Tag: dana linn bailey
Dana Linn Bailey Shares ‘Hamstring-Glute-Focused’ Workout for Leg Gains
Dana Linn Bailey (DLB) is a pioneer of the Women’s Physique division who remains in stellar shape years after retirement. In a recent YouTube video, Bailey walked fans through a brutal hamstring-glutes-focused training session for growing muscle and building strength.
“So today, we’re focusing on hamstrings and glutes. I like to separate my leg days so I can really focus on quads one day and hamstrings and glutes [the next],” Dana Linn Bailey shared.
In the 2000s, DLB established herself as an all-time great in the Women’s Physique category. Her capped and striated shoulders helped her reach the top of the sport in 2013 when she claimed the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia title. All signs pointed to utter dominance until Dana returned in 2014 when she was ousted from the throne by Juliana Malacarne.
Bailey’s love for the sport still fuels her today. While she’s stepped away from competing, Dana is a famous online influencer known for sharing fitness-related content such as workouts, nutrition information, and physique transformations.
In one of her latest endeavors, Bailey decided to revamp her physique in June. In what she’s titled the ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ challenge, Dana plans to get ripped and lean at the same time in the months to come.
It remains uncertain if Dana Bailey will entertain a competitive return. Questions about her competing again were raised during her recent Cutler Cast Podcast appearance. Bailey even mentioned that she would undergo drug tests to prove her natural status if she did announce a comeback. With her attention shifting to a new physique goal, DLB updated fans with one of her leg day workouts.
Check Out Dana Linn Bailey’s Hamstring Glute-Focused Leg Day Workout
“We are doing a hamstring and glute-focused leg day. This is one of my favorite days of the week as far as legs go, you know. But today’s focus, we’re hitting that posterior, DLB said.
Sumo deadlifts – 12, 10, 8, 8 rep pattern 4 sets
Hip thrust machine (banded) – 10-12 reps with 5-8 pulse reps 4 sets
Abductions – 20 reps 4 sets
Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts – 12 reps 4 sets
Sumo Squats – 12 reps 4 sets
Reverse squat – 10-12 reps 4 sets
banded/bodyweight hyperextensions – to failure
Sumo deadlifts
“We are starting off with sumo deadlifts. I love sumo deadlifts. I’m much stronger in them and I feel them not so much in my back, I feel it all in my legs and hamstrings. So, when I do deadlifts, I tend to not do deadlifts on back day, I tend to do my deadlifts on ham and glute day. So, we’re doing a sumo stance, the reps, I generally stay a little bit higher.”
“When you come up, I want you to really focus on thrusting those hips forward. When you do that, your butt will squeeze.”
Hip Thrust machine (banded)
“The whole point of this is it’s pushing your knees in. So, you actually have to engage your glutes even more by keeping your knees out. So, it’s just adding more tension to the glutes, which we’re always hitting a glute exercise so we’re going to go 10 to 12 reps on the hip thrust with the hip band. Once you get 10, we’re going to add let’s say five to eight pulses at the top. Just little half reps.”
Dana Linn Bailey shared that if you don’t have access to a hip thrust machine, try a barbell variation.
“If you don’t have a hip thrust machine, you can do this all on a barbell,” said DLB.
Abductions
“Abductions. So, now we’re trying to get our knees as far away as we possibly can. 20 reps here, holding for a good two-second count on each one. And your butt will be on fire.”
Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
“A little superset. One of my other favorite little supersets I do. We’re going toes elevated dumbbell RDLs. The reason we have our toes elevated if you’re like me – I’m pretty flexible, most girls, we’re pretty flexible. If you’re not as flexible, do it with your feet flat. This is just going to add a little more stretch in your calf, Achilles, and a little more stretch in the hamstrings. 12 reps here.”
Sumo Squats
“Sumo squats. So, the way I do it, if you prefer holding it this way [vertical] this isn’t going to be much of a squat, you would have to elevate yourself. So I keep the dumbbell that way [horizontal]. I want you to have a forward lean in your torso just like we talked with Bulgarians.”
Reverse squat
“Hamstring and glute day is all about your basically hinged at the hips the whole time. So we’re going to be facing away and the first part of the movement is you’re going to push your butt back just like you did with those RDLs, push your butt back then you’re going to squat down and you’re going to stay in that leaning torso position instead of being more upright. Upright quads, lean in is hamstring and glutes.”
