Ryan Terry won the 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia in November 2023, scoring a staggering jump from his seventh-place finish at the 2022 Olympia. A crucial area of improvement in his physique was his back development. Two weeks post-Olympia, Terry shared his back workout that demonstrated the four exercises Terry credits for his improved back that earned him bodybuilding’s most coveted gold.
Ryan Terry’s Back Workout
These are the exercises that built the Olympia champion’s back:
- Front Lat Pulldowns
- Chest-Supported Rows
- Cable Seated Rows
- Machine Pullovers
Check it out in the video below, wherein Terry hits biceps with a cable curl warm-up, EZ-bar curls, and alternating dumbbell hammer curls before his pull day, courtesy of his YouTube channel:
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Front Lat Pulldowns & Chest-Supported Rows
Following his warmup, Terry began his working sets with front-facing lat pulldowns on the Primal lat pulldown machine in his newly minted training facility. The equipment is adjustable to accommodate any choice of grip (e.g., underhand, pronate, neutral, etc.) He followed with a low, chest-supported row. Terry shared his joy training on Primal Performance equipment, which uses cam belts instead of chains to glide the weight back and forth. The smooth reps assist Terry’s mind-muscle connection.
Machine Pullover & Cable Seated Row
While performing machine pullovers, Terry drove his elbows into the padding while flexing his outer lats. This unique machine promotes back width, which helps Terry create a winged look during back poses.
The adjustable seated row machine without chest support features high foot pedals and two single-grip handles clamped to a carabiner. Shifting the bench to a middle position and using a close grip with flared elbows kept the tension on Terry’s upper back.
Terry’s New Training Structure
After 20 years of training and nine Olympia appearances, Terry is finally an Olympia champion. In addition to his updated back programming, Terry consistently trained his back twice weekly — Mondays and Fridays — and overhauled his posing. The updated weight caps to the IFBB Pro League divisions allowed Terry to add nine pounds of muscle to his frame, most of which he believes was in his back. He walked on stage at the 2023 Olympia at a lean 202 pounds.
(@ryanjterry)Moving forward, Terry will add arm training to his Monday and Friday sessions — biceps on one day and triceps on the other. He wants a more three-dimensional look in his arms when he steps on stage again.
Terry spoke to his prep right before the 2023 Olympia, including how his body reacted to over-eating carbs, pushing his blood to his abdominals to appear bigger on stage. He was concerned that he might appear too stringy. Ultimately, he greatly benefitted from the additional size and secured his lifetime invitation to the Men’s Physique Olympia stage.
Featured image: @ryanjterry on Instagram
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