This back-and-biceps blast stays chilly with horizontal pulls and grip work, sculpting a strong sled-dog physique to build upper-body muscle and fuel metabolic conditioning.
Warm-Up
5 min easy row (focus on pulling with the lats) 2 rounds:
- 10 banded face pulls
- 8 prone Y raises
- 10 jump rope
Strength or Skill
Bent-Over Barbell Row:
- 4x8 @ RPE 7 Lat Pulldown:
- 3x10 (moderate, strict) DB Hammer Curl:
- 2x12
Metcon
15 min EMOM:
- Minute 1: 12 KB swings (53/35 lbs)
- Minute 2: 8-12 inverted barbell rows (set bar at hip height in rack)
- Minute 3: 45 sec bike/stairmaster fast pace Scaling: Reduce KB weight/raise bar height for easier inverted rows
Cool-Down
- Hanging lat stretch on bar: 30 sec x 2
- Cross-body rear delt stretch: 45 sec/side
- Standing biceps wall stretch: 45 sec/side
- Wrist and finger stretch (palm up, press fingers down gently): 30 sec/side
- Child’s pose: 1 min
Core / Optional Finisher
EMOM 4min:
- 10 v-ups or 16 Russian twists
Coaching Notes
Control each row rep—think ‘sled tracks in the snow.’ Grip will fatigue, so chalk up. Feb-March is prime time to build a stronger back!
Week-over-Week Progression
- Week 1: 4x8 row @ RPE 7; 15min EMOM
- Week 2: 4x8 row (add 5-10 lbs); 16min EMOM (add 2 reps inverted row)
- Week 3: 5x6 row @ RPE 8; 15min EMOM (increase KB)
- Week 4: 3x10 row (light, RPE 6-7); 12min EMOM (reduce reps, strict form)