These EMOM Back Workouts will help to build better strength and power withing varying CrossFit contexes.
In CrossFit, a powerful back will help you to:
- Control and execute gymnastic movements such as muscle ups
- Improve the pulling phases of the Olympic Lifts
- Help stabilise all overhead pressing and balancing movements
- Support your spine and protect you from injury
- Maintain good posture
- Enable you to lift more (and thus get stronger) on the most important basic strength exercises
- Work with your core to control and stabilise movements
EMOM (which stands for every minute on the minute) is a type of interval workout where you perform a specific task at the start of every minute for a set amount of time.
What are the benefits of EMOM Back Workouts?
-Pacing: EMOMs remove much of the thinking from a workout; the clock decides when you’ll be working and when you’ll be resting. Every minute you’ll also be able to see if you’ve done the prescribed work in a faster or slower pace. Let’s say the workout calls for an 8 minute EMOM of 10 wall balls. If it takes you 35 seconds the first minute and 50 seconds the second minute, you can clearly see that you’ve fallen off pace.
-Progression: EMOMs are a great tool for measuring progressions from week to week. Back to the wall ball EMOM example. Week 1 you may want to complete 10 wall balls every minute on the minute for 8 minutes while trying to complete the work in under 40 seconds (leaving you 20 seconds of rest every minute). Week 2 you could increase the number of wall balls you do every minute or the total length of the workout.
-Versatility: EMOMs can be programmed to train anything: power, the aerobic or anaerobic systems, mechanics or skills.
-Rest Periods: Well-programmed EMOMs should have built in rest periods. Unlike a normal WOD, these rest periods allow you to analyze your performance after each minute. How did you feel? How was your technique? Did your pace slow significantly? After analyzing each set, EMOMs allow you to redo the work at the start of the new minute.
BACK MUSCLES
The muscles of the back can be divided into three groups – superficial, intermediate and deep:
- Superficial – associated with movements of the shoulder.
- Intermediate – associated with movements of the thoracic cage.
- Deep – associated with movements of the vertebral column.
The deep muscles develop embryologically in the back, and are thus described as intrinsic muscles. The superficial and intermediate muscles do not develop in the back, and are classified as extrinsic muscles.
The deep intrinsic muscles are located underneath the erector spinae, and are known collectively as the transversospinales. They are a group of short muscles, associated with the transverse and spinous processes of the vertebral column. There are three major muscles in this group – the semispinalis, multifidus and rotatores.
The superficial back muscles are situated underneath the skin and superficial fascia. They originate from the vertebral column and attach to the bones of the shoulder – the clavicle, scapula and humerus. All these muscles are therefore associated with movements of the upper limb. The muscles in this group are the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae and the rhomboids. The trapezius and the latissimus dorsi lie the most superficially, with the trapezius covering the rhomboids and levator scapulae.
The intermediate group contains two muscles – the serratus posterior superior and serratus posterior inferior. These muscles run from the vertebral column to the ribcage, and assist with elevating and depressing the ribs. They are thought to have a slight respiratory function.
EMOM BACK WORKOUTS
Add these into your training.
1 OPTIMUS PRIME
AMRAP in 7 minutes
Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb)
5 Deadlifts (225/155 lb) at the top of each minute
Workout starts with Wall Ball Shots. Then, at the top of each minute, starting at 1:00, complete 5 Deadlifts, then immediately resume Wall Ball Shots.
Score is the total number of repetitions (of Wall Ball Shots and Deadlifts combined) completed before the 7-minute clock stops.
2 CHARLES GARBARINI
EMOM for 9 minutes
Odd minutes:
9 Deadlifts (275/185 lb)
Even minutes:
9 Bar Over Burpees
3 JEFFREY PALAZZO
EMOM For As Long As Possible
Death by Deadlifts (60% of 1 RM)
Following the “Death By…” format, start clock and do one deadlift within the first minute, two repetitions within the second minute, three deadlifts within the third minute and so on. Add one repetition every minute until you cannot complete the required number of repetitions within that given minute.
Tip: Do not speed up to get all the reps. Go slow and use good form. Don’t let your back round. If you can’t get the reps using good form, then so be it. There is no shame in that. Injuring your back, however, there is a lot of shame (and pain) in that.
4 ANGEL JUARBE JR
EMOM for 10 minutes
3 Deadlifts (65% of max rep)
Max Burpees
Remainder time of each minute is max burpees. Score would be the total number of burpees throughout all 10 rounds.
5 DENNIS O’BERG
EMOM for 14 minutes
Odd Minutes:
15 Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
Even Minutes:
10 Deadlifts (275/205 lb)
6 STEVEN OLSON
For Time
150 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb)
Every 2 minutes on the minute, perform:
3 Deadlifts (315/225 lb)
3 Bar Over Burpees
With a running clock, as fast as possible perform 150 Wall Ball Shots. Every 2 minutes on the minute, perform the 3 Deadlifts and 3 Bar Over Burpees until the total number of Wall Ball Shots is completed.
