Tag: Minimalist training
Jeff Nippard’s Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout Backed by Science
Jeff Nippard recently shared a science-backed high-volume pull-day workout for back and biceps gains.
Canadian fitness expert Jeff Nippard is one of the leading figures in the science-based YouTube fitness community. He is a lifelong natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and personal coach. Nippard started training as a kid and went on to become the 2022 Mr. Junior Canada when he was 22 years old. As a powerlifter, he holds the record for 502-lbs squats, 336-lbs bench press and a 518-lbs deadlift. At one point, Nippard also held the Canadian national record for bench press.
Jeff Nippard’s knowledge comes from a degree in biochemistry and decades of training. He is a student of bodybuilding and continues to acquire and share knowledge. He routinely shares entertaining and informative videos on his YouTube channel that has amassed 3.8 million subscribers. Additionally, he has trained several natural bodybuilders and powerlifters to achieve their goals.
In recent months, Jeff Nippard has taken a deep dive into the minimalist training philosophy. He is in the process of releasing a six-part push–pull–leg training series based on the minimalist training principles. The most recent issue, a pull day workout was recently posted on Nippards’ YouTube channel. So let’s check out what Nippard has in store for us this time.
Jeff Nippard shares pull day workout and tips
One-Arm Half kneeling lat pulldown
Jeff Nippard advises to start the pull-day workout with this lat-focused exercise. Technique-wise, he suggests pulling the cable back until the upper arm is aligned with the body. Pulling the weight too far back is not ideal as the lats lose leverage once the arm goes behind the torso.
Nippard further stated that a lot of people prefer doing the lat pull-in where you pull the weight down from the sides. However, the teres muscles can take over the movement during the pull-in, causing the lats to get understimulated.
As of now, there is no scientific study that conclusively proves one exercise to be better than the other in terms of hypertrophy benefits. So as of now, choosing either of the two exercises is an individual preference without any specific benefits attached to it.
“I’d just say to roll with whatever one you feel hitting your lats harder. OR If you feel them both equally well, you can periodically rotate them in and out,” Nippard concluded.
You should perform three sets of the exercise adhering to a moderate 12 to 15 rep range.
Pull-ups
The advanced bodyweight movement follows the lat pulldowns. Personally, Jeff Nippard likes to do as many sets of pull-ups as possible. However, the lats already got the work during lat pulldowns and he feels that an-out set of pull-ups would be sufficient in this training session.
Additionally, Nippard’s priority is to make exercise enjoyable to a large variety of fitness enthusiasts. So while calisthenics enthusiasts might be excited to perform pull-ups, many bodybuilders are not in favor of doing them.
“While I do think that it’s important that your training is enjoyable, I also think pull-ups are a great exercise worth including that you shouldn’t avoid just because they’re harder than lat pulldowns.”
To address all of these factors and include this compound bodyweight movement into the workout, Nippard found the middle ground of performing one AMRAP set. The goal here should be to increase the number of reps every week while maintaining a consistent form.
“If you’re bulking, just matching the number of reps should be enough to present an overloading stimulus because as you gain weight, you’re adding resistance. But if you’re cutting, you should try to add at least one rep each week because as you lose weight, you’ll be lowering the resistance,” Nippard explained.
Technique-wise, putting the arms at a distance 1.5 times the shoulder width should be ideal and you can always use an assisted pull-up machine or resistance band if you’re at the early stages of development.
Kroc Rows
Nippard classifies Kroc rows as a more loose and slightly more upright version of dumbbell rows with ‘controlled cheating’. He argues that it is absolutely necessary to be more strict with the form, especially when you are a new lifter. But according to the Canadian fitness expert, you can restrict your progress in the name of perfect technique as you get into more advanced stages of development.
“Once you’ve mastered the technique basics, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a little controlled body English on select movements, especially if it allows you to overload the target muscles more effectively.”
Many elite professional bodybuilders allow their body to sway during exercises. Nippard drew attention to the fact that they are in control of the weight in spite of swaying, especially during the eccentric phase of the movement.
“The strength curve of the back exercises is actually very unique in that it’s super easy at the bottom and then much harder at the top. So if you stop at the first sign of any technique loss…”
He concluded:
“…You may be stopping well shy of the point where your back is fully stimulated. So using just a little bit of momentum at the bottom can help your back approach that point of full exhaustion much more effectively.”
Nippard does not advise cheating on exercises all the time. Instead, he feels that it can be an effective intensity technique in certain cases. Three sets of 10 to 12 reps on the Kroc rows should be enough for you to stimulate the back muscles.
Cable Shrug-Ins
The cable machine variation of shrugs should be the next exercise in the pull-day workout. Unlike the dumbbell or barbell shrugs where the weight moves along a straight vertical axis, the direction of movement is up and towards the center in cable shrug-ins.
