[ad_1]
Competitive bodybuilders typically cycle between three phases during a year — bulking, cutting, and maintenance. The off-season (bulking) combines a calorie surplus with high-intensity resistance training to build muscle mass and gain strength.
Conversely, the cutting phase comprises enduring a calorie deficit and improving muscle definition by reducing body fat percentage. The maintenance phase involves sustaining a physique by eating maintenance calories (i.e., not gaining or losing weight).
Bodybuilder Andrei Dieu is using this off-season to add size to his frame. Popular for his aesthetics, Dieu is one of the top competitors in the IFBB Pro League Men’s Physique division. On July 4, 2023, Dieu took to his YouTube channel to share his latest high-volume back workout. Check out the video below:
[Related: IIFYM — Men’s Physique Competitor Christian Guzman’s Full Day of Eating]
Andrei Dieu Off-Season Back Workout
Dieu performed five exercises in his back workout:
Super High Row
Dieu opened with the super high row. The movement trajectory of this plate-loaded specialized equipment from Panatta biases the upper and lower lats. Dieu emphasized the importance of arching the back and pushing out the chest while performing back exercises to achieve better latissimus dorsi engagement.
“We are not trying to go super heavy,” explained Dieu. “We are trying to keep the weight a little lower and focus on [muscle] contraction.” The Men’s Physique competitor paused at the bottom of the movement with each rep.
Dumbbell Row
“This is one of the main exercises that has helped me build my back thickness,” said Dieu after completing the first set of the single-arm dumbbell row. The Romanian bodybuilder stressed moving through a full range of motion and pausing at the static contraction point at the top while performing the dumbbell row.
Dieu performed the first eight to 10 reps of this exercise using a neutral (palm facing inward) grip and kept his elbow close to his side to focus on the lats. He switched to a pronated grip and flared his elbow for the final five reps to bias the traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids.
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown & Seated Cable Row
Dieu used a V-handle attachment for his lat pulldowns. He maintained an upright torso and pulled the bar to his chest to bias his lats.
The seated cable row is a go-to for Dieu for thickening his back. He set the machine’s seat height so his hands were at chest level.
For the first eight to 10 reps, Dieu turned the D-handle attachments outward during the concentrics. He used an overhand grip and maintained his upper arms in a straight line to bias his upper back for the last five reps before reaching failure.
Nautilus Pullover Machine
Dieu finished with three sets on the Nautilus pullover machine. He performed slow concentrics and paused for a second at the top, sustaining some time for his lats in their fully lengthened position.
Road Forward
Dieu trains with coach Hany Rambod. They have previously discussed the possibility of Dieu transitioning to the Classic Physique division, as Dieu has the size to be competitively viable. However, after entertaining the idea for a few months, Dieu has decided against making the switch.
Dieu is in a long off-season. He plans to compete in a bodybuilding show toward the end of 2023 to qualify for the 2024 Olympia as a Men’s Physique competitor.
Featured image: @andreideiu_ on Instagram
[ad_2]
Source link
Fitnessnacks – #Mens #Physique #Competitor #Andrei #Dieu #Trains #OffSeason
Courtesy : https://barbend.com/andrei-dieu-trains-back-off-season/