Score is the time on the clock when the 150th Wall Ball Shot is completed.
7 KEVIN REILLY
EMOM for 12 minutes
Odd Minutes:
5 Push Presses (155/105 lb)
Even Minutes:
5 Deadlifts (155/105 lb)
Each push press should start from the ground.
8 EDWARD WHITE
EMOM for 23 minutes
3 Deadlifts (230/160 lb)
5 Strict Pull-Ups
Check out a great selection of other back exercises that will be highly beenficial to CrossFit athletes.
BACK EXERCISES
Whether you choose to train with several exercises that specifically target your back together (a “back day” so to speak), or you want to add a few of the following into a workout, make sure you warm up with movements that mimic those that you are about to perform.
WARM UP
A decent warm up should always include (at minimum) some kind of work to elevate your heart rate and involve movements that are specific to what you will do in your workout. For example, if you about to work on strict presses and overhead strength, it makes sense to select warm up exercises that will mirror these movements. Your back is comprised of many large muscle groups, and is a powerful part of your body, so take the time to warm up properly when you know it will be stressed and worked hard in a training session. Learn more about your thoracic spine and posterior chain to understand how these function together.
It is also important to think about your scapula and shoulders when warming up for training your back. Try these exercises to get prepped for these types of workouts:
If you still aren’t sure about exactly where to start, your coach should be the first point of contact. This banded drill from Sam Dancer is also an excellent starting point.
BACK WARM UP FROM SAM DANCER
“Stay smooth, always push out against band and keep band off your back. Did it for about 2-3min. Loved the rotation of the scap, activation of pec and lat, and a surprising amount of stability involved in both trunk and shoulder.. nothing quite like it from my experience. Some relatives might be like a contralateral carry or TGU but there isn’t anything as dynamic with tension.”
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Once you are warmed up properly, get into your workout! The following seven exercises are all excellent ways to strengthen your back and improve your performance for Crossfit, life and general long-term health.
PRONE ROWS
“This is an easy way to set this up if you don’t have a proper Prone Row and bent bar set up. Great way to teach upper back pulling. Widen the grip to remove even more of the arm flexors.”
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EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – DEADLIFT
“There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do DEADLIFT” John Pall Sigmarsson: 4x winner of the World’s Strongest Man Competition.
Deadlifts are one of the most important exercises in the Crossfit Spectrum, and in strength and conditioning in general.
Correctly done they will help you to build massive strength in your posterior chain and you will need that for all your weightlifting. It is also the exercise that allows your body to move the most weight. But as with every heavy lift, progress and avoiding injury lies in great technique.
EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – WIDE GRIP STRICT PULL UPS
Strict pull ups are an excellent exercise for building strength in general. Widen your grip and you make the movement even harder. This will force your traps, delts, lats, tris, teres major and core to work even more and strengthen your back. If you struggle with strict pull ups, then check out the video below.
This video shows progression exercises to help you build up to strict pull ups. If you are already fairly confident with this strict movement then simply add it into your training when you want to specifically develop your back strength. For pure strength, work in sets of no more than five reps, and you want to be close to failure by the last rep. Add a weight vest if necessary. If your goal is more towards hypertrophy, work in sets of 8-12 reps and maintain a high intensity with short rest times between working sets.
If you can manage three sets of ten full wide grip pull ups (back to a neutral hanging position with every rep) then that’s a very respectable milestone in you training and back strength.
EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – THE BARBELL ROW
A stable for many lifters and athletes, this is a vital exercise that should be included in every athletes strength and conditioning work. Keep your core tight and squeeze your glutes and grip in order to maintain good form and tension throughout every rep.
This informative video from Alan Thrall gives you everything you need to correctly perform barbell rows.
EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – DUAL KB RACK CARRY
This is a terrific upper back and scapular developer. It combines trunk and core strength and stability. The shoulders get a massive dose and you can do these alone or in longer grinder pieces. Keep the elbows pointed down and shoulder blades packed. Try to resist shrugging up.
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EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROW
This exercise is especially good for strengthening your lats and traps. Make sure you pull with your back and don’t hoist the weight up with your arm. Keep the movement slow and controlled and concentrate on contracting the muscles that are involved. Stronger lats and traps will help you with other exercises such as pull ups, deadlifts and explosive movements such as dumbbell snatches.
The movement
EMOM BACK WORKOUTS – SUMO STANCE GOOD MORNING
“Wide Stance with toes trained out and knees remaining as straight as possible. Slow down the eccentric and the adductor and hamstring activation is intense.”
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