Biceps and back: Valju Jagomäe’s workout
Biceps get their share of attention in this story, but Valju Jagomäe’s back did the bulk of the work that day. When Estonian -70kg champion Valju Jagomäe came up in conversation at Reval-Sport’s Tegijate training session, we arranged a serious workout together at Arctic-Sport.
This was no slick presentation on training theory. We watched how Valju trains his back, biceps, traps and abs: short rests, controlled movements and the quiet focus of an old-school bodybuilder.
Why train biceps and back together?
Your biceps are already involved on back day. Every machine, barbell or cable row requires your forearms to move and your hands to hold the weight securely. So it makes sense to train your back first, then work your biceps once your body is warm.
Valju’s approach was simple: alternate exercises for back width and thickness. One pulling movement stretches and opens up the back; the next brings the weight toward the abdomen and works the mid-back. Exactly my thinking.
Since he was in a cutting phase, the weights were not particularly heavy. Instead, Valju kept the pace up. Rest periods were no longer than 1 minute. Honestly, that soon makes even a lighter weight feel heavy.
Biceps come after back
The back workout started with close-grip lat pulldowns to the front. Palms faced each other, and the movement had to be controlled through a full range of motion. Valju used a pyramid approach, increasing the weight with each set.
The second exercise was the close-grip seated cable row, pulling toward the abdomen. We did three sets of each exercise. Between sets, Valju showed off his back, as any bodybuilder with a vain streak would. Standing relaxed, you might not realize how much muscle is hiding there, but once he flexes, it is a different picture.
Third came wide-grip behind-the-neck lat pulldowns. The same principles applied: a short rest, a full stretch, a strong contraction and more weight with each set.
We finished the back workout with bent-over barbell rows, pulling toward the abdomen. The torso stayed roughly parallel to the floor. The weight was 80kg. If the last few reps were not quite strict, Valju did not see it as a big deal. What mattered was putting in real effort.
With back done, it was time for biceps. The first exercise was the dumbbell hammer curl. We sat on a bench and curled the dumbbells alternately. A hammer grip means your palms face each other.
For every exercise, Valju used rubber grip pads that sit between the palm and the barbell. The reason was simple: a better grip and less slipping. Asked whether he always uses them, he answered immediately: of course, especially in an unfamiliar gym.
Next came high cable curls in a front double biceps pose. You stand between two pulleys, with the cables coming from above, and use your biceps to pull the handles together above your head. The finishing position resembles a double biceps pose.
Third, we did single-arm dumbbell preacher curls. You take a dumbbell, rest your chest against the bench and use your biceps to curl the weight up. This is an isolation exercise that leaves little room for cheating. We used a 17.5 kg dumbbell here.
Traps, abs and a cutting phase
Valju also trains his traps on back day. He usually works them straight after his back, but this time we simply skipped past them and left them until the very end. Barbell shrugs are straightforward: stand upright, grip the barbell and move your shoulders up and down. The final weight was 160kg.
For abs, Valju does three exercises, each for 4 sets to failure. The first and hardest was leg raises on wall bars. This works the lower abs particularly well. If you cannot raise your legs all the way up, you can just raise them out in front of you.
The second ab exercise was crunches on an ab bench with the legs elevated. Toward the end, you can use your hands to help with the last few reps so your abs get the maximum workload. Third, we did torso raises on a back extension bench, but with the emphasis on the obliques. Position yourself partly on your side on the bench and raise your upper body so that the muscles along your sides do the work.
A little stretching to finish, and the workout was over.
Biceps, back and Valju’s detailed workout plan
Overall, the choice of back exercises and the reasoning behind them were very close to my own back workout: alternating thickness and width. The weights were a little light for me, but the short rests between sets more than made up for that.
Valju’s comments on nutrition were just as practical as his workout. A typical day’s menu: porridge in the morning (four-grain, rolled oats, buckwheat, rice, etc.), sandwiches on whole-grain bread (Rama, quark, cheese, chicken, ham, sausage, cheese, fish, etc.) and coffee alongside. Three hours later, at work, he eats whatever the canteen serves at 11: today, for example, buckwheat with turkey goulash, quark with kissel and 2 milks. A protein shake before and after training. In the evening, carrot salad, rutabaga, cabbage, a boiled egg and quark. And so the days go by, eating :D!
NB! You need a lunchtime nap — it should be compulsory for bodybuilders, or you’ll never become a champion: DS!
- Pull-ups or front lat pulldowns 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Seated cable rows to the abdomen 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Wide-grip behind-the-neck lat pulldowns 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Bent-over T-bar rows 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Barbell shrugs for the traps 4 x 3 ( 5 – 8)
- Seated dumbbell biceps curls 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Double biceps cable curls 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Preacher curls 2 x 3 ( 5 8)
- Leg raises for the abs 4 x max
- Sit-ups on an ab bench 4 x max
- Oblique exercises 3 x max
Monday : Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs
Tuesday : Legs, lower back
Wednesday : Back, biceps, abs
Thursday : Rest day
Friday : same as Monday
Saturday : same as Tuesday
Sunday : same as Wednesday
Monday : rest day
* Cutting phase (3 weeks, training your body in a three-way split. Intensity increases: rest periods between sets get shorter, the rep count and total workload per workout increase, as does the amount of cardio. Rest periods: 30 sec to 1 min.)
Do 25 to 30 min of cardio on every gym training day. Warm up before your workout and stretch after cardio.
In the set notation, 2 x 3 means supersets: one set consists of 3 smaller sets, with only enough rest between them to change the weight. For example, on the bench press, do 70 x 7, then take off 10 kilos and do 60 x 7, then take off 5 kilos and do, for example, 55 x 5. Together, this is called a superset. If the plan specifies 2 x 3, it means two extended sets, each consisting of three sets.
FAQ
Should you always train biceps after back?
You don’t always have to, but it makes sense on back day. Pulling exercises already fatigue your biceps, so dedicated biceps work fits well into the second half of your workout.
Why did Valju keep his rest periods so short?
He was in a cutting phase. During this phase, the goal is to keep training volume and intensity high, rather than simply lifting the heaviest weights possible.
Is this routine suitable for beginners?
As a beginner, you can follow the exercise order and the principles behind this routine, but you should reduce the volume. Controlled movement is more important than matching Valju’s weights.
Author: Joker
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