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Time for a thread on dumb shit to avoid and what's a better idea...if you decide to take any of this personally, don't @ me. For those that appreciate pointers to level up efforts and return on investment of time/effort/money...away...we...go...
Time for a thread on dumb shit to avoid and what's a better idea...if you decide to take any of this personally, don't @ me. For those that appreciate pointers to level up efforts and return on investment of time/effort/money...away...we...go...
Close Grip Bench:
This doesn't mean grip so close that your thumbs touch or you're grinding up your wrists.
Close grip = hands directly over the elbows, with elbows tucked by the ribcage while shoulders are pinned back and down as much as possible, in the bottom position.
This doesn't mean grip so close that your thumbs touch or you're grinding up your wrists.
Close grip = hands directly over the elbows, with elbows tucked by the ribcage while shoulders are pinned back and down as much as possible, in the bottom position.
Learning to do this as a floor press first is actually fantastic, then if you need to increase strength and flexibility to be strong with the shoulders pinned back returning to a bench, do parallette push-ups with this specific tweak: hold a pause in the deep stretch position.
Also it's worth noting that decline bench variants have more bang for buck in terms of pecs, lats and triceps, many over-prioritise the incline bench, not that it's useless, it's just not the foundation. Use Hammer Strength's Seated Decline Press if your gym has one - incredible.
Incline does have value, but tension [load/weight on musculoskeletal system] is a key driver of strength and growth, people generally can't incline anything close to what they push flat nor decline.
Close grip Incline does make a good accessory exercise, it moves through what would otherwise be a void between horizontal [chest] and vertical [overhead/shoulder] pressing, its main carryover to bench strength and pec development improving is the delt and tricep focus.
I also really rate football/multi grip bars,
not all gyms have them, but if yours does,
they're really worth it, usually better ergonomics.
Any advice needed on pressing, feel free to ask.
Moving on...squatting?
not all gyms have them, but if yours does,
they're really worth it, usually better ergonomics.
Any advice needed on pressing, feel free to ask.
Moving on...squatting?
So, this "arse/ass to grass" [sometimes noted as A2G] thing is accepted as the way to squat.
Whilst the joint angles at the knees and hips matter, so do people's spines.
Learn to brace and maintain a neutrally aligned spine.
Then find the deepest keen bend possible.
Whilst the joint angles at the knees and hips matter, so do people's spines.
Learn to brace and maintain a neutrally aligned spine.
Then find the deepest keen bend possible.
To do it the other way round is an injury waiting to happen.
Using a declined dumbbell bench can be a good way to find personal depth when squatting with another pair of eyes or a camera getting your side view.
However some still won't be able to get a great degree of movement.
Using a declined dumbbell bench can be a good way to find personal depth when squatting with another pair of eyes or a camera getting your side view.
However some still won't be able to get a great degree of movement.
That's actually fine.
Have a look at split stanced or single legged work in this instance as most can maintain bracing a neutrally aligned spinal column with a deep knee bend like this.
Split Stanced Front Squat.
[Front Foot Elevated] Reverse Lunge.
Rear Foot Elevated Squat.
Have a look at split stanced or single legged work in this instance as most can maintain bracing a neutrally aligned spinal column with a deep knee bend like this.
Split Stanced Front Squat.
[Front Foot Elevated] Reverse Lunge.
Rear Foot Elevated Squat.
They're usually pretty fruitful.
Also I personally rate skater squats over pistol squats, the later I feel is a party trick, the former is a better way to develop single leg strength...try with a post or TRX/rope/gymnast ring initially for balance then a step/box to add depth.
Also I personally rate skater squats over pistol squats, the later I feel is a party trick, the former is a better way to develop single leg strength...try with a post or TRX/rope/gymnast ring initially for balance then a step/box to add depth.
