Lee Priest Shares Common Mistakes You Should Avoid During a Back Workout

Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest hasn’t slowed down in retirement and still boasts an impressive physique at 51. In a recent video, Priest walked fans through some of the common mistakes made during back workouts. 

“Today we’re doing back, these are just some back exercises that I do,” shares Lee Priest. 

As a Men’s Open staple in the IFBB Pro League, Lee Priest defied the odds on his way to building a sterling résumé. He never let his shorter height dictate his potential as a Pro, having conquered some of the sport’s most respected figures like Ronnie Coleman, a former eight-time Mr. Olympia. 

In retirement, Priest continues to give back to the bodybuilding community with insightful workouts and technique breakdowns. With lifters often struggling with mind-muscle connection during back training, Priest offered some proven tips and opened up on mistakes to avoid. 

Lee Priest Reveals Biggest Mistakes People Make During Back Training

Lat pulldowns 

Priest offers tips on performing lat pulldowns, emphasizing a backward squeeze with the elbows and shoulder blades. 

“Squeezing the elbows and shoulders blades back, again, when you get a bit tired towards the end you can use a little bit of lean-back like that to give you a couple of extra reps, but don’t…. be one of these people [lean all the way back].” 

Seated rows 

Priest says it’s important to squeeze your shoulder blades back during seated rows as well. He mentioned that lifters make the common mistake of using excessive body momentum during reps. 

“Seated rows you can go with a close grip handle. I like to sit on these a little bit, little stretch, some people might even want to stretch forward more but I find if you do that as you go heavier, the whole back gets really pumped. As I pull it in, chest up, squeezing your shoulder blades back. Again, don’t start doing this like you’re on a fucking rocking chair and stuff like that,” Priest shares. 

Close grip pulldowns 

Keeping the movement simple, Priest advises lifters to pull down with their chest up. 

“Close grip pulldowns. I like to do it simply like this. I pull down, chest up, just like that. Again, the common mistakes people make is using body momentum.” 

Bent-over Barbell rows

When performing bent-over barbell rows, Priest believes the main component of a good lift is getting your body at the proper angle. 

“The main thing is to get your body at a good angle. I like to be like here, like a duck’s bum, push your bum out like a duck and row into the midsection like so, squeezing your back. Now, I see a lot of people do more like this [upright] they use heavier weights and even some go higher which counts as a shrug. You want to be a little bit bent over, the name is bent over row, not stand up row or shrug row.” 

In addition to Priest, fellow bodybuilding expert and reigning Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford has unveiled the techniques behind his back workouts. Specifically, the two-division Olympia titleholder offered insight into a handful of movements, including the popular lat pulldown. 

“A lot of times I have an issue supinating my wrists, it’s like doing reverse, but this is really nice,” adds Lunsford. It’s easy to pull high right, you use your traps, rear delts, it’s a little harder to engage with the lats, right? Especially the lower lats so I always start my back workouts with something like a lat pulldown, hit that lower lat.”  

Having watched the sport grow for decades, Lee Priest’s tips on back day are supported by on-the-ground experience. Above all else, Priest says to train hard, smart, and avoid injuries. 

“Train hard, train smart, and don’t get injured like me,” said Lee Priest. 

RELATED: Lee Priest Busts ‘Bro Science’ Myths, Discusses Daily Protein Intake and Training Programs 

Watch the full video from the IFBB AMA YouTube channel below: 

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