In-depth Interview with Paul Carter about the biggest mistakes during back training, his favourite back exercises & much more!
Paul Carter specializes in hypertrophy and body recomposition. As the coach of pro bodybuilders and elite strength athletes, he works with some of the most respected athletes and coaches in the strength world. Moreover, he provides high-quality, weekly advice about muscle growth & better technique overall. In addition, Paul is the author of many books on diet and training & cycling approaches to fat loss. Besides that amount of expertise, he counts to our top 3 affiliates.
1. Which mistake do you see pro athletes making on their back/pull days?
Usually, there is a lack of understanding of what motions will train the parts of the back they want to grow/target: too much redundancy. Given that most of the bb pros out there train or at least used to train with coaches, even their coaches lack such knowledge.
1.1 How can that be possible?
I mean, don’t you learn these things in the personal training school? (NSCA etc..)
Unfortunately, most of them don't know any better and repeat stuff they learned from someone else or saw on social media. Most certifications are practically worthless and revolve around a business to make money. Not truly educate people.
2. If you don’t know or follow many of them, then which muscle parts do you mostly see underdeveloped and which movements would help?
Generally, lower lat development is a problem due to the fact that it requires a more specific motion than other lat motions. So a pulldown in the sagittal plane not exceeding the lats active range is good.
3. Speaking in percentages, how much volume of a back day consists of exercises with Angles90? (5, 10, 50, 70%)
A lot of my lat movements involve the Angles90 Grips because I can attach them to certain machines like the hammer strength pulldown and get a better motion and line of pull than the machine offers.
3.1. Are one-arm landmine rows the only barbell exercise where you use Angles90 Grips?
Generally, yes, because I'm lazy and setting up other variations can be a bit more time-consuming.
4. Which exercises are best with Angles90 and why? Which, instead, with lifting straps?
As mentioned above, the hammer pulldown is great. With lifting straps, I like dumbbell incline rows best for the upper-back.
5. Have you ever tried the Power Plus grip method combined with lifting straps?
Yes, and this works very well for all back movements.
6. How are you incorporating Angles90 into the workout programs you sell?
I always advise people using my programs to get them because my exercise library consists of many Angles90 lat and back motions.
7. Tell us more about those programs and for whom are they are made?
My Valkyrie program is for ladies only who want to focus on glutes, delts, hamstrings etc. The Yoke Squad is my program for people who want to get overall jacked. And Garage Gangsters is for those who want to do that at home.
8. If there is one - what is the number one question that your followers ask you most often about Angles90?
Always "what's your code?”
9. Do you actually play around with different grip options (Ergo/Power) or you just don’t care?
Yes, I have and I always default back to the ergo one actually.
9.1. Last question: A grip option we never talk about is whether the logo is looking towards your hand or away from your hand. What do you do?
Towards my hand, that's how it fits best.
