Kai Greene MUSCLE SHIELD Back Workout

For the “predator” Kai Greene, there is no training the same routine twice. The back exercise shown here are not in any particular order, there is no such “usual” Kai back workout. You might see Kai at the gym his training back, but doing none of these exercises you’re reading about here and you will never guess what he’ll do next. Reps, sets, exercises and how they’re performed are constantly switching. As Kai Greene would often say that it’s all about making that “mind and muscle connection”.

• Related workout: Kai Greene BIG shoulder exercises routine

Greene is a volume trainer. He’s also a very smart trainer that came to understand what’s best for his body. He’s not in the gym to move heavy weights to set a personal record for weight lifted. Kai’s textbook form focus more of getting his reps in and contracting the targeted muscles!

Even if Kai retired from bodybuilding he will be remembered as having one of the best back in this iron sport alongside from Ronnie Coleman, Lee Haney’s, and Dorian Yates’. Kai back is literally a muscle shield! His lats spreads wide and thick, inserting low into his waist it almost appears lie he doesn’t have a waist from rear view. Kai’s got so much muscle tissue back there his lower lats actually hang over his spinal erectors and glutes.

SEATED ROW

During the seated row Kai’s body is stationed on the machine without leaning his upper body forward over his toes. Elbows are draw back by his side, contracting the muscle fiber of his mid lats and lower lats. The handle is brought in toward the abs. Then letting his arms extend from his body so that he gets a full stretch in his wings.

DEADLIFT

Kai likes the deadlift because it hits multiple muscles. He feels that trainees that neglect their deadlifts will have a lot of empty space between their lats an upper glutes.

Kai starts the deadlift in an almost seated position as if it was another movement. He focus on feeling the tension throughout the rear of his body, especially his spinal cords. Kai only use an overhand grip for the deadlift.

BARBELL ROW

May guys in the gym will do the barbbell row Dorian Yates-style in a standing position near 75 degree or more, pulling the bar towards their abdominal and really feeling it in the mid back. Kai does them different in an old school style, the way that Lee Haney did them.

With a wide grip Kai bends forwards his upper body almost parallel to the floor. He extend his glutes out and chest sticking up as he draws the bar in just under his pecs (not his abdomen). Kai could lift more if he changed his grip and stance but it’s not about lifting heavy for Kai. Form, feel, and effect is what he’s aiming for.

T-BAR ROW

Kai’s stance is similar to the barbell rows with upper body bent way over. His reps are fast but in good form, as he’s not yanking the weight up. Kai doesn’t add 9 to 10 forty five-pound plates on the bar even though he could, if he loosen up his form. But again, that’s not his goal.

MACHINE ROW

Kai will vary his grip between and within workouts to hit multiple areas of his back. Elbows are pulled back to the side while squeezing the mid back and lower back muscle together for maximum contraction.

CLOSE-GRIP PULLDOWN

When Kai does the Close Grip Pulldown, he doesn’t lean back like a lot guys do to pull more weight. He pulls down the handle down to his upper chest while contracting the hell out of his lats, then repeats. Kai pictures his arm as hook and use less of his biceps as much as he can since it is a back workout.

WIDE-GRIP PULLDOWN

Kai wil perform these leaning into the seat, legs out behind him rather than under the knee pads. This will make him use less weight, but allows him to focus more on the feeling the muscle tension in his back.

It also lend itself to pulldowns behind the neck, which Greene regularly does. Kai brings the bar down steady, squeezing his traps, rear delts, and then lats, rotating his elbows slightly, alternately abducting and adducting his scapula.

Kai Greene Back Workout Chart

Reference: Tony Monchinski, Ph.D
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