong, the mutual respect is deep.

On Jan. 16, 2024, Queiroz published a video on his YouTube channel showcasing a back training session with Bumstead in Queiroz’s home country of Brazil. Bumstead has consistently prioritized improving his back in recent years but unfortunately tore his lat 10 weeks before the 2023 Olympia. Bumstead overcame the injury to claim his fifth consecutive Olympia title, but he needs to rebuild post-recovery.

Queiroz and Bumstead’s Back Workout

Here is a snapshot of the champion bodybuilders’ back training session:

Iso-Lateral Front Lat Pulldown

Lat Pulldown

Iso-Lateral Row

Machine Bent-Over Row

Iso-Lateral Low Row

Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown

Check out the training session below:

[Related: 2024 Arnold Classic Men’s Open Preview]

Iso-Lateral Front Lat Pulldown & Lat Pulldown

Queiroz and Bumstead opened with unilateral pulldowns to bias the lats. Bumstead kept his arms tight to his torso, leading with his elbows to minimize biceps engagement. The slow eccentrics increased time under tension.

A randomized controlled trial in Neuro Endocrinology Letters found that slow eccentrics and increased time under tension can effectively increase acute hormonal responses after exercise, potentially significantly stimulating muscle growth. (1)

The duo performed conventional wide-grip lat pulldowns as the second working exercise. They kept their torsos upright on concentrics and paused in the lats’ fully shortened positions.

Iso-Lateral Row & Machine Bent-Over Row

During iso-lateral rows, Queiroz kept his chest against the machine’s pad for added stability, which let him load more weight on the target muscle each rep. He moved through his full range of motion for maximum lat activation but stopped just shy of full elbow extension.

The bodybuilders moved to a custom bent-over row machine — a hybrid Smith machine with rails set at 45 degrees and a hip pad for support. They grabbed the machine’s barbell with an underhand grip and flared their elbows on concentrics to bias the upper back (rhomboids, traps, rear delts, and teres major and minor). 

Iso-Lateral Low Row & Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown

The line of pull of the iso-lateral low-row machine helps with peak muscle contraction. Both Classic Physique bodybuilders trained to mechanical failure (when proper form starts to break down) on the final set and then performed forced reps to muscle failure. 

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that when training with low loads and a high level of effort, reaching muscle failure may be more important for hypertrophy than in high-load training. (2)

Queiroz and Bumstead concluded their back workout with straight-arm lat pulldowns. Using a rope attachment with a neutral shoulder-wide grip, they maintained slight elbow flexion throughout the exercise to minimize triceps engagement. 

Queiroz is next scheduled to compete at the 2024 Arnold Classic on March 1-3, 2024, in Columbus, OH. Former two-time Classic Physique Olympia champ Breon Ansley, former AC winner Terrence Ruffin, and 2023 Classic Physique Olympia bronze medalist Urs Kalecinski are his top contenders.

References

Wilk, M., Stastny, P., Golas, A., Nawrocka, M., Jelen, K., Zajac, A., & Tufano, J. J. (2018). Physiological responses to different neuromuscular movement task during eccentric bench press. Neuro endocrinology letters, 39(1), 26–32.

Lasevicius, T., Schoenfeld, B. J., Silva-Batista, C., Barros, T. S., Aihara, A. Y., Brendon, H., Longo, A. R., Tricoli, V., Peres, B. A., & Teixeira, E. L. (2022). Muscle Failure Promotes Greater Muscle Hypertrophy in Low-Load but Not in High-Load Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 346–351. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003454

Featured image: @ramondinopro on Instagram

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