Hamstring work has a lot of "GURU" nonsense surrounding it too. Learn to execute textbook RDLs [not stiff legged deadlifts, and especially not those with elevated toes]. Compliment it with some GHR Bench work. In terms of machines, the Cybex Kneeling Curl is incredible,
but I know not all gyms have them, it's a knee flexion with a bent hip which is amazing. I prefer standing over laying ham curls too personally, but they're also rare.
If laying is the only option, fine, ensure they're steady and controlled all the way, then hold the squeeze.
If laying is the only option, fine, ensure they're steady and controlled all the way, then hold the squeeze.
People often train calves as an afterthought.
If you have amazing calf genetics, cool, 99.9% of people don't, but also it's somewhat "prehab" in nature doing calf raises with a rather slow negative to a held pause in the bottom position.
If you have amazing calf genetics, cool, 99.9% of people don't, but also it's somewhat "prehab" in nature doing calf raises with a rather slow negative to a held pause in the bottom position.
Every time you do a bouncy calf raise, it a. calls on tendinous rebound, not really calf complex musculature and b. announces a painfully low IQ to the entire gym.
They're the things I see being done poorly the most often, but rows deserve a mention too...particularly single arm where many are pulling with the hands but not the shoulders...hands lock on for grip, but the movement needs to be initiated with the shoulder going back and a...
...hiss of breath through gritted teeth otherwise it's a hammer curl with rear delts, and does very little for lats, with spinal erectors taking over. Some also jam their head forward like a pigeon halfway through to finish a rep. That's half a rep with a weird pigeon head thing.
Pulldowns also get butchered a lot.
I also feel they're not the best angle - I prefer a prone pull from a high pulley on an inclined bench, but that aside, many do some weird muscle-up thing at the end of a pulldown, if you can do that it's too light.
I also feel they're not the best angle - I prefer a prone pull from a high pulley on an inclined bench, but that aside, many do some weird muscle-up thing at the end of a pulldown, if you can do that it's too light.
when the bar is overhead, try to touch your ears with your shoulders for a full stretch, then contract by keeping the arms straight but fully lowering the shoulders, then again, don't lead with the hands, focus on getting the elbows down until the bar is near or on the chest.
So they're the major things I can think of, I could go on all day, but there are some pointers that will be pretty much universal for safe and effective size and strength training [ power - strength expressed at speed is another animal and for the advanced under watchful eyes].
Moving through sound paths, appreciating anatomical functions is crucial for efficiency and safety. I know safety doesn't sound rock and roll/hard as fuck, but how cool/tough can you be with messed up joints?
Appreciating range of motion is key, how to fully lengthen and fully shorten working musculature [a pause at the stretch and holding the squeeze] moving at a steady controlled pace between, no dropping the negatives, with deliberate, precise lifting carries over to most lifts.
People talk about progressive overload a lot now, which is great, but it's not always a case of just adding more load.
Exhibiting greater control and feeling what you're doing better? Winning. Got an extra rep than last week? Also a win. Ugly rep to get more weight up? Fail.
Exhibiting greater control and feeling what you're doing better? Winning. Got an extra rep than last week? Also a win. Ugly rep to get more weight up? Fail.
Keep reps pristine, aim to develop better control and connection/feel, then get some extra reps, then maybe add load. Unlikely we can just increase the load every time. Never sacrifice technique for load. Play the long game and you will do better than the short term rush crew.
Summary:
Learn good technique based on anatomy over gymbro ideas of arbitrary point A to point B.
Use the fullest but safest controlled range of motion you can, and ergonomic implements are great.
Value progressive overload but know "more weight" is not the only win.
Learn good technique based on anatomy over gymbro ideas of arbitrary point A to point B.
Use the fullest but safest controlled range of motion you can, and ergonomic implements are great.
Value progressive overload but know "more weight" is not the only win.
Finally,
Carole Baskin fed her husband to tigers,
and Jeffery Epstein didn't kill himself.
Carole Baskin fed her husband to tigers,
and Jeffery Epstein didn't kill himself.
