Becoming a college strength and conditioning coach isn’t easy, but it was the young guy Jesse’s dream. There wasn’t time to sit and revel in my epic triumph as I had dreamed. I was thrown right into the thick of it.
On day one, I was the head strength and conditioning coach for three teams.
Read No Legs, No Worries- Keep Your Upper Body Strong and Quick at its original source Breaking Muscle:
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Just because you only have a few choice pieces of equipment to your name doesn’t mean your at-home training options are abysmal. What’s more, if you’re spending more time at home, sitting for most of the day, that’ll do a number on the postural muscles of your upper and lower back. They’re likely screaming for your attention in the form of atrophy, chronic pain, and maybe even some shoulder issues. You know what can turn that all around? At-home back workouts.
Proper training can bolster the small stabilizing muscles in your back to alleviate lumbar pain, fix imbalances in your shoulders to safeguard your body against injury and, of course, build size and strength. And it can all be done with scant equipment. Try these at-home back workouts to keep your strength up and develop those dormant postural muscles. You’ll develop size and strength with nary a Smith machine or barbell in sight.
Equipment needed: Pullup bar
Directions: EMOM stands for “every minute on the minute.” To do this workout, simply time out 20 minutes and perform 3-5 pullups at the start of the first minute and at the turn of each subsequent minute until 20 minutes have elapsed. Sounds easy at first, but if you’re being honest with your rep quality, you’ll probably realize your fate by set number 10.
Equipment needed: Two benches (or flat surfaces) and a mat
Directions: Perform these exercises as supersets, completing the first move for prescribed reps or duration, then moving immediately to the second, resting only between rounds.
1A. Back Plank x 20 seconds: Set two benches parallel to one another. Sit in between and plant triceps on either bench, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Drive elbows into the benches and actively work to raise your chest as high as possible by retracting the shoulder blades as you drive your feet into the floor and bridge hips toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes throughout and don’t forget to breathe. Watch a video demonstration here.
1B. Handcuff Raises x 12 reps: Lie face down on the floor with arms behind back, elbows bent, hands clenched into fists with palms facing out (as if you were wearing handcuffs). Keep fists as close to each other as possible, and let the elbows and shoulders fall toward the floor. To perform the raise, retract shoulders and arch upper body off the floor. Hold each position for 2 seconds. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a superset for 5 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
2A. Wall Shoulder Extension x 45 seconds: Stand in front of a wall with your back against it, butt making contact. Reach back with hands beside your hips, and pull shoulders down and back. With closed fists, drive them into the wall as hard as you possibly can for the prescribed time. This seems easy, but it isn’t if you’re working as hard as possible. You should feel all the muscles in your upper back working hard too. Watch a video demonstration here.
2B. Neck Plank x 15 seconds: Position your head and shoulders on a flat bench, feet flat on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees. Gradually slide your way forward until only your head is supporting your body weight. Don’t let your body sag or fall; keep your back higher than bench level. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a superset for 5 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
Equipment needed: Medicine ball (8-12lbs), light dumbbells (5-8lbs), and full water bottle (2lbs)
Directions: Perform these exercises as supersets, completing the first move for prescribed reps or duration, then moving immediately to the second, resting only between rounds.
1A. Med Ball Tomahawk x 12 reps: Lie on your stomach on a mat, holding a medicine ball, elbows bent. Engage your core and glutes to lift legs and elbows off the ground as you draw the medicine ball behind your head. Tap the ball to your upper traps, working toward hitting your lower traps. Watch a video demonstration here.
1B. Trap 3 Raise x 12 reps each side: Rest one forearm on any surface that’s around waist level, then prop your head on that arm. Hold a light 8-pound dumbbell in the other hand. Hinge at your hips. Your torso should be parallel to the floor, soft bend in knees, heels peeled off the floor. Set your working shoulder by retracting the shoulder blade before each rep. Raise the weight up diagonally. It’s okay if there’s a very slight swing to make this happen. You should feel this mostly in your mid back. Don’t let your ego get in the way; go light. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a superset for 4 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
2A. Floor Blackburns x 12 reps: Lie on your stomach, feet flexed, light dumbbells in either hand, palms facing one another. Elbows should be bent out to the side. Keep your head pressed to the floor as you press the weights overhead, then bring back to the start position. Don’t let your elbows or weights touch the floor. Watch a video demonstration here.
2B. Prone Transfers x 12 reps: Stay in the same position, lying on your stomach. Lift your arms and legs off the floor, holding the full water bottle. Pass it behind your back and over your head from one hand to the other, making large arm circles. Be sure not to let any part of your arms or hands touch the floor. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a superset for 4 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
Equipment needed: Assorted loop bands
Directions: Perform these exercises as supersets, completing the first move for prescribed reps or duration, then moving immediately to the second, resting only between rounds.
1A. Banded Scapular Slides x 15 reps: Fix a flat resistance band at your midline (anchor on a door knob). Sit on the floor facing the anchor point with either end of the band in each hand. Maintain a strict upright seated position with legs extended straight (if that’s too challenging, bend your knees) as you cactus your arms out to either side, elbows bent, palms facing one another. Press the bands overhead, fighting resistance so the bands don’t pull your hands forward, until your arms are straight. Lower down and repeat. Watch a video demonstration here.
