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

Good shit MO. There always is something to learn and it is so very important for one to be in tune with their muscles.:)

Originally Posted by Magic Oils

Tricep tips - cable pulldowns and skull crushers:


Lay on a flat bench with some space behind your head so that when you lower the bar, you can sit it behind your head on the bench. Let it sit there for a second, then push back up and repeat. Each time make rest on the bit of space behind your head on the bench.

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I USE to do it behind my head and could do heavy strict reps with 55kg. But i found that going behind my head would sometimes cause the bar to go uneven (probably due to should imbalances and strength differences) so i decided to go to my forehead and found it was much harder (no shoulder movement) but put a bit more strain on the triceps and elbows.

Originally Posted by union

I USE to do it behind my head and could do heavy strict reps with 55kg. But i found that going behind my head would sometimes cause the bar to go uneven (probably due to should imbalances and strength differences) so i decided to go to my forehead and found it was much harder (no shoulder movement) but put a bit more strain on the triceps and elbows.

Union,
i GUARANTEE you 110% that if done right, going behind your head will be much harder than going to the forehead.
The differance in weight shift from going behind and to the forehead is a fair bit.
As you go behind the head, your arms are so tucked in that they are basically skimming past the sides of your head. This already has taken you FURTHER range of motion than stopping at the forehead so already an advantage there as far as a greater stretch goes.
Then from that position, ELBOWS DO NOT MOVE A MILLIMETRE! It is just straight up from there so you will notice that in the final contracted position when your hands are up in the air, your arms will not be parallel to your chest, they will more likely still be parallel to your hair or forehead because you havnt moved forward with your shoulders (unless the weight was too heavy), you have simply only gone up and kept your triceps where they are.

On a side note though, when numbers are my objective and pure strength is involved, then going to the forehead is great.
No where am i saying the ways i am typing are the only ways and dont do it any other way! Just simply a change to what you normally do.

Originally Posted by Magic Oils

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'.

Hi MO
I tried your DB row technique today.
If I did them as you envisaged then yes there is certainly a big difference.
To maintain good form I had to come down to 40kg.
I would describe it as a reverse D shaped movement if I interpret it correct,
So from the ground its up to full reach then forward and down placing the weight about 200mm in front of your starting position then dragging it back to start again.
Does that sound correct?
Mo the interesting thing is on the 2nd set I reached total failure at rep8 and failure came not at the top, but on the foreword motion.
Your comments would be appreciated.
MDX

Originally Posted by mdx

Hi MO
I tried your DB row technique today.
If I did them as you envisaged then yes there is certainly a big difference.
To maintain good form I had to come down to 40kg.
I would describe it as a reverse D shaped movement if I interpret it correct,
So from the ground its up to full reach then forward and down placing the weight about 200mm in front of your starting position then dragging it back to start again.
Does that sound correct?
Mo the interesting thing is on the 2nd set I reached total failure at rep8 and failure came not at the top, but on the foreword motion.
Your comments would be appreciated.
MDX

All sounds good from what you describe.
Stretching the d-bell out on the way down takes it out of you just as much, if not more than bringing it up.
Its much easier of course to do it the usual way of just dropping it straight down in a straight line to the ground. Of course this doesnt require that much effort as you can pretty much just drop it down and let gravity take over, but stretching it out to the furthest spot in front of you, you are fighting gravity.
Failing in the forward motion as you describe is believable.
Straight arm as you stretch forward placing it on the ground at the furthest possible stretch you can get, then a pull to your waist squeezing your back.
Use a weight that allows 10 reps next time.

Thanks MO
I like the idea of 10 reps
MDX

When you next do a standing barbell curl for biceps:

...grab a pair of d-bells instead!
While still standing, curl them both at the same time. Pretend it is still a b-bell in your head.
Do these for sets.
The weight differance between what you would use on a bar compared to what d-bells you are holding in each hand is huge.
You deffinently cant curl as much with d-bells as you could with a bar.
Also, unlike the bar, both arms are doing exactly the same weight at the same time.

Stretching between sets/during your workout:

I beleive personally that stretching and squeezing in between sets has deffinently added peaks in certain areas and lengthening of certain muscles.
I dont believe for example my back would be what it was if not for holding onto a pole and stetching out each side one at a time to really get length and condition in to it.
I have just strated doing this to my side delts and i can truley say that it is working for me. My opinion only. Some will argue this but to those that do, you'll find they havn't tried it for long enough or done it properly to see results.
This also includes constant lat spreads in spare time and other posing.
Especially during DOMS in the next day or 2 after your workout, FIGHT AGAINST IT! no matter how painful it is, stretch the crap out of the muscle that has DOMS!

The side delts are a main focus for me at the moment and am finding a slight increase in the peak of both heads from really squeezing and getting that 'mountain hill top' look when i flex during rest between sets.
This may be hard to invision and dont know if i can explain it properly enough, but i grab onto a pole at the shoulders height and contract the medial head looking for that 'hill top' peak when i am examining in the mirror. I lean into the pole closer to get a really hard squeeze bopping up and down putting pressure onto the peak of the head.
I do just as much in terms of stretching the head also.
This involves grabbing onto a pole from behind your back. So lets say we are stretching out the right head. I would grab onto a pole from behind my back (arm is holding onto a pole behind my back) and i would twist my torso left ways which will stretch my right shoulder as i am still holding onto the pole).

Give this a try for all bodyparts.
It is the little things that matter. Pay attention to fine detail.
Im a big believer of flexing a squeezing in order to get the physique you are after.

Apart from that, if not do it for a degree of seperation and peaks, do it for the fact that stretching allows more blood flow to enter the muscle while you're training.
Better blood flow = better oxygen.
Better oxygen = less fatigue.
Less fatigue = more strength.

Chest dumbell flyes tip:

Next time you flye in the gym, instead of the usual way you hold the d-bells where at the top position your palms are facing each other like you are clapping, have your palms face YOU!
So if you are doing the exercise infront of the mirror, the back of your palms face the mirror and d-bells are held the same way as if you were ready to bicep curl them only you are laying on a bench doing flyes with them.

This will get hard as the exercise goes on in keeping this position the whole way through the movement but ALWAYS ALWAYS make sure that at the top of the movement the d-bells touch (only one side of the d-bells touch if you are reading this correctly, making a straight line with the d-bells) and that your palms are facing you, not each other!
The pump will be so great by the end of the set that you will contemplate making them touch but ALWAYS do at the top and arms so straight up in the air that they want to leave your limbs and touch the roof! Squeeze in other words!!

This slight different positioning of the hands will target the chest in a whole new way.
If you dont undestand just ask.

Great read MO ... Sticky perhaps???;)

Originally Posted by Gook

Great read MO ... Sticky perhaps???;)

When i get moving with a few more posts in this thread, i will do.
Got heaps more to add then it will be sticky worthy.

One of many PM's about this thread. Just thought now to post up.
Good work guys. Remember that muscles dont have eyes to see how many kilos on the bar! They will only react to how much stress and tension you put them under and that can only be done with STRICT FORM....

Originally Posted by *

Hey MO,
i have been doing the "half the weight and more controlled reps" that you spoke of, been going for a couple weeks now and i find it...... AWSOME! to say the least iv never felt so sore after a workout and the sence of feeling that i hav pushed myself hard and only doing half the weight!! i herd u mention that every now and then throw in a superset? correct?

anyways id jus like to say thanx for helping me see the light!
cheers *

Hey MO, whats the deal with these giant sets you were talking about in a different thread?
I know you were probly gunna get around to telling us about it sooner or later, just thought i'd ask...

i must say i have read MO training threads on other boards with great interest. they are written not so "brotard" and has some great advice in them.

my chest has never responded better until i read a thread MO posted about hand position on the bar, up until that time i was only using my pecs as a stabilzer and all the wrok was being done by my delts/tris.

Originally Posted by bigock

up until that time i was only using my pecs as a stabilzer and all the wrok was being done by my delts/tris.

...thats usually the case. People getting great numbers in their lifts...of course because they are using much more than the chest to lift the bar up. Tris and Deltoids and even Lats are getting that weight up just so that people can say "yes finally! 120kg bench! 10kgs heavier than last week...wooo!!"

...im in the other corner still benching 40kgs with a better chest....

Good stuff bigock.