Bodybuilding

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Arm yourself for arm day with our most popular pre-workouts. When the weight is lowered and your biceps are stretched, pause for a second before the next rep. In three workouts a week, you'll tackle bis, tris, and forearms, and leave the gym each time with a triple crown of arm pumps. If you love this style of training and want to apply it to your other muscle groups, try the other workouts in the Triple Threat series.

: This is a total back-builder: upper back, lower back, lats, traps, spinal erectors—the whole deal. It's a staple of the best back workouts for men, but make no mistake, it's great for back workouts for women, as well. Pendlay rows (each rep starts from the floor) In your workout: Do heavy bent-over rows toward the start of your back workout in lower rep ranges, such as 6-8 or 8-10, in order to save your lower back.

Why it's on the list: The T-bar row may seem at first glance like another variation of the bent-over row, but serious lifters know there's a big difference. A wider grip will put more emphasis on the lats, while a neutral grip will better target the middle back (rhomboids, teres, and traps). If you find yourself cheating or struggling to maintain a flat back, a chest-supported row may be a better choice. A leather lifting belt can help improve your bracing, helping you hammer your lats while keeping your spine stable.

The fixed plane of the movement allows you to pull heavy with lots of stability, making for a humbling exercise. Treat it like a cross between a dumbbell row and a machine row, utilizing benefits of each. The single-arm version, with the elbows pulling back close to your sides, is especially effective at targeting the lower portion of the lats. Your goal is to hammer your back, not be constantly limited by your grip strength.

It hits the entire posterior chain, from your calves to your upper traps, but it's also a time-tested standout for overall backside development. Technique is uber-important, but once you nail it, you can progress to lifting monster weights that recruit maximum muscle, release muscle-building hormones, and help you get big. In your workout: If you're going heavy (sets of fewer than about 6 reps), do deadlifts first Pick a pre with caffeine to increase strength and power, plus fatigue-fighting ingredients to stay strong as the sets go on.

Your first impulse may be to reach for the wide-grip bar, but back-focused EMG research suggests that use of a close neutral grip activates the lats similarly to a regular grip. This grip also allows for a longer range of motion and increased time under tension for the lats, which is great for building muscle. Slow down the rep tempo on these, squeeze hard at the bottom of each rep, and allow a good stretch at the top. In your workout: When used as a mass-building exercise, it's best placed toward the middle or end of your workout for sets of 8-12 reps.

Each variation has its own advantages: Wide-grip variations are great for the upper lats, while close-grip chins or neutral-grip pull-ups have a greater stretch and overall range of motion. Why it's on the list: Unlike every free-weight variation here, the classic seated row maintains constant tension throughout every inch of the movement. Your first impulse may be to reach for the wide-grip bar, but back-focused EMG research suggests that use of a close neutral grip activates the lats similarly to a regular grip. This grip also allows for a longer range of motion and increased time under tension for the lats, which is great for building muscle.

Why it's on the list: Unlike every free-weight variation here, the classic seated row maintains constant tension throughout every inch of the movement. Plus, many gyms have a wide range of handles that you can clip onto a seated cable row with a carabiner, giving you all manner of wide and narrow grips and different hand positions. In your workout: Like machines, cables can be loaded up pretty heavily without overly taxing you. These are best done toward the end of your workout, so don't be afraid to go slightly higher-rep here, like 10-12 or even 12-15 reps.

Who says you need free weights to train your back? This high-rep, short-rest workout will allow you to move serious poundage for high reps without posing a serious challenge to your lower back or core. If you like training back on machines, try YouTube star Calum Von Moger's full program Building Von Moger: 6-Week Mass Program on BodyFit.