According to Nippard, the direction of movement on cable shrug-ins lines up better with the orientation of the upper trap muscle fibers. As a result, shrugging up and towards the center is more effective for trap stimulation.
“That’s also why I generally recommend a slightly wider grip when doing barbell shrugs as it will force you to shrug up and in, and not just straight up and down,” Nippard concluded.
Once again, he advises doing three sets of this exercise for 12 to 15 reps before advancing to the next one.
Reverse Pec Deck Flyes
This rear delt-specific movement should be next in the workout. The focus here should be to push the weight out and back and not just back. This way, you can put more emphasis on the rear delts. According to Nippard:
“If you just pull the weight back, you’re going to shift a lot of focus on the mid-traps which isn’t a big deal if that’s what you’re going for. But we’ve already smashed the mid-traps with pull-ups and Kroc rows. So I’d much rather isolate the rear delts here since they’re usually overpowered by the bigger back muscles in those compound movements.”
You can experiment with the neutral, pronated, and internally rotated grip to stimulate the rear delt muscles in different ways and get the most benefits out of this exercise.
Overhead Cable Biceps Curls
Nippard is not a big fan of overhead biceps curls. However, he recently came across an experiment done by natural bodybuilders Alberto Nunes and Brian Miner. Both of them experienced more activation in the long head of the biceps during overhead curls.
There is little data to conclusively approve the findings of this experiment. But Nippard finds it worthwhile to at least experiment with this exercise. Three sets of 12 to 15 reps should usually suffice. But you can always add a couple of more biceps exercises to stimulate the muscles more.
Overall, the workout must include:
Jeff Nippard’s fitness advice stems from extensive research and study. So there is a high probability that you might be able to make better gains if you follow the training routine. So head over to the gym and give this pull-day workout a try!
You can watch the full video here, courtesy of Jeff Nippard’s YouTube channel:
Published: 27 July, 2023 | 11:07 AM EDT
Jeff Nippard Shares Science Based Push Day Workout
Maximize muscle growth with Jeff Nippard’s effective push-day workout routine.
Jeff Nippard has laid down a near-perfect training plan with the first part of his push-pull-leg training series. It is based on minimalist training principles and he recently shared another push-day training session that compliments the first one in the series.
Nippard is a Canadian natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and fitness expert. He is the 2012 Mr. Junior Canada and also held the Canadian national record for bench press. He has garnered a huge social media following due to his science-based bodybuilding and fitness content. At the time of this article’s publishing, Nippard has a whopping 3.81 million YouTube subscribers.
His content primarily focuses on educating the masses about the right approach to diet and training. The Canadian backs up most of his advice with findings of extensive studies and published medical material. Apart from training and study, Nippard’s knowledge comes from his formal education – a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Many professionals have put their faith in Nippard as he has trained several natural bodybuilders and powerlifters in men’s as well as women’s divisions.
In recent months, Jeff Nippard has shared content that deals with methods for boosting metabolism, sustainable weight management, and common nutritional mistakes. His most recent video, a push-day workout, is the fourth installment of a six-part push-pull-leg series. This training session compliments the first push-day workout of the series which we have already covered. So let’s check out the unique benefits this training session has brought for us.
Jeff Nippard’s Push-Day Workout
Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press
This compound pushing exercise is the main exercise of the push day workout. Nippard suggested doing a few warm-up sets of the movement before jumping into the working sets. He introduced this as an undulating set model. The first working set should include moderate weights while the second set must be done with heavier weights. The third set, which must include lighter weights, should be done for a maximum number of reps.
“First set of eight will give you a much better idea of how much weight you should add for the following heavier set of five. Just make sure you rest for at least three to four minutes in between those sets so your pecs are feeling recovered and capable of going up in weight.”
While the first two sets are intended for getting the benefit of progressive overloading, the third set will help build mind-muscle connection when performed with lighter weights. After putting in the right amount of work in close grip incline bench press, Nippard moves on to a shoulder exercise.
Machine Shoulder Press
Incline bench press works the anterior deltoid muscles to a great extent. However, Nippard feels the need to train the shoulders with a bit more volume without taxing the body too much. As a result, a machine shoulder press is his preferred exercise.
Machines tend to be less fatiguing as you don’t need to control the weight. You can push a little closer to failure because you can use heavier weights on machines without the risk of dropping weights or getting injured.
“Obviously, machines won’t hit some of the smaller stabilizing muscles quite as well as free weights will. But as long as you’re still including some free weight exercises, I think that concern about machines pretty much goes away anyway!” Nippard said.