Banded/bodyweight hyperextensions
“Then, I’m going to go over and do hypers. If you can’t do them at the same time that’s fine. I do this just to save time. We’re doing banded hypers and then drop set to just bodyweight hypers to failure.”
DLB isn’t opposed to working with high-profile names in the sport. Given her status as a former Olympia winner, she loves testing her strength in the company of other bodybuilding veterans. She recently joined hands with trainer Hany Rambod for a brutal FST-7 shoulders workout.
Bailey also teamed up with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Last July, they took part in a tough chest and triceps training session. By the end of the workout, Cutler was not only impressed with Dana’s strength but her endurance as well.
Despite having reached 40 years old, DLB doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Fortunately for her fans, she’s offered a consistent look at her physique as she aims to transform her body. Days ago, Dana revealed that she likely gained muscle ‘if anything.’ However, she plans to increase her cardio in the next few weeks to lean down.
Even though she’s long retired, DLB still attacks training sessions with the same attitude that saw her reach the top of the sport. She encourages anyone watching her videos to follow along as she enters the next stage of her ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ body transformation challenge.
Watch the full video from DLB’s YouTube channel below:
More Leg Day Workouts:
Published: 23 July, 2023 | 9:30 AM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Shares Physique Update at 40 Years Old, Post-Workout Shake + Lunch
Women’s Physique trailblazer Dana Linn Bailey continues to make strides toward her latest body transformation. In a YouTube video, Bailey shared a physique update at 40 years old and offered fans a look into her post-workout shake and lunch.
“We’re doing a physique update because we just ended week three. We’re into week four of my challenge. I can’t say I’m happy. I’m not this happy. I’ve probably gained muscle if anything, so we’re going to do a little physique update,” DLB shared.
Within three years of starting her professional career, DLB became the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia champion. She proved herself on the sport’s biggest stage with incredibly defined shoulders, a slim waist, and an equally balanced lower body.
Dana’s last Olympia show saw her take runner-up to Juliana Malacarne. And while she’s accepted life in retirement, she’s been tempted to come back and compete ever since. In a Cutler Cast Podcast, Dana opened up about her health issues and natural status. At the time, she made it clear to fans that she would undergo drug tests weekly if she in fact announced her comeback.
In June, Dana Linn Bailey decided to transform her physique, a challenge she has titled ‘Summer Shredded 4.0.’ DLB clarified that her challenge isn’t just a solution for weight loss but will also help with building muscle. This is her fourth workout challenge of this series.
Dana Linn Bailey Gives ‘Summer Shredded’ Physique Update at 40: “My Training Has Been Awesome”
Bailey explained that she’s had family in town so her weight loss isn’t where she’d like it to be. However, she plans to change that in the coming weeks.
“Honestly, I probably – my training has been awesome, haven’t missed a day of training but I have definitely missed cardio. We’ve had family in town for the last 10 days, we have you guys here and my day. Amazing.
So, I probably gained muscle, gained some, I didn’t lose any weight, let’s just say that. So, for the next five weeks, I’m going to focus, once these guys get out of here and my family leaves, I’m going to focus heavily on adding my cardio back in because I’ve only been doing it like once a week.”
Dana Linn Bailey/YouTube
Post-workout Shake
Bailey moved on to a post-workout shake to fulfill her protein requirements.
“Just finished up shoulder day so, we’re actually training after this, you just won’t see this until a later day. Getting my protein in. I did about 8-10 ounces of water. One scoop of Vanilla Isotope from REDCON1,” Dana said. “I did a heaping tablespoon of the Nuts ‘n More cookie dough. My other favorite from them is Oreo, so good.”
“There’s only one gram of fat per two tablespoons. So, you get the taste of peanut butter without all the fat so I love it. You can get PB2, Nuts ‘n More happens to be the best. They have awesome flavors. And I also added a half a banana for some carbohydrates, gains,” said Bailey.
Lunch
For lunch, Bailey had a bodybuilding staple: chicken and rice, but she jazzed it up with Japanese Barbecue Sauce.
“For lunch we have boring, not boring, it’s not boring at all, I actually grilled my chicken this time, it tastes amazing. Just some chicken and rice, and you’re like ‘What’s all that stuff on it?’ This [Japanese barbecue sauce], you might have seen this from another video, their hot and spicy happens to be fantastic.”
