Eric Janicki is ditching the barbell for cables. The IFBB Pro recently revealed his high-intensity routine designed for pro-level back development.

This Men’s Open division competitor earned his IFBB Pro card in May 2025 by winning the NPC Worldwide Mexico Supershow, and since then, he has been preparing to qualify for Mr. Olympia.

The preparation is intense, but the online coach makes it look easy by regularly sharing his workout and exercise videos with his 1.9M Instagram followers.

The bodybuilder in question is Eric Janicki, who on April 4 shared on Instagram how he built his massive back without a barbell, using clever, cable-based back and shoulder sessions.

Janicki captioned the post, “full mixed upper at Planet Fitness, bc you don't need a world-class gym to have an amazing workout.”

Just need a high level of execution, intensity, and of course some @torq.gear handles 😂👌(coming soon).”

He further mentioned the movements he showed in the video, which include:

• Unilateral pulldown x 2 x 7-10
• Bench supported pullover x 2 x 7-10
• Front facing cuffed low lat pullover x 2 x 7-10
• Unilateral low row x 2 x 7-10
• Cuffed curl x 2 x 7-10
• Cuffed lying lateral x 2 x 7-12
• Cuffed cable front raises x 2 x 8-10

In the beginning, he took a seat facing the cable station. Following that, Janicki started working on cable pulldowns and, through a full stretch, activated his latissimus dorsi and the triceps major.

After that, the bodybuilder used the rope attachment by turning his seat away from the cable and worked on his upper back with bench-supported pullovers. During this time, he kept his arms slightly bent to maintain a full range of motion. However, he kept his shoulders back. With this movement, Janicki put stress on every muscle in his shoulders and upper back.

For his next workout, the bodybuilder performed some low-lat cable pullovers with a caffeine attachment. It helped him improve grip strength and isolate the lats, which are responsible for building a wider back.

After that, he went lean in his lats with the help of the cuff, which he used as a handle. During this time, Janicki used the negative portion of the rep to create an intense stretch, which increased resistance as he pulled back.

His next movement was the dual-pulley lying lateral raise, and for this one, he needs to place a pulley above his hips and grab the D-handles. During this time, people need to keep their shoulders fixed.

For the cable front raises, one needs to use their cuffs. This exercise is beneficial for targeting the anterior deltoids at the front of the shoulder.

Recently, apart from his massive back workout, Janicki also shared his back and biceps workout, emphasizing the philosophy that quality is better than quantity.

Eric Janicki’s back and biceps day workouts

On April 19, Janicki shared his biceps and back workout exercises along with his pre-workout routine.

His workouts included:

• Unilateral bench-supported low row: 2 x 7–10
• Unilateral bench-supported high row: 2 x 7–10
• Chest-supported mid row: 2 x 7–10
• DB bicep ISO curl: 2 x 7–10
• Upper back crossover high row: 2 x 7–12

The pre-workout supplements he shared are:

• 10g L-Citrulline is beneficial for insane pumps and blood flow
• 6.4g Beta-Alanine for endurance across sets
• 2g Alpha GPC for elite focus + mind-muscle connection
• 600mg Nitrates for real vascularity and performance
• Caffeine combined with Theanine for smooth, locked-in energy
• Rhodiola with Saffron for mood and fatigue resistance

Janicki highlights that perfect cable training, quality-over-quantity, and precise execution can be as beneficial as barbell movements.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil