Building a quality back is one of the biggest goals among bodybuilders. In an October 8 Instagram post, Samir Bannout offered his three Golden Era rules to grow a Mr. Olympia back.
Bannout etched his name into the bodybuilding history books in 1983 when he won his lone Mr. Olympia crown. On his way to earning gold, he took out household names of the Men’s Open division, including Mohamed Makkawy, Lee Haney, and Frank Zane.
Aside from giving his unfiltered take on the biggest stars today, Bannout gives back to the bodybuilding community. This led him to break down how he built his standout back during the prime years of his career.
Samir Bannout Offers Back Training Tips, Talks Intensity vs. Weight
In the Instagram reel, Bannout shared that he was able to develop a Mr. Olympia-caliber back with just 30-minute workouts.
“I can do my back workout in 30 minutes, at the most, and I developed a Mr. Olympia back. You have to work your back from all angles. And remember: it’s not about how heavy you go, it’s how properly you do each exercise.”
According to ‘The Lion of Lebanon,’ intensity plays a bigger role than sheer weight:
“The mechanics are important. The intensity is much more important than weight.”
“Remember, if you can handle heavy weight, why not? Working the muscle from all angles is necessary.”
He added that a prerequisite of every Mr. Olympia is a strong back:
“There’s no way you could be Mr. Olympia without having a good back,” said Samir Bannout.
Samir’s Golden Era Rules for a Mr. Olympia Back
- “30 Minutes Max: High intensity and proper mechanics beat a 2-hour ego-lifting marathon every single time.”
- “Hit Every Angle: If you aren’t attacking the lats and upper back from all angles, you’re missing growth.”
- “Form Over Weight: It’s not about how heavy you go, it’s how properly you do each exercise.”
Samir Bannout isn’t the only bodybuilding great to offer back training advice. Former four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler said that he used different pull-up variations to build his back. He also said they helped him develop width.
“This is a great width-builder. There’s different grips you can use,” shared Jay. “The wide grip, the close grip, the reverse grip, whatever suits you, but you always want to find the alternative to doing this movement, and like I said, the assisted is probably one of the best that can help you get through those reps and get that full contraction.”
Bannout continues to represent the IFBB Pro League, helping the next wave of athletes on the horizon. While back training can come with its fair share of challenges, he believes hitting it from multiple angles and maintaining intensity is a winning combo.
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