💪 A Pro Bodybuilder's Back Workout

Welcome to The Ripped Report! Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• Follow Iain Valliere’s tips for a bigger back

• 5 exercises for lifting longevity

• Sam Sulek earns his pro card

TRAINING TIPS

Get Broader

Just because Iain Valliere stepped away from competitive bodybuilding doesn’t mean he’s not still a font of information. In a recent YouTube video, the 2020 New York Pro winner broke down five essential tips he employs to grow a bigger, stronger back.

First, you’ll want to start with pulldowns in order to get yourself warmed up. This is the foundation on which Valliere’s back workouts are built. Next, you’ll want to do your heavy sets first and focus on scapular movement during your rows. (Building up a solid mind-muscle connection with your scapulae is key here.)

We dive into even more of Valliere’s tips below and detail some of the science behind his methodology.

EXERCISES

Lift Longer

Maintaining a strong, mobile body becomes increasingly important with age, and exercising regularly can help slow that physical decline. In late February, Athlean-X founder and physical therapist Jeff Cavaliere demonstrated five essential movements to stay fit for life.

Sure, you can still (mostly) do all of the same lifts you did when you were younger, but as you get older, there are a few exercises Cavaliere says you need to incorporate. For starters, a move like the single-leg Romanian deadlift will help you maintain your balance and coordination. Similarly, the sumo squat hold is a key move for keeping a loose, mobile lower back.

Now, do all of these moves sound sexy? No. Can they help you stay limber and agile after years of moving heavy weights with shakey form? Oh yes.

BODYBUILDING

Influencer Gone Pro

Sam Sulek is officially an IFBB Pro League bodybuilder. After winning the 2025 Legends Classic in mid-February, Sulek earned an invitation to compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic Amateur (ACA) contest on Feb. 27. Needless to say, he made the most of it by scoring the gold in the eyes of the judges in the Classic physique division.

With his IFBB Pro Card in hand, Sulek can compete in any future IFBB Pro show he chooses. Although he did not share any plans for future pro shows he intends to compete in at the time of this article’s publication, should he win one during the 2025 season, he would qualify for the 2025 Olympia.

THE DROP SET

Arnold Classic Redux

• ICYMI: Did you miss this weekend’s Arnold Classic? Get the full results here, and see where the sport is heading in 2025.

• Sam Sulek wasn’t the only competitor to score big at the 2025 Arnold Classic Amateur. Check out the full results here.

• Is fitness influencer Gracie Collis’ weekly glute hypertrophy programming up to snuff? We break it all down.

SOUND OFF!

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