Thread: Hints and tips to mix up or perfect your training:

Without this thread i would be a lost duck. Because here we pay attention to MMC and to Stimulate a targeted muscle on bodybuilding.com they dont mention stuff like this, So greatful ;)

Ima go through this whole thread and print everything off

Thanks MO. I was hoping for some new exercises but mixing it up will have to do.

I've never thought of bending real low on bent over rows because I thought there was one correct technique which I try to adhere to but it's good to know that's not always the case, as with many of your other tips.

Originally Posted by SeeZ

Without this thread i would be a lost duck. Because here we pay attention to MMC and to Stimulate a targeted muscle on bodybuilding.com they dont mention stuff like this, So greatful ;)

Ima go through this whole thread and print everything off

Mate if I were you I'd never log on to bb.com forum ever again. When you find a thread like this, add it to "My Favourites" and visit it frequently, or subscribe to it so you get an email everytime there is a new post. Every now and then go back and read the whole thread again, you'll pick up things you missed last time, or understand something a little better that you didn't fully comprehend last time.

There is so much garbage out there it can be extremely difficult knowing what to believe, what is crap, and who has hidden agendas. And this doesn't apply to just bodybuilding, it applies to everything in life.

OK, I may have missed it but I was looking for suggestions about front delt work, specifically how to finish the movement when using dumbells. I do all my dumbell front rises seated (not that it is the issue here) but wanted to see what differences in the end position does to the exercise.

1/ Dumbells raised with the thumb and pinky horizontally even, thumbs inside.

2/ Dumbells raised with the pinky fingers close together at the bottom, thumbs at the top and apart. So you get a V shape with the palms facing in and up.

3/ Dumbells raised in the opposite position, an inverted V shape with thumbs pointing in and pinkys out, palms facing in and down.

Any pointers as which does what, or which is the most effective for hitting the front delt?

Oh, and thanks for the thread MO. A great body of work.

Originally Posted by Hogan

OK, I may have missed it but I was looking for suggestions about front delt work, specifically how to finish the movement when using dumbells. I do all my dumbell front rises seated (not that it is the issue here) but wanted to see what differences in the end position does to the exercise.

1/ Dumbells raised with the thumb and pinky horizontally even, thumbs inside.

2/ Dumbells raised with the pinky fingers close together at the bottom, thumbs at the top and apart. So you get a V shape with the palms facing in and up.

3/ Dumbells raised in the opposite position, an inverted V shape with thumbs pointing in and pinkys out, palms facing in and down.

Any pointers as which does what, or which is the most effective for hitting the front delt?

Oh, and thanks for the thread MO. A great body of work.

They are all great, Hogan.
I'm not going to rate one of them higher than the other because they should ALL be used. All work the front deltoid but at different angles and stimulations of fibres. Your mind is on the right track.

This reminds me of something else i havn't done in a while and will incorporate into my front deltoid exercises now...

Shortened lever for a front deltoid raise:

The same way you would bend your arms into an 'L' shape for a side raise, you can do for a front raise. Rather than front raising with a full extended arm infront of you, with a bent arm, the weight doesn't have to take a toll/travel throughout the forearm. The 'lever' is shortened and is pretty much only from your elbow onwards lifting the weight.

To get a visual of this, the best i can come up with right now, if you were to perform the exercise with your right arm, think of the position you have to be in as if you reached across to your left shoulder except right angle the position of the right arm now. The dumbell would be in your right hand at your left chest in this position and you would raise up and down with your right elbow lowering and lifting up and down.

Very difficult to understand, i'm sure. Let me know if you can't get the visual. Very hard over a computer screen.

High pulley cable pullover's - with an undergrip:

I thought to myself in yesterday's back workout, i've never seen it done. Everyone alway's grabs the bar with a overhand grip and never have i ever seen it on any of the Pro bodybuilder dvd's, so thought to reverse the grip to test it out...work's like a charm!
Great for the lower lat's especially with a full stretch and pause at top.