Despite stepping away from the sport, Dana’s commitment to working out is a top priority. She pushes herself through workouts with anyone and that includes bodybuilding royalty. Last July, Bailey and four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler teamed up for a chest and triceps training session.
Months later, Dana Linn Bailey was led through an FST-7 workout by bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod. During the routine, Rambod emphasized the importance of controlling the eccentric motions in each repetition. Rambod is responsible for coaching a number of top-tier athletes, such as Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, and Andrei Deiu.
Body transformations have become an immensely popular trend in fitness as of late. Cutler is currently in the middle of what he’s calling a ‘Fit-for-50’ challenge. He plans to get in the best shape possible since retiring 10 years ago. From training thoughts to workouts and nutrition, Cutler has been transparent with fans about his new goal.
Similar to Dana Linn Bailey, former seven-time 212 Olympia Flex Lewis is taking on a fitness challenge at 40 years old. He plans to collaborate with the best athletes from different sports. Flex shared that one of his biggest areas of focus will be cardiovascular health. Lewis’ first multi-sport workout video just went live, as he pushed the reigning World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper through a brutal shoulders training session.
DLB’s physique is a testament to the time and effort she puts into healthy living and working out. Her plan for the future is to incorporate more cardio now that her schedule will allow for it.
RELATED: Video: Bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey Goes Through A Gains Unlocking Push Day Workout
You can watch the full YouTube video below:
Published: 14 July, 2023 | 5:18 PM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Discusses Steroids and Potential Comeback: “Maybe Just One More”
Dana Linn Bailey continues to flirt with the idea of a potential comeback. In a recent Muscular Development interview, Bailey teased a return and defended her position as a lifetime natural athlete who has never touched steroids.
“I love training. I love volume. So, yeah, those lateral raise sets where I’m doing like 40 reps. People are like what… I think if I even touched a little bit of drugs, I would have been on the same stage as Iris Kyle the way I train,” Dana Linn Bailey shared.
Bailey faced many obstacles on her way to finding success in the IFBB Pro League. However, she never gave up on her dreams and in 2013, reached the height of her career after winning the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia title. Even though she surrendered gold a year later, she remains a trailblazer in the division – and has yet to officially retire.
Having stepped away from the bright lights, Bailey grew her legacy online with platforms like YouTube and Instagram, where she routinely influences millions of followers. She is known for her strenuous and rapid workout intensity. This was on full display in sessions with top names in the sport such as coach and FST-7 training founder Hany Rambod and four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.
In a recent Cutler Cast Podcast, Dana shared that she was a lifetime natural athlete, devoid of all performance-enhancing drugs. At the time, Bailey said if she chose to compete again, she’d volunteer for weekly blood tests leading up to the competition. Given her ability to stay shredded year-round, fans are convinced Bailey could shock the world if she mounted a comeback.
According to Dana Linn Bailey, she never used the word retirement after she stopped competing.
“You know, that’s why I’ve never said the retired word. Because there’s a silly part of me – because I do look at myself now – fu** man, you’re in better shape now than you’ve ever been. I would love to see what I look like because I have – I’m going to be 40 in a couple of weeks. I’m an ’83 so I’m going to be 40. The kids on stage now are in their 20s. There’s a silly little thing in my head that’s like maybe just one more. So I’ve just never said anything.”
Bailey said she’s not lying about being natural despite the differing opinions of fans online. She added that she’d never look like reigning Women’s Physique Olympia Natalia Coelho or Sarah Villegas if she eventually returned. And if a comeback was in the cards, Dana said she would need at least a 30-week camp to develop her legs without steroids.
“It used to affect me I used to get really upset. I just – because I’m not lying. I’m just being honest. People would literally get hate me. Then, throw me everywhere, I’m lying, I’m a fake natty, this and that. It used to really bother me. Then I switched, and it’s like you know, I must be doing something right obviously.”
“No, no one reached out [Masters Olympia]. I heard about it but for me to prep I need like 30-something weeks to prep for a show. Yeah, 30 weeks. Dude, yeah. 30 weeks out,” said Lin Bailey. “For me to get my legs out, yeah I need time. We can talk about the natural not natural, I’ve been competing natural my entire life. So for me to get my legs to come out, it takes like 25 weeks.”
