Known as the “Godfather of Bodybuilding”, Charles Glass is one of the most respected coaches in the sport. Glass recently shared a YouTube video detailing how to achieve a bigger back in the gym.
Glass is a proponent of muscle isolation training. The former engineer is known for his meticulous nature and attention to detail. During his time as a coach, Glass has assisted countless bodybuilders and helped shape the fitness journey of just about anyone who is searching for his expertise. The renowned coach is keen on maximizing contractions during workouts so that targeted muscles intended to grow are receiving adequate attention.
The pair are focusing on back workouts in the video below. Having a strong back is essential to a person improving their quality of life. Proper back exercises can help reduce the chance of injuries in other areas of the body. A focal point for Glass is the amount of weight being lifted. The bodybuilding coach believes that until proper form is recognized, back workouts can often work other muscles in an unintended manner.
Charles Glass Stresses Range of Motion During Exercise Routine
In a video published to his YouTube channel, Charles Glass discusses the varying factors that are considered when hitting a back workout. “The Godfather of Bodybuilding” emphasizes that instead of powering through the set as quickly as possible, lower the amount of weight and assure full contractions are realized during the exercise routine.
“Most people are trying to go too fast, and they don’t get the full extension, they don’t get the full contraction,” says Glass. In other words, if you’re just pumping through reps as quickly as possible to get to the end of your set, stop.
Your attempts at speeding through your sets is doing nothing but short-changing your gains—in the race to a bigger back, finishing your reps first will put you at a disadvantage.
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To build the mass you’re striving for, you need to expose your muscles to more time under tension to stimulate growth. Charles Glass said.
Glass, who has 35-years of experience as a bodybuilder and coach is helping his client in the video learn how to engage her back muscles more effectively during pulling exercises. However, these tips can also be useful when practicing other pulling movements like dumbbell rows, cable rows as well as pull-ups.
Glass advocates for a ‘medium’ tempo when working out the back. The reason behind this comes from the fact that when a back exercise is rushed, more effort is applied to completing the set instead of the actual range of motion. Posture is paramount. If bad posture is observed during a back exercise like the one shown, Glass explained that the biceps will do the lifting instead of the back muscles.
Speed is relative and Glass recognizes that the amount of weight can affect the range of motion during a given workout. “If you go heavy, the reps are gonna be slow, no matter what you do,” Glass says. With that in mind, the legendary coach underlines the importance of good posture during back exercises.
RELATED: Charles Glass Demonstrates Workout Routine To Achieve Slimmer Waist
If there is an area of the body that needs improvement, Charles Glass has the answer. The bodybuilding coach is a treasure in the sport and is known for widening the horizon of the many athletes who seek him out.
Whether it be triceps, biceps, chest, and back, etc., the bodybuilding coach has an answer for every muscle on the human body. With attention to the range of motion and posture, Charles Glass has shared yet another eye-opening workout geared at strengthening the back.
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Charles is so right… actually, I learned all of the aforementioned techniques back in the early 1970s when no one was talking about it… but I knew that it made perfect sense… clinically and empirically. Unfortunately, the fitness business didn’t seem to care much. Thank you, Charles Glass for sharing.