Awesome thread here MO - it has sparked a lot of new ideas. One sometimes get caught up in the routine without realizing it!! I love constantly changing the routine/exercises - but now I've discovered a wealth of other shit I can try!

Keep it going :D

This thread is fantastic! I've only been training for a few months (after switching from swimming) but already I've incorporated plenty of these tips into my workout with immediate effect.

Traps...on a chest machine?:

First of all, i've only tried it with the chest machine at a gym i usually train at pictured below, so i'm not entirely sure it would work on all chest machines but if you have something similar like the 'Hammer Strength' brand, then that may also work.
These ones are the 'Technogym' brand.

Stand infront of the machine facing away. Grab the handles of the chest machine behind you and pull the handles toward you.
The action is similar to a behind the back barbell shrug except alot safer as you dont have to lift any weight off the ground in this position, especially heavy barbell shruggers.
It pin points them perfectly and using the incline version of this machine is also usefull for a different angle.
I find the flat press gives an 'inner' tighter squeeze and the incline more 'outer'.

Wider shoulders...by illusion:

Focusing on the side delt. That's your ticket to extra left and right fill out but what more can you do than this if you are naturally born with narrow clavicles or arn't happy with your width?
Less trap work!
If you want a wider look, you want LESS developed traps. Not only for the reason that they pull in the shoulders (posture related), but less 'peak' or 'up the neck' traps, the less you will look narrower.
Draw a picture in 'windows paint', two of the same width shoulders only differance being - one with traps running up the neck and the other lower at the neck line. One will LOOK narrower, the other, wider - but shoulder width's are the same. Illusion!

Combine LIMITING your trap development, with LIMITING your oblique work and work on all the mass/muscle you can build in your lateral head, and you have done everything you can do to compensate for your narrow clavicles.
Guys/girls that have naturally WIDE clavicles to begin with that take the above advice, will end up with a SUPER WIDE illusion!

Originally Posted by MO

Lat lengthening dumbell rows:

We'll see if you're still able to do them with 50kgs after this!

Instead of pulling the d-bell up in a straight line, reach forward atthe same time that you are lowering the dumbell to give the lat a good long stretch and then pull back right up near the waist.
Some would usually complain in feeling this exercise in their traps and rhomboids but not the lats. Doing it this way, you will feel it in the lower lats too.
So the dumbell moves in an arc. Again, reach forward as the dumbell is lowered to really feel the lats come to a full stretch (before i pull it back up, i personally let the dumbell sit on the ground to a stand still at the furthest spot i can stretch it out to) then pull the dumbell back up keeping it low the ground but heading up at the same time to a spot near the lower lat area.
DO NOT PULL IT IN A STRAIGHT OR VERTICAL LINE!
Think of the arc that was mentioned like a long flattened version of a 'C'.

Confusion :S pics or vid anyone ?

Originally Posted by Attn2Detail

Confusion :S pics or vid anyone ?

You'll struggle to find a vid of this... What exactly are you confused about?

the movement :S, is it saying basicly instead of going straight down go down and forward? then bringing the db back in wide arch motion to my hips?

Originally Posted by Attn2Detail

the movement :S, is it saying basicly instead of going straight down go down and forward? then bringing the db back in wide arch motion to my hips?

Basically yes....
Picture a regular DB Row where the DB is only moving pretty much in a straight line as you bring your arm up and down...
Now instead of bringing the DB down so that you hand is in line with your side, bring it down and forward so that your hand is more in line with your head or even in front of it (you should feel a stretch through your lats)...
When you then contract your lat and pull your shouler blade in to bring the DB up, bring it up in such a way that your hand ends up somewhere near your hips (which creates the arc movement) and give your lower lat a good squeeze...
The idea behind this excerside it slow controlled motion, you will not be able to perfom it correctly by heaving the weight around...

Awsome thanks Scottie.