“There’s no way I would look like that [Sarah Villegas and Natalia Coelho]. I’m also very realistic with myself. I’m not crazy. I understand: there’s a part of me that would just love to go up there and not freakin’ care and I would be the smallest, may not be the most shredded but I would love to see what I could do.”
Even though Dana doesn’t use steroids, she understands why men do. In addition, she shared that very few men can keep up with her training intensity but Kai Greene was one of them.
“I’ve trained with some of the top bodybuilders in the world. Jose Raymond, he quit on me halfway through. The only one that like – it’s not even that he trains at my intensity like Kai trains for a very long time. He’s probably the one person that can, ‘Cool, this guy can hang with me.’ But no other, especially no other dude has hung with me. Generally, girls can hang because we just have more endurance.”
“I don’t care if guys do it. It works with your bodies. I want to see the freaks, I want to see Kai Greenes and Ronnie Colemans,” added Bailey.
Linn Bailey Reflects on the Evolution of Women’s Physique Class and Winning 2013 Olympia
At first, Bailey was afraid of losing on the Olympia stage because she thought fans would no longer follow her. However, after losing in 2014, she said her following stuck around.
“Obviously once you go pro, you kind of space things out. But, yeah, won the first Olympia, got second at the second Olympia. I tell people this all the time, getting second place was probably one of the best things that ever happened. It sounds weird obviously. I love winning. Being first was awesome. It was really cool. But there was so much pressure – unneeded pressure that I put on myself.
And when I got second, I will say I looked better the second year. I’m just saying, I looked better. Just saying. I looked better the second year and got second but that’s fine. Afterward, I thought everything was over. I thought my whole world was going to fall apart. Still second place, I just thought, ‘Okay, everyone is going to go follow that one person now. I thought everything revolved around being on stage and winning,” said Dana Linn Bailey.
“I think I had a very strong head on my shoulders. I never did anything weird. I never – my diet was actually very very healthy. I did everything super healthy but there was a little bit of crazy.”
Dana announced a recent fitness challenge she’s aiming to complete in the coming months, titled the ‘Summer shredded 4.0 body transformation challenge.’ She invited her fans to tag along while she aims to add muscle and lean down at the same time.
The Women’s Physique division has evolved significantly since Bailey’s reign. She remains undecided about a comeback but still hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of gracing the Olympia stage one more time.
RELATED: Video: Bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey Goes Through A Gains Unlocking Push Day Workout
You can watch the full video from the Muscular Development YouTube channel below:
Published: 20 June, 2023 | 12:12 PM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Takes on ‘Summer Shredded 4.0 Total Body’ Transformation Challenge
With summer on its way, former Women’s Physique Olympia Dana Linn Bailey is determined to transform her physique. In a recent YouTube video, Bailey revealed a progress video before embarking on her ‘4.0 summer shredded’ fitness challenge.
“What’s up guys, you’re probably wondering why I’m in a bathing suit right now. That’s because today I am taking my first progress pictures for my new challenge that’s coming out, shredded summer 4.0. This is the fourth one we’ve done. Very excited,” Dana Linn Bailey shared.
As the first winner of a Women’s Physique contest in 2011 at the Jr. USA and the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia champion in 2013, Dana Bailey has made her mark in the IFBB Pro League with exceptional balance and striated shoulders. Since retiring from competitive bodybuilding in 2015, she’s built a notable online presence with her YouTube videos and social media posts, where she regularly showcases her workouts, nutrition, and lifestyle.
Despite stepping away from the sport competitively, Dana still attacks her workouts with a chip on her shoulder. Whether it’s a grueling back training session or a push day, Linn brings her best day after day. Aside from training, Bailey has been open about some of her health struggles. In a recent Cutler Cast appearance, Bailey detailed battles with a thyroid condition and a Rhabdomyolysis infection.
While Dana is known for her extraordinary fitness levels, she plans to kick things into overdrive in the coming months. She aims to add muscle, lean out, and lose weight. In addition, she sat down to discuss a preferred meal option.
Dana Linn Bailey Introduces 4th Summer-Inspired Shredded 2023 Workout Challenge
Bailey said the transformation will be ‘full body’ and encouraged any of her followers to join her on the journey. She plans to award a male and female participant with $10K each.
