Andrew Jacked is heading into the 2026 Arnold Classic as a firm contender in the Open division following an impressive fourth place at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. To command the stage against the likes of Hadi Choopan, Nick Walker, and Martin Fitzwater, the Nigerian bodybuilder will need to bring a big yet conditioned package to the stage in Columbus, Ohio this March. So, in order to stack his back and shoulders, the powerhouse recently shared a simple, but heavy workout for pumping up his back.
“It’s all a controlled mission,” explained Andrew Jacked of his process, while sharing the workout with his almost one-million-strong Instagram followers. “Squeeze, reps, controlled, and keep everything right,” he added. Ready to make monster gains? Give this one a go.
Andrew Jacked’s Back and Shoulders Workout Breakdown
The big man began with a landmine row, also known as a T-bar row, which, when compared to other back based moves such as the classic bent over barbell row, places less stress on the spine because the arch of the movement allows you to keep the upper body straighter. AJ’s target of hitting his reps with greater control is also met here, because landmine rows place the center of gravity at the top of each lift, allowing for more precision and a better opportunity to pause while holding the weight, building his lats, traps, rear delts, core, and mid-to-lower back.
Second up is the standing plate loaded row, a compound exercise that requires greater engagement of the core than its seated counterpart, due to the additional requirements for stability. The primary muscles worked here are the lats, rhomboids, and trapezius, but the rear delts and biceps also come into play, not to mention that additional stabilization work from the core, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
For the ISO-lateral front lat pulldowns, Jacked keeps a constant tension throughout the rise and fall of this pulling movement, making sure that both of his arms are in sync on this exercise to fix any strength imbalances. Also, keeping the weight in front, rather than behind the neck is important no matter which way the machine faces, as going too far back can increase neck and shoulder related injuries. AJ reaches for an underhanded grip to hammer his lower and middle lats here, making a big squeeze and contraction at the bottom of the movement.
For his finisher, Jacked stands up to be counted and powers through some standing cable pulldowns, once again leaning primarily into his lats. The key to building the lats and middle back with this move stems from the wide grip, as seen in the big man’s demonstration. To replicate his reps, grab the bar with an overhanded grip, keep the elbows slightly flexed, then inhale, engage your core, and exhale as you pull the cable down towards your lower body. Notice how AJ controls both the rise and fall, rather than allowing the cable to simply snap back with its own momentum. His stabilizing muscles are also taxed here, such as the triceps and obliques — carving out a massive upper body that will no doubt wow the judges at the Arnold.
With just a few weeks out, Andrew Jacked is going all out to build his most impressive physique yet. To follow is his lofty footsteps, be sure to hit hypertrophy by employing around 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, aiming for failure or close to failure at the conclusion of each set.
The Arnold Classic is set to culminate on March 8 in Columbus. The UK event finals are scheduled for March 29.
To follow Andrew Jacked’s progress on Instagram, click here.
