Dr. Mike Takes On Ronnie Coleman’s Back & Biceps Workout

Mike adopts Ronnie's style of a little swing on pulldowns, arguing it lets you touch your chest and get a full lat stretch. He combines this with a reps-in-reserve (RIR) approach: aim for about 2 RIR on the first set, then accept a drop in reps on subsequent sets due to fatigue. He notes he has a 'huge fall-off on fatigue,' so his second set might drop from 14 to 10-12 reps. He also warms up with 100 lbs before working sets. This protocol is part of a larger strategy to make lats the limiting factor in a back workout that includes rows.

Mike notes that Ronnie does rows with a bit more flexion, but Mike prefers to stay more upright. He acknowledges the machine he's using isn't ideal for full range of motion, but he does his best. He emphasizes that on cable rows, high reps are 'real conducive' because you don't have to fight to maintain an upright posture like you do on barbell rows. This makes them a good choice for higher-rep, pump-focused work. He also ties this into the pre-fatigue concept: after pulldowns, the lats are already pumped, so the rows further challenge them.

Mike observes Ronnie doing very upright barbell rows, which target the traps and upper back. Mike chooses to do them from a standard position with 45s, using less weight but getting a bigger range of motion. He explicitly states he likes the way he does them, even though he doesn't have eight Mr. Olympia titles to back it up. He also reiterates the rationale that barbell rows are suited for lower reps because posture is a limiting factor, whereas cable rows allow higher reps. This is a practical application of exercise-specific rep ranges based on the movement's constraints.

Mike watches Ronnie do preacher curls and decides to go deeper for a fuller stretch. Lacking a real preacher bench, he sets up an incline bench as a 'ghetto rig.' He describes the unique resistance curve: at the very bottom, there's a slight leverage advantage with gravity, but the bigger stretch creates a disadvantage, so the first half of the movement is roughly the same difficulty. Then it gets harder. He uses 20 lb dumbbells while Ronnie uses 45s, and aims for 10-15 reps. He does 3 sets per arm, totaling 6 sets. This is a practical, equipment-minimal approach to preacher curls.

Mike breaks down 21s scientifically in the middle of his set. He explains that the first 7 reps (lengthened partials) and the next 7 (shortened partials) leave you with 'a million reps in reserve,' meaning they are not stimulating. The final 7 full-ROM reps are where you can actually get close to failure and stimulate growth. He concludes that there's no special advantage to 21s; you could just do 7 hard full-ROM reps and get the same benefit. He still does them in the video for entertainment, but he cheats on the last set by doing halves instead of thirds and rest-pausing, which inadvertently makes it more effective by increasing proximity to failure on the full-ROM portion.

Mike states he will wear Versa Grips for the entire workout because without them, his grip would give out first, preventing him from doing as many pulldowns or rows as he intends. He notes that this is especially important for 'mortals like myself,' implying that even advanced lifters benefit. He contrasts this with Ronnie Coleman, who likely had tremendous grip strength, but for most people, straps are a necessity to truly train the back hard.

Mike breaks down the 21s protocol scientifically. He notes that during the first 7 reps (lengthened partials) and the next 7 (shortened partials), you are nowhere near failure—'a million reps in reserve.' Only the final 7 full-ROM reps have the potential to stimulate significant muscle growth because that's when you can actually approach failure. He concludes that the advantage of 21s is unclear, and that 'tension is tension is tension as long as it's the last rep with that full range at the end.' In other words, as long as you get close to failure on the full-ROM portion, you're good, but the preceding partials are essentially junk volume. He still does them in the video for fun, but his scientific stance is that they are not special.

Mike observes that Ronnie's workout includes a few sets of lat pulldowns before moving to cable rows and barbell rows. He theorizes that this sequence is intentional: the pulldowns activate and pump the lats, improving mind-muscle connection, and pre-fatigue them so that when you row, the lats become the limiting factor rather than the mid/upper back. This effectively turns a row into a more lat-dominant movement. He contrasts this with an alternative approach of doing fewer exercises but more sets per exercise, but notes that Ronnie trained back heavy and twice a week, so lower volume per exercise with more variety fits that schedule. This is a practical takeaway for lifters wanting to prioritize lats in a back workout without adding more pulldown volume.

Mike shows the bar and explains he grabs it on the outside bends. He emphasizes it's 'nothing magical' but that it feels very comfortable and provides a different grip angle. This is a minor personal tweak, not a recommendation for everyone, but it illustrates his willingness to experiment with equipment to find what feels best for his joints and mind-muscle connection. He doesn't claim it's superior, just that he likes it.