“It’s a total body transformation. It’s not just a weight loss challenge. We’re going to get leaner. We’re going to have more muscles. And we’re just going to be super confident in your bathing suits. So, it’s summer right now, so if you’re not feeling like your best. You got a vacation coming up to the beach, you got to wear this tiny little bikini or swim shorts and you want to feel more confident come join me summer shredded 4.0,” said Dana Linn Bailey.
“If getting shredded for summer wasn’t enough for you, not motivating enough to get abs and look really good, I’m giving away 10 grand to one guy and one girl. That’s 20 thousand dollars in cash and prizes. Prizes are coming from Trifecta, RedCon1, and you’re getting cash.”
After the posing session, Dana shared one of her daily meals, consisting of bison and Basmati rice.
“Today, first meal of the day, you know, it happens to be in the afternoon, we are doing just lean bison and Basmati rice,” said Dana Linn. “I don’t actually like cooking fish but when I go to a restaurant that’s all I order. When I went to Mexico, that’s all I ordered was fish. We’re landlocked. If I’m in Montana, it will be chicken, beef, fish. If I’m on the coast somewhere, it will go fish, chicken, beef. I know, it changes.”
Dana Bailey isn’t the only Olympia winner amid a physique transformation. Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler announced he was getting in the best shape possible since 2013. Even though he has no plans of making it to a bodybuilding stage, Cutler is excited about the process. He’s offered consistent workouts, physique updates, and training sessions geared toward his ‘Fit-for-50’ goal.
Dana Linn Bailey is an open book to her fans and followers. In addition to an inside look at her gym life, Bailey has revealed a detailed daily supplement stack, which she uses to maintain her energy levels and wellness.
Always pushing the realms of her physical fitness, Dana Linn Bailey is a bodybuilding trailblazer who uses her platform to promote positivity. She encourages anyone to tag along with her while she once again transforms her physique.
You can watch the full video from Dana Linn Bailey’s YouTube channel below:
RELATED: The Summer Beach Workout to Get You Jacked
Published: 16 June, 2023 | 12:30 AM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Joins Jay Cutler, Defends Natural Status, Talks Health Scares & Thyroid Issues
Dana Linn-Bailey is a pioneer of the growing Women’s Physique division. In a recent Cutler Cast podcast, Linn-Bailey discussed a number of topics including breast implants, competing drug-free, thyroid issues, and Kai Greene’s influence on her posing routines.
Despite struggling to find her footing in the IFBB Pro League, Dana Linn-Bailey would eventually carve out a successful career, having graced the stage with a unique balance of muscularity, conditioning, and detail. Her striated chest and shoulders helped her reach the pinnacle of bodybuilding in 2013 when she claimed her lone Olympia title in the newly created Women’s Physique category.
While she would surrender gold to Juliana Malacarne in 2014, Dana continues to prove herself in the training room and online. Since stepping away from the sport, she’s built a successful empire, boasting over 2 million followers on Instagram and half a million on YouTube.
Dana’s ability to create engaging content online has only bolstered her name recognition within the bodybuilding and fitness communities. She has taken part in brutal workouts with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, as well as Hany Rambod, who coached Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan to first and second at last year’s 2022 Olympia.
Sitting down with Cutler, DLB spoke about breast implants and whether or not she uses steroids. In addition, she discussed health problems stemming from a Rhabdomyolysis infection and a thyroid condition.
Dana Linn-Bailey Looks Back on Breast Implant Pressures and Talks ‘Natty or Not’ Status
Linn Bailey ultimately decided that she didn’t want the procedure despite what it could have done to further her career.
“As a competitor, you want – your wanting to do, like what if I stopped training the way I trained and I became a pro Figure girl, I wouldn’t have been the first Physique winner; I followed what I wanted and I just think it’s such a weird decision to even think, just not getting boob implants.”
“We sat down because I wanted to do this thing, and I wasn’t doing well. I thought, ‘Cool, I’m not going to get sponsored, none of this is going to be happening, I won’t be there unless I do well in this sport.’ So I sat down, ‘Do I get them so I actually do well?’ He’s like [her husband] he just asked me, ‘Do you want them?’ I’m like, ‘Not really.’ Because again, I went back to, ‘How am I going to bench?’” said Bailey.