Keeping arms parallel to the ground after lowering the weights is sufficient to achieve the necessary range of motion during shoulder press. But Nippard prefers to go a little further down to get a deep stretch in the muscles.
“I also use a thumbless grip on these because I find it improves the mind-muscle connection,” he added.
After doing the stipulated three sets, Jeff Nippard takes on a tricep exercise next.
Floor Reset Skull Crushers
Shifting his focus to tricep work, the Canadian fitness expert performs this strength-focused tricep exercise.
“I’m including this because on my other push day of the week, I do more hypertrophy focused higher rep tricep movement on the cables.”
Nippard does floor reset skull crushers with heavier weights and maintains a low (6 to 8) rep range, putting more emphasis on progressive overload. Nippard explained the steps of performing each rep with minute details. Personally, he aims to lift the weight to full or close to full elbow flexion. He controls the weight up to half way down in the eccentric phase.
After this, he lets the weight fall down and come to a complete dead stop on the ground before initiating the next rep. This method is efficient for making strength gains. However, you can make the exercise more hypertrophy oriented by following this advice from Jeff Nippard:
“I would suggest resisting and controlling the negative all the way down to the floor from a pure hypertrophy standpoint.”
However, strength gain is Nippard’s primary objective here and he suggests applying the progressive overload principle without fail.
Bent Over Cable Flyes
Although it might be mistaken with decline cable flye, bent over pec flye is a different exercise. Arms movement in bent over cable flyes is still perpendicular to the chest and not at a lower angle. As a result, it activates all regions of pectoral muscles. But it still puts more emphasis on mid-pecs.
Technically, bent over cable flyes are similar to the regular cable crossover. However, Nippard argues that the cables can pull you backwards during the eccentric phase of the exercise when you are in an upright position. The constant backward pull from cable can make it harder to maintain balance and stability, limiting the amount of tension in pecs.
“So by leaning forward over the cables, you’ll be more stable since your body weight is grounded with the floor and it should allow you to direct more tension onto the pecs,” Nippard concluded.
He performs three sets of bent over cable flyes and takes up a side delt movement next.
Machine Lateral Raises
Nippard includes this high intensity medial delt exercise in the training routine. Although he performs three sets of 20 reps, those are not regular sets. He splits every set into two parts. For the first part of five reps, he performs the exercise with slow negative reps. The eccentric phase of these reps lasts for five seconds. Reps 6 to 20 are regular reps with constant tension.
“For those first five reps, the slow eccentrics should help you find your delts on the negative and you should be able to zone in on feeling the side delt fibers pulling and then, when you’ve locked that connection in, from there you can kind of just blast them with more standard constant tension reps,” Nippard explained.
There is no particular benefit of this method. However, it can be extremely beneficial for people that do not feel the side delts through regular reps.
Plate Front Raises
Jeff Nippard is not a big fan of anterior delt exercises like front raises. He feels that anterior delts get enough stimulation during compound movements and tend to be overdeveloped in comparison with lateral delts in many cases.
However, there is a way to perform front raises without putting too much emphasis on front delts. According to Nippard, you can actually work the middle segments of muscles between anterior and side delts if front raises are modified properly.
Steering the plate during front raises is an effective variation that can help engage these muscles. As explained by Nippard, side delts are engaged along with anterior delts when the arm is internally rotated during a front raise.
Dumbbell Y-raises are a good alternative to achieve the same effect for people that experience pain during the front raises with internal rotation.
Diamond Push-ups
Nippard likes to finish the workout with an all-out set as there are no sets ahead to preserve the energy for. Additionally, it gives a huge mental boost knowing that you gave it all to the training session.
The diamond push-up form forces the triceps to work harder than they do in most other push-up variations. He performs one set of diamond push-ups to failure and wraps up the training session.
The push-day workout includes following exercises, number of sets and rep range:
Warm-up
5 mins on the treadmill or stair master
Dynamic stretches – arm swings, cable external rotations etc.
Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press
Warm-up sets
1st set – empty bar X 10 reps
2nd set – 50% working weight X 4 reps
3rd set – 75% working weight X 3 reps
Working sets
1st set – moderate working weight X 8 reps
2nd set – heavy working weight X 5 reps
3rd set – light working weight X 15 reps
Machine Shoulder Press
3 working sets of 10 to 12 reps
Floor Reset Skull Crushers
3 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Bent Over Cable Flyes
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Machine Lateral Raises
3 sets of 20 reps
Plate Front Raises
2 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Diamond Push-ups
1 set to failure
Jeff Nippard has ensured that his content is backed by proven data and he has done a great job of staying away from bro science. This ensures that his advice will be beneficial for most people, if not everyone. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the gym and try incorporating Jeff Nippard’s push day training session in your training.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Jeff Nippard’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 3:01 PM EDT