Rafael Brandao’s coach doesn’t believe he’ll reach his prime until age 35-37.
Training your back as a bodybuilder or weightlifter can be quite intricate. Nevertheless, it holds great importance to focus on these muscles. Apart from the aesthetic appeal, strong back muscles improve your ability to lift and pull weights effectively. This article examines Brazilian bodybuilder Rafael Brandao’s back workout. Engaging in exercises from this back workout not only enhances strength but also has the potential to alleviate back pain, as indicated by a study (1).
Rafael Brandao started his bodybuilding journey in 2017 and already looks impressive and is a competitor to watch out for on the Mr. Olympia stage. Brandao competed in the Men’s Open and won the Romania Muscle Fest Pro ahead of big names Quinton Eriya and Samson Dauda in 2021.
Rafael Brandao has taken a year off to train after a not-so-satisfactory tenth-place finish at Mr. Olympia in 2022. He’s working alongside seasoned and trusted coach Neil Hill to sculpt his body and plans to leave many speechless with his conditioning in 2024. As part of this training, we saw his back-day workout when he recently shared the video on Youtube.
You’ll learn a lot from the workout from the valuable tips left behind by Coach Hill. As a coach to many successful athletes and a former pro bodybuilder, Neil Hill’s knowledge is immense. So let’s look at what we can learn from this Rafael Brandao workout.
| Full Name: Rafael Brandao | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 245 – 255 lbs | 5’11” | 06/24/1993 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Open | 2010s- Till Date | Brazilian |
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Rafael Brandao Back Workout
At the start of the routine, Neil Hill discussed working with Rafael Brandao to bring his best to the bodybuilding stage next year. He says that he appreciates working with Brandao and that shape and structure are important.
“For me, shape and structure – it’s something that always draws my attention, do you understand? I’m super excited. I appreciate the opportunity to work with him. He’s going to get so much time and so much of my attention.”
For this back day, Rafael Brandao did four routines with close guidance from Hill. Two were lat pulldown variations, and the other two were rows. Coach Hill says that when you look at it, four sets for four different routines is 16 sets, and that is enough to spur muscle growth.
“On average, for the back, probably four different exercises. Four different exercises, four sets, that’s 16 sets. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re putting everything into working sets, 16 sets is more than enough, believe me. It’s more than enough.”
Hill also shared his ideas on recovery and improving your workouts as part of the tips. Here’s an in-depth look at these exercises, how they work, and what the coach says about recovery.
| Exercises |
| Lat Pulldowns |
| Hammer Strength Front Lat Pulldowns |
| Hammer Strength Plate-Loaded Iso-lateral Rows |
| Bent-over Dumbbell Rows |
Lat Pulldowns
The lat pulldown is a popular upper-body strengthening exercise. As a bodybuilder or lifter, you can use this routine to train your latissimus dorsi, the largest muscle in the back. Lat pulldowns also build your delts, traps, rhomboids, and biceps.
It activates similar muscles as pull-ups, but this study shows that lat pulldowns recruit your ab muscles more than pull-ups do (2). Rafael Brandao did four sets of this exercise using a lat pulldown machine, and Coach Hill advised that he keep his arms straight to recruit the lats more.
“Your arms have to be straight; otherwise, it’s all biceps. You’re stretching out your lats, but you’re also – those bounces are letting you get momentum to pull it here. If you stop, it’s like pulling it dead. So what you’re doing is [you’re] able to get extra reps and stretch out the lats.”
Hammer Strength Front Lat Pulldown
The Hammer Strength lat pulldown machine is unique. It was created with the human range of motion in mind and is used by athletes at the professional level because of its effectiveness. This machine helps you develop your strength using independent diverging and converging movements.
You work with an underhand grip when using the Hammer Strength lat pulldown machine. At this point, Neil Hill discussed the importance of recovery and rest.
“The thing is as well, while you’re training while we’re trying to force your weight up, recovery is harder as well, right? It’s because we’re fighting the weight, you’ve got this sickness, you’re fighting off, yes. You take the rest.”
Hammer Strength Plate-Loaded Iso-lateral Row
Next, Rafael Brandao got on the Hammer Strength plate-loaded iso-lateral row machine. This machine is another back builder that strengthens your lats and several other muscles. Its multi-grip function lets you alter your grip to work different muscles (3). At this point, Coach Hill was honest about the long-term plans for Brandao as an athlete.
“I don’t think you’re going to come in your prime until you’re about 35-37. Then you’re just going hold it, hold it and refine, refine. As long as your body is healthy and fresh. I don’t think you’re going to hit your peak till 35-37. But when I say hit your peak, you could probably hold your peak for 3-5 years.”
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
Bent-over dumbbell rows are considered one of the best back exercises. They target all the muscles in your back, including the lats, traps, rhomboids, and upper arms. Even your shoulders benefit from this routine since it helps stabilize your spine.
Using a dumbbell for this routine, as Rafael Brandao did, turns it into a moderate-intensity workout. This makes you burn more calories and lose more weight. Bent-over dumbbell rows are also a functional exercise, mimicking everyday movements, like picking up heavy objects.
You can watch Rafael Brandao’s full back workout below:
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References
- Lee, J. S., & Kang, S. J. (2016). The effects of strength exercise and walking on lumbar function, pain level, and body composition in chronic back pain patients. Journal of exercise rehabilitation, 12(5), 463–470. https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1632650.325
- Doma, K., Deakin, G. B., & Ness, K. F. (2013). Kinematic and electromyographic comparisons between chin-ups and lat-pull down exercises. Sports biomechanics, 12(3), 302–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2012.760204
- Lusk, S. J., Hale, B. D., & Russell, D. M. (2010). Grip width and forearm orientation effects on muscle activity during the lat pull-down. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(7), 1895–1900. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddb0ab
