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January 30, 2006
The Best and the Worst Shoulders Exercises
The Worst Shoulders Exercise: the Seated Barbell Military Press
Do this one long enough and heavy enough and you can kiss your back goodbye. Get off your butt, you big sissy!
The Best Shoulders Exercise: the Arnold Press
Let’s face it, the big guy knew what he was doing. Even though there are other shoulder drills at least as effective as this one, say the clean-and-press, the Arnold press is a lot more user friendly.
Press two dumbbells from your chest starting with a curl grip. Not straight up though, but back and to the sides in an arc. It helps to bring your elbows as low as possible between reps; you will get a greater deltoid stretch and your shoulder joints will appreciate it.
For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today
Posted by james at 8:03 AM | Comments (1)
January 23, 2006
The Best and the Worst Chest Exercises
The Worst Chest Exercise: the Cable Cross-Over
The pec was designed for power and teasing it with this silly move is a waste of your time. If you want to bring out the ‘cuts’ you will be much better off etching them in with some old-fashioned iron bending. Go to IronMind.com for nails and instructions. Take a seminar with Senior RKC Brett Jones of BreakingStrength.com. Brett is the eleventh person to bend Iron Mind’s famous Red Nail TM, the second fellow under two hundred pounds.
The Best Chest Exercise: the Legal Powerlifting Bench Press
No need to reinvent the wheel here. You will not find a better chest builder than the barbell bench press. However, to get the most out, of it you had better lose some of your bad bodybuilding habits – such as putting your feet up on the bench and bouncing the bar off your chest. Drive your feet into the floor and pause on your chest for a second without relaxing, as you would in a power meet.
For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today
Posted by james at 6:37 AM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2006
The Best and the Worst Traps Exercises
The Worst Traps Exercise: the Smith Machine Shrug
I have never seen a set of big traps inside a Smith machine. You cannot pull your shoulders back at the top of the movement and your traps will miss all the good stuff. Besides, the machine locks your shoulder girdle in a set track and that could lead to joint problems.
The Best Traps Exercise: the Barbell Shrug with a Hip Thrust
The traps of Soviet weightlifting legend David Rigert stood out like a foreign object, an alien parasite. You can bet that the champion did not get there with uncertain shrugs with little weights. The traps best respond to explosive barbell shrugs assisted by a hip thrust: violently contract your glutes and throw your hips forward as you shrug up and back. Do not bend your arms; it helps to keep your triceps flexed, at least on the bottom of the movement. You may hold the contraction on the last rep for a few seconds followed up by a slow negative. Do not relax under the weight! Breathe shallow.
For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today
Posted by james at 6:30 AM | Comments (1)
January 9, 2006
The Best and the Worst Lats Exercises
The Worst Lats Exercise: the Pulldown Behind the Neck
If you have exceptional active flexibility of the shoulder girdle, can keep your elbows way back and can pull the bar to the nape of your neck without leaning forward and sticking your head out like a chicken about to be beheaded– go ahead and pull behind the neck. Since I do not know anyone except for Olympic weightlifters and gymnasts who can do that, you might as well forget it! The chicken style pulldown behind the neck does little but screw up necks and shoulders.
The Best Lats Exercise: the Pullup/Chinup on Gymnastic Rings
The debate regarding the ‘best’ pullup grip is as hot as it was half a century ago. Is wide better than narrow? Is the supinated grip better than the pronated one? I have good news for you: you can have it all, just do your pullups or chinups on gymnastic rings. What a stretch! What a contraction! If you do not have the luxury of living next door to the old Santa Monica Muscle Beach go to ringtraining.com and get a set.
For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today
Posted by james at 6:30 AM | Comments (0)
January 2, 2006
The Best and the Worst Calves Exercises
The Worst Calves Exercise: the