“We just sort of moved forward with it [not getting implants], he’s like, ‘You’re perfect the way you are, you’re getting attention no one else is getting by being you. So there’s something there.’”
According to Dana, she suffers from hyperthyroidism. Having considered a comeback, Dana said if she followed through, she would prove her natural status by receiving drug tests in the weeks leading up to the show.
“If I travel a lot my labs will be off because stress messes with your thyroid, the thyroid messes up everything. It’s something I have to regulate all the time. Every year, I was always like, yeah, I was like maybe I’ll come back, I feel like I need to do something. And Rob’s always been the one like, ‘No don’t do it.’ He’s so… I just felt like it would be great for business.”
“There’s a part of me that just wants to see what the heck I would look like on stage but I don’t want to see myself next to the girls that are winning now,” laughs Bailey.
“Cool, I’m going to use this, if I’m going to compete, I’ll get drug tested every single week leading up to the show to just be like, ‘Suck it guys.’ They’ll probably just say I had a doctor alter it, it’s okay I’ll never win it’s fine. That was going to be my, ‘Okay, if I do compete I’m going to do it at a different angle.’ Only to prove, that hey you can do this. It takes 30 weeks for me [a prep drug-free].”
Linn-Bailey Details Health Struggles, Names Kai Greene As Biggest Posing Inspiration
In addition to problems with her thyroid, Dana revealed that she contracted Rhabdomyolysis and said it caused her liver to fail.
“Usually with Rhabdomyolysis it affects your liver your pee will be like brown a brownish, it will be discolored because it’s breaking everything down, but my pee was fine, and she thought that was so weird and but she said, ‘I’m pretty sure you have rhabdo.’ Like, ‘You shouldn’t have done the GHDs it’s a huge no-no in the CrossFit world, they shouldn’t have let you do that.”
“I went to the doctor probably by Friday, they took my labs, Saturday or finally got them back a day or two, this is like a week later, my labs were astronomical. I can only imagine what they probably were on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. So literally, my liver was not – I was in liver failure.”
Even though she didn’t have a lot of female bodybuilding idols, Dana was inspired by the detail and artistry of Kai Greene’s posing skills.
“I’m such a meathead. All my favorite bodybuilders were all men, I never looked at women. Like Kai [Greene] as far as posing and stuff – like a lot of my routines I used to just watch videos of him posing and a lot of the moves and lot of my poses are from him.”
Given her decorated career and active lifestyle, there’s a lot to learn from DLB. From building bigger biceps to her three favorite squat tips, she makes her fans feel included. She also shares her personal struggles and achievements, inspiring others to overcome their own challenges and pursue their goals.
Unafraid to speak her mind, Dana Linn-Bailey is a trailblazer of the sport who paved the way in helping make the Women’s Physique division one of the most exciting in the IFBB Pro League.
Watch the full video below, from the Cutler Cast YouTube channel:
Published: 13 May, 2023 | 11:50 AM EDT
Dana Linn Bailey Conquers Grueling Back-Building Workout
Dana Linn Bailey is the true embodiment of motivation and gym life. The Women’s Physique pioneer continues to inspire millions around the world with her fitness content and recently subjected herself to a harsh back workout.
Dana Bailey is credited with a win at the first ever Women’s Physique contest held at the 2011 Jr. USA. She also became the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia champion in 2013 and etched her name with gold in the IFBB Pro League’s history. After retiring from competitive bodybuilding in 2015, DLB has ventured into multiple initiatives.
She started posting fitness related content on her YouTube channel and other social media platforms. Bailey also tried her hand at powerlifting at the 201 Arnold Sports Festival, lifting a total of 877 lbs (396.9 kg). The 39-year-old has become one of the foremost women fitness influencers on the internet with more than 2.6 million followers on YouTube and Instagram combined.
Dana along with her husband Rob Bailey founded the Warhouse Gym. It did well and became a very important part of the couple’s lives. However, they had to shut it down permanently due to financial issues brought in by the global pandemic of 2020. Bailey is going strong on YouTube and routinely posts workout videos, bodybuilding tips and collaborative content to engage a large follower base.
Recently, she tackled a back workout and posted the video on her YouTube channel. So let’s check out the details of the exercises she did to improve her already impressive physique further.