1B. Banded Seated Row x 15 reps: Using the same setup described above, row the bands toward either side of your midline.
Perform as a superset for 5 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
2A. Banded Good Morning x 15 reps: Place a heavy resistance band behind your neck and under your feet. Keep the lower back in its natural arch, bend your hips back and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Think about keeping your chest up and pointing forward. Explosively extend your hips to come back up. Watch a video demonstration here.
2B. Banded Pulldown x 15 reps: Set up two heavy resistance bands at the top of a fixed anchor. Sit on the floor and grab the bands in either hand; sit so your body, band, and anchor point make a 45-degree angle (don’t sit directly underneath the anchor). Lean back a bit and set palms facing the floor, arms extended. Draw your shoulders down and back and engage your lats to pull the bands down, rotating palms so they’re facing you at the bottom of the movement, elbows down by sides. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a superset for 4 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
Equipment needed: Medium and heavy pair of dumbbells and a bench
Directions: Perform exercises as straight sets or compound sets, when indicated, for prescribed reps, sets, and rest. Similar to supersets, exercises in a compound sets are to be done back to back without rest. The difference is they work the same muscle group, whereas supersets hit opposing muscle groups.
1. Fisherman Row – 4×15 reps each side: Set up on a flat bench for a single-arm dumbbell row, but instead of putting one knee on the bench, put both knees on it. You’ll be diagonally across the bench, allowing your chest and torso to remain stable and flat. Row the weight straight up toward your ribcage. Rest 90 seconds between rounds. Watch a video demonstration here.
2A. Renegade Row x 10 reps each side: Begin in a pushup position, holding dumbbells on the floor in a neutral grip. Perform a pushup on the dumbbells, then immediately perform a one-arm, neutral-grip row. Repeat the pushup and row on the other side.
2B. Banded Chest Supported Row x 15 reps: Lie face down on an incline bench. Wrap a mini looped resistance band around wrists (the band shouldn’t be too thick or tight) and hold medium-weight dumbbells in either hand with a neutral or underhand grip. Squeeze shoulder blades together and row the weights toward your chest. As you pull, aim to separate the weights at the same time in order to hit the rear deltoids. Watch a video demonstration here.
Perform as a compound set for 4 rounds. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
3. Dumbbell Bentover Row – 5×12: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hinge forward at the hips, arms extended with dumbbells hanging straight down, to start. Row the weights up to your torso, keeping elbows tucked in line with your body. Reverse motion to return to start.
Equipment needed: TRX or any suspension training system
Directions: Perform exercises as supersets or compound sets for prescribed reps, sets, and rest.
1A. Rear-Delt Rockers x 12 reps: Hang the TRX from a high anchor as you would for an inverted row. Grab the handles with palms facing out and come directly under the anchor point. Extend arms, bend knees, and dig your heels into the floor. Row your upper body up, sinking hips so you’re in an upright “seated” position, hands near shoulders to finish the rep. Don’t let your body touch the ground, and think of this as a rocking or pivot motion. Remember to keep the shoulder blades retracted the entire time. Watch a video demonstration here.
1B. Inverted Rows x max reps: Hang TRX from a high anchor. Grab the handles and come directly under the anchor point, palms facing one another. Extend arms and legs (you can also bend your knees and plant your feet, but keep hips lifted). Row body up until handles are by your chest.
Perform as a compound set for 5 rounds. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
2A. Bear Dogs x 6 reps each side: This movement combines a bear stance position with a bird dog movement. Come into a quadruped position on hands and knees, then engage your core to bring both knees three inches off the floor. Slowly and carefully raise one arm and the opposite leg off the floor to a full extension. Don’t allow your body to twist or rock, and keep the planted leg in the same position it started in. Repeat on the opposing side. Watch a video demonstration here.
2B. Close-Grip Chinups x max reps
Perform as a superset for 4 rounds. Rest 90 seconds between rounds.
Equipment needed: Barbell and plates
Directions: Perform as straight sets, completing all reps and sets of an exercise before moving on.
1. Barbell Deadlift – 5×10 reps with 2-minute rest between sets
2. Barbell Bentover row – 4×12 with 2-minute rest between sets
3. Barbell hang clean – 5×5 reps with 2-minute rest between sets
4. Barbell Shoulder Extensions – 4×12 with 90-second rest between sets
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Riz Ahmed had a clear vision of what he wanted to look like in Sound of Metal. The British actor wanted to morph into a ripped rock star since his character, Ruben, is an ex-addict punk drummer who begins to suffer devastating hearing loss.
“Riz has immense focus in everything he does,” says trainer Leighton Grant II, who helped Ahmed prep for the role. On top of his fitness expertise, there was also an element of Ruben’s journey that Grant connected closely with. “I wear hearing aids myself, so missing sounds or parts of conversation is a part of my daily life.”
Grant developed a diverse and comprehensive training program to execute over the three months they had together before Sound Of Metal began filming in Massachusetts. Since Ahmed was starting with a particularly lean frame at the time, the mandate was to build muscle during the first phrase, then shred him down during the second push.
“I was checking Riz’s weight and body fat percentage at least every other week, so we knew exactly where we was at all times,” says Grant. “Giving the history that Ruben has, the goal was for him to have a seriously striated physique when he showed up on set.”
Since Ahmed was playing a drummer, their training paid special attention to rhythm and tempo, too. That work came through especially during their agility drills and boxing sessions. “I’ve found similarities between boxing and punk drumming,” says Grant. “There’s a level of aggression and musicality that comes through both.”
Between the workouts with Grant and drumming practice with Guy Licata, Ahmed pulled off an impressive transformation for Sound Of Metal. Here’s how he did it.
During their three-month training period, Ahmed put on muscle while lowering his body fat percentage by four percent. That was accomplished by upping his caloric intake during the first phase, to help with the bulking period, then cutting that amount by 1,000 calories during the second phase.
Since Ahmed was on the movie quite a bit, not allowing for daily monitoring in-person, they started with the baseline of meals from Kettlebell Kitchen, with some meal manipulation coming from Grant. During the first period he was taking in about 2,500 calories. And during the cutting period, they switched to keto-based meals from the service, where the actor was taking in anywhere between 1,500 and 1,800 calories.
There were also home-cooked meals centered around clean protein, vegetables, and good carbs. Example breakfasts included eggs, minced beef, spinach, and sweet potato; lunch would be chicken breast, quinoa, and greens; and dinner would always be greens with a choice of protein. Depending on the type of training being done, fruit and a protein shake were added.
The training started with a focus on building muscle with traditional movements over the course of four days a week, split between upper and lower body sessions. During the beginning of the program, cardio was kept to a minimum. As the weeks progressed, Grant began to add conditioning to Ahmed’s training, which included everything from foot work to boxing to kettlebell circuits.
During the second phase of the program, the lifting was kept low and more conditioning was introduced. The training was upped to six or seven days a week. Since the exercise was constant, recovery became more crucial, and Grant would step in to perform instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization on occasion. Wednesdays were dedicated to boxing as a means to dial in Ahmed’s rhythm and get a great shred.
Directions: Complete 3 sets of each superset, with 45 seconds between supersets, then move onto the next.
A1. Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Flye x 12 reps (each side)
Lie on your back on a flat bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with a neutral grip. Press the dumbbell so it’s stacked directly over your shoulder, and rest your left hand on left thigh. Retract your right arm’s shoulder blade and unlock your elbow, then slowly lower the dumbbell laterally. Allow your elbow to bend a bit until your arm is fully extended, dumbbell at chest level. Reverse the movement by engaging your pec and bringing the dumbbell back to the starting position. Repeat. Switch sides after 12 reps.
A2. Barbell Chest Press x 12 reps
Grasp the bar just outside shoulder width and arch your back so there’s space between your lower back and bench. Unrack the barbell and lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45 degrees to your sides. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet into the floor and press the bar back up. Repeat.
B1. Reverse Flye on Cable Cross Machine x 15 reps
Adjust two cable machines to a medium resistance and a midrange setup. Stand tall between both cables, grabbing the right cable with your left hand and the left cable with your right hand, feet shoulder-width apart. Begin with arms crossed over your chest (as if you were hugging yourself), then engage your lats and extend arms out to the sides until they’re parallel to the ground, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position. Repeat.
B2. Close-Grip Row x 12 reps
Start by putting a close-grip handle (V bar) on the cable machine. Sit on a bench (or on the floor, just adjust the stack height accordingly), and grab the bar with a neutral grip, palms facing one another. Keep your back straight as you row the handle toward your lower abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly reverse the movement—again, keeping a flat back. Repeat.
C1. Single-Arm Reverse Dumbbell Flye x 12 reps (each side)
Grab a dumbbell in your right hand using a neutral grip (palm facing in), standing with feet shoulder-width apart. With a soft bend in your knees, hinge at your hips and tip your torso forward and down so it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Let your right arm hang under your chest, left hand braced on left knee for support. Engage your lat, raising your right arm until it’s parallel to the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbow throughout the movement. Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. Repeat. Switch sides after 12 reps.
C2. Arnold Press x 12 reps
Hold dumbbells in each hand, palms facing you. Engage your glutes and abs as you begin to press the dumbbells overhead. Halfway through the movement, rotate your palms so they face out. Extend arms fully overhead, being careful not to hyperextend your back. Reverse the movement in a controlled manner. Repeat.
D1. Plank w/ Hip Hike x 20 reps
Come into a plank position, weight over wrists, hips level and in line with back, and core engaged. Lift your hips up while squeezing your abs, then hold for a count of two. Lower back down in a controlled manner. Repeat.
D2. Bicycles x 45 seconds
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and knees in tabletop position. With your hands cradling your head, pull shoulder blades off the floor. Begin to go through a bicycle pedal motion, drawing one knee up toward armpit while straightening the other leg, twisting torso so the opposite elbow meets opposite knee. Repeat for 45 seconds, then switch sides.
Sound Of Metal is now available on Amazon
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