5 Back-Training Cues IFBB Pros Actually Use (And Most Gym-Goers Have Never Heard)
Buddy Ray · | 0 comments
Posted by Anabolic Network | Educational Content | Training & Technique
Back day is one of the most performed — and most commonly misexecuted — training sessions in the gym. The issue isn't effort. It's precision. Most people pull weight from point A to point B and hope the lat shows up to the party. IFBB Pro coach JoJo Gonzalez's approach is entirely different: before a single rep is loaded, the muscle being targeted must already be determined, and every aspect of setup, position, and cue must support that target.
On Anabolic Network SUPP Talk Episode 14, JoJo took Buddy Ray through a five-movement upper-back and lat session at Muscle Factory San Antonio — and the coaching cues shared throughout that session represent the kind of practical training knowledge that typically lives only in elite coaching environments. Here are five of the most actionable takeaways.
1. Elbow Path Determines the Muscle — Not the Exercise Name
The single most foundational concept JoJo covers in Episode 14 is one that most lifters never consciously consider: the path of the elbow during a rowing or pulling movement determines which area of the back is recruited — and no amount of "trying to feel the lat" will override poor positioning.
JoJo's framework is straightforward. When the elbows travel away from the body — away from the lat and hip — the upper back (traps, rhomboids, rear delts) is doing the majority of the work. When the elbows stay tight to the body and drive toward the hip, the lat becomes the primary mover. The line of force and the joint position at setup lock this in before the first rep begins.
This has direct implications for exercise selection and machine setup. A machine that is ideal for upper-back recruitment based on its angle and pad configuration cannot be turned into an effective lat exercise simply by gripping it differently. JoJo emphasizes knowing what each machine is built for — and programming it accordingly.
Practical application: Before sitting down at any row or pulldown machine, determine the target muscle first. Then adjust setup — seat height, torso angle, foot position — to support that target. Do not assume the exercise name tells the whole story.
2. The Scraping-Ground Cue: Constant Downward Pressure
On the Nautilus lat pulldown, JoJo introduces a coaching cue credited to elite coach John Jewett that immediately changes the quality of Buddy Ray's lat connection: scrape the ground.
The concept is this: throughout the entire rep — both the pull and the return — the foot should maintain active downward pressure, as if trying to scrape the floor beneath it. Not just during the pull. The entire movement, including the eccentric phase. This creates a grounding force that helps stabilize the pelvis and allows the lat to work through a fuller, cleaner range of motion without the lower body drifting or the torso compensating.
Buddy's feedback after applying the cue: the connection felt more direct and more consistent than it had with standard cueing.
Practical application: On any seated lat pulldown or row, consciously push the foot into the floor throughout the rep. Think of it as an active stabilization cue, not a passive resting position. The difference in lat engagement can be felt within the first set.
3. Shorten the Lat for a Harder Contraction
One of the less commonly discussed techniques for improving lat recruitment is intentionally shortening the lat before and during the contraction. JoJo demonstrates this on the Nautilus pulldown: a slight trunk crunch — a small reduction in the distance between the ribcage and the hip — mechanically places the lat in a more favorable position for peak contraction.
The result is a tighter, more concentrated feeling at the top of the movement — the kind of contraction that indicates the target muscle is actually doing the work, not just being moved through a range of motion.
JoJo notes that body proportions matter here. Athletes with different rib-cage depths and arm lengths will execute this slightly differently. The visual cue will not look identical from person to person. But the principle — shorten the lat to improve contraction quality — applies universally.
Practical application: On pulldowns, experiment with a slight forward trunk lean and gentle rib-tuck before initiating the pull. Notice whether the contraction at the end of the rep becomes more concentrated. Adjust the degree of crunch based on individual anatomy.
4. Real Failure Is Rep-Speed Slowdown — Not Muscular Lockout
JoJo's definition of failure in bodybuilding is not the commonly understood version — the point at which a rep cannot be completed. His definition is more nuanced and, from a training-quality standpoint, more useful: failure is when rep speed noticeably slows down.
Once rep speed begins to drop, the stimulus quality drops with it. The nervous system is already compensating, motor-unit recruitment is degrading, and the mechanical tension on the target muscle is decreasing. Continuing past this point may feel productive — it feels hard — but the quality of the work being done no longer matches the fatigue being generated.
JoJo demonstrates this live in Episode 14 by observing Buddy Ray's prime row set, identifying the moment rep speed degrades, and immediately adjusting the peg loading on the machine to restore rep speed and allow Buddy to continue producing quality reps. The weight on the stack decreases. The quality of the set increases. The result is more productive stimulus, not less.
Practical application: Pay attention to rep cadence throughout a working set. When the speed of a rep slows noticeably — not slightly, but meaningfully — that is the functional end of the quality stimulus for that set. Adjust load on the next set rather than grinding through degraded reps.
5. Elbow to Hip — Not Through the Ribs
The most visually dramatic coaching correction in Episode 14 happens on the 12-6 pulldown and carries over into the cable seated row. Buddy Ray, by his own description, had spent years rowing by driving the elbow through the ribcage. JoJo redirects the movement: drive the elbow toward the hip pocket.
The mechanical difference is significant. When the elbow travels through the ribs — past the body's midline — the bicep remains loaded throughout the movement and the lat is never fully isolated. When the elbow stops at the hip — when the movement ends at the pocket rather than continuing through — the bicep is taken out of the equation and the lat bears the load.
JoJo's visual cue for this is elegant in its simplicity: imagine someone is standing behind the athlete, gripping their waist, and the goal is to drive the elbow straight down into that person's back. The movement is downward and into the hip, not backward and through the ribcage.
Buddy's response: "I feel why I've been doing it wrong for years."
Practical application: On any single-arm lat row or pulldown, place a hand on the hip before the set begins. The goal is to drive the elbow toward that hand at the end of the rep — not past it, not through the torso, but to the hip pocket. If the bicep is consistently over-involved in back training, this cue is the most likely correction.
The Larger Lesson: More Out of Less
Buddy Ray trains back with six to eight movements in roughly 45 minutes. JoJo's session covered five movements in one hour. Buddy's report: the pump was fuller, the fatigue more targeted, and the overall session more productive.
The difference is precision applied at every rep. Exercise selection means nothing without correct positioning. Load means nothing if the wrong muscle is moving it. Volume means nothing if rep quality is degrading set by set.
JoJo's philosophy, stated directly in Episode 14: increase the knowledge base, and progress follows. Not the reverse.
Watch the Full Session
The complete Anabolic Network SUPP Talk Episode 14 session with JoJo Gonzalez is on the Anabolic Network YouTube channel. Five movements. Elite coaching in real time. The cues covered above — and several more — demonstrated live at Muscle Factory San Antonio.
▶ Watch Episode 14 on the Anabolic Network channel
Follow JoJo Gonzalez on Instagram for coaching and competition prep content. Follow Anabolic Network for new SUPP Talk episodes every week.
Fuel the Work
Train the sessions that demand this kind of focus with Outlaw Supplements — built in San Antonio for athletes who train with intention.
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This blog post is educational training content. Nothing in this post constitutes medical advice or individualized training prescription. Results vary. Consult a qualified professional before beginning any training program.