Dana Linn Bailey goes through a back workout
Bailey headed to the Redcon-1 gym for the workout and lauded the place for the state of the art equipment it houses. She did not have a premeditated workout plan ahead of time and went with the flow to experiment with different equipment to train the back.
“I like coming here. A lot of really cool equipment. So I have no plans today. I’d love to tell you what I am about to do. I’m gonna train back but I have no plans. I’m just gonna scoot around, find some really good equipment and then I’ll let you know the sets and reps. So follow along,” Dana Linn Bailey stated.
With that she jumped right into the workout and shared valuable insights and bodybuilding tips in the due course.
Seated High Face Pull and Chest Rows
Bailey wanted to get some rear delts and the upper traps action at the very beginning of the training session. So instead of working with elaborate machines, she favored the simple seated cable rows machine. But instead of doing the standard row, she used the band attachment and performed the seated high face pull to target the traps and rear delts.
“You could do this with the rope as well. The rope would actually work out really well,” DLB advised.
She clubbed this movement with chest rows. However, instead of doing both exercises as a part of superset where a person performs one full set of the first exercise and then follows it up with one full set of the second exercise with a short rest period, Bailey switched between the exercises mid-set. In every set, she did eight to ten reps of high face pull and immediately transitioned to the chest rows for the same number of reps, making it a full set of two exercises. The 39-year-old kept the elbows wide and away from the body to hit the lats as well.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
The former Women’s Physique Olympia champion performed the wide grip lat pulldown on a plate-loaded machine next. This common vertical pulling movement primarily works the latissimus dorsi muscle in the back. It also engages other posterior muscles like teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus and trapezius as well as biceps muscles. The wide grip variation is effective for hitting all angles of the target muscle. Additionally, wide grip lat pulldown is a potent replacement to the pull-up which hits the same group of muscles.
“I’m gonna do this a little bit differently than I would normally go. Instead of just going through the reps, I’m gonna focus on the eccentric,” DLB explained.
She performed the concentric phase (Pulling down of the exercise at a regular speed but extended the time to three to four seconds in the eccentric phase (raising the handle back up).
The intention of the slow eccentric phase was to increase the time under tension. The Women’s Physique pioneer advised against using extremely heavy weights in this case to avoid exhausting the muscles too much.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
Performing this compound movement is an essential part of the process to build strong posterior muscles in the upper body. Bailey shared her experience with this exercise and shed light on some of the most common errors associated with it. She explained:
“I would really like to see this exercise be done better. I think a lot of people go way too heavy and you have a lot of (jerking) motion and your knees are bending.”
“So as I do it, I keep my feet squared in a more athletic stance. The motion instead of pulling (with the arms), it’s going to be pulling from your lats. So there’s more of an arch to it. It shouldn’t just go straight up and straight down.”
DLB further added that lightening the weight a little bit actually helps with the form and proceeded to perform the sets of eight to ten reps each.
Seated Mid Rows
The seated mid-rows on a selectorized machine followed the bent over dumbbell rows and DLB focused more on the eccentric phase again for this one. She executed the eccentric phase of the movement with slow and controlled movement to keep the muscles under tension for a longer duration. Each set of seated mid rows contained eight to ten reps.
Close-Grip Seated Rows
The retired bodybuilder then rounded off the training session by adding the last bit of stimulus to the back muscles with this exercise. The machine used for close-grip seated rows enabled a slight high to low movement during the concentric phase of the movement. Explaining the efficacy of this movement pattern, Bailey opined:
“Most seated cables you’re pulling (horizontally). So this one, you can kind of lean back and pull at an angle so you’re gonna push those shoulder blades down and back, hitting those lats a little bit more!”
She annihilated all the sets of the exercise with furious intensity. Although Bailey would have loved to add another movement to this workout, she had to wrap up reluctantly as it was a busy hour at the gym.
In totality, the back training session encompassed:
Dana Linn Bailey’s content is a potent source of pre-workout motivation for people around the world. What’s impressive is that the 39-year-old has not lost the passion for fitness and bodybuilding after retirement. Not only is she staying in good shape with her training routine, but she is also helping others achieve their fitness goals by motivating them to get up and head over to the gym for lifting some serious weight.
You can watch the full video here, courtesy of Dana Linn Bailey’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 10:47 PM EDT
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