Hany Rambod And Jeremy Buendia's FST-7 Back-and-Abs
Hany Rambod And Jeremy Buendia's FST-7 Back-and-Abs Workout
Widen
your lats and etch those abs with this epic FST-7 workout from pro
trainer Hany Rambod and 2015 men's physique champ Jeremy Buendia!
FST-7 stands for "fascia stretch training"—the "7" stands for the
number of sets you do at the end of a workout. The goal of FST-7 is to
expand and create microscopic tears in the connective sheath surrounding
the muscle fibers called the fascia. These tears are achieved by
flooding the muscle with blood while you work toward the most epic pump
of your life!
The purpose of this particular workout is to widen the lats. If
you're posing on stage, you want them to look 3-D, even from the back.
Wide lats also provide that all-important V-taper. In this workout,
we're doing 5 base exercises to help you build strength, and then
following them with FST-7 sets that will volumize the muscle.
Jeremy will show you the intensity; I'll give you the cues. Put them
together when you do the workout on your own, and you'll see and feel
insane results!
Hany Rambod's Ultimate Guide to FST-7 Back and Abs Watch the video - 26:49
If you haven't seen my FST-7 chest-and-biceps workout,
make sure to check that out as well! You can implement both workouts
into your normal training split. Just make sure to give yourself enough
recovery time between workouts.
FST-7 Back-And-Abs Workout
Ab circuit: Rest 1 min. between rounds
1
Reverse Crunch
3 sets of 10-15 reps to failure
Elbow-to-knee twist
3 sets of 10-15 reps to failure
Leg lift
3 sets of 10-15 reps to failure
Bicycle kick
3 sets of 10-15 reps to failure
Back workout: Rest 90 sec. between sets
2
Reverse-grip pull-down
2 warm-up sets of 10-12 reps2 working sets of 10-12 reps
Increase weight on second set, add 5 partials after final rep.
3
V-Bar Pull-down
2 sets of 8-12 repsAdd 5 partials after final set.
4
Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Barbell Row
2 warm-up sets of 8-12 reps2 working sets of 8-12 reps
5
Low cable row
3 sets of 8-12 repsHold poses between sets.
FST-7: 45-seconds rest between sets
6
Straight-Arm Pull-down
7 sets of 8-12 reps
Hany's Hints
Ab circuit
I like to have my athletes do the abdominal circuit first because
they can use it as a warm-up of sorts before they begin the main
workout. If you're feeling tight, stretch before you start.
I like to have my athletes do the abdominal circuit first because
they can use it as a warm-up of sorts before they begin the main
workout.
Once you get started, take your time through each exercise, and
concentrate on the mind-muscle connection. If you do them correctly, you
really don't need to do more than 10-15 reps. Focus on quality over
quantity. Sure, you could plow through a bunch of reps, but if you don't
contract hard, you won't feel your abs burning.
Because Jeremy is getting ready for a show, I didn't want him to
use weight—we're not trying to thicken his trunk right now. If you have a
workout partner, have him or her tap you right on your abs so you can
feel where you're supposed to be contracting.
Reverse-grip pull-down
Keep an arch in your back to get a better contraction through your
lower lats. On the concentric (lowering) portion, rock back slightly and
pull your elbows back. On the eccentric (lifting) portion, rock forward
a little so you can get the upper lat to stretch all the way.
Reverse-grip pull-down
Bump the weight up with each set. On the final working set, go
heavy enough that you have to push for 8-10 reps. If you have it in you,
do some partials at the end. I'm a huge proponent of partials because
they increase training intensity tenfold. If you want to get over any
plateaus, you have to train like you mean it.
It's important that you maintain control of the weight through all of these pulling movements. Don't let the weight control you.
V-bar pull-down
Those pull-downs should have rocked your world. If you feel77 the
burn right where your lat meets your armpit, you've hit the right spot.
Maintain approximately the same form as you did on the reverse-grip
pull-downs. A slight rock back and forward will help you stretch and
contract the hell out of your lats. You'll feel that blood rush in
there.
If you have it in you, add those partial reps to the end.
Barbell row
When you do this exercise, it's important that you keep your chest
lifted, but don't stand up too far. Try to get your upper body just
above parallel to the floor. From there, stay tight, so you don't use
any momentum to move the bar.
Contract your lower back and pull the barbell right into your
navel. Try to get your elbows to travel straight back. Control the
weight the entire way through the movement—don't rush.
Reverse-grip Barbell row
I like to have my athletes use both regular and reverse grip. But, I
favor reverse-grip because most people have a weaker lower lat than
upper lat. I like to help them hit that lower lat by using a reverse
grip.
Add in some partials if you can. Your grip will weaken as you go
through the sets, so use straps. You don't want to miss an opportunity
for growth just because your grip fails.
Low cable row
By now, your lower back should be pretty pumped. That's why we're
only doing 3 sets and no partial reps. Work on squeezing as hard as you
can at the top of the movement. Don't cheat any of the reps.
If you want, do a little posing between sets. Practice your full lat spread. Hold it for 5-10 seconds.
Pull-down, FST-7 style
These 7 sets are going to suck. Deal with it. Make sure your form
is spot-on through each and every rep. As your arms go up, your chest
should go down—that's what stretches your lats so fully. Drive the
weight down.
Straight-arm Pull-down
Don't forget that you're on the clock. You only get 45 seconds of
rest between sets. If you can, take 10-15 of those seconds to practice
your posing. Hold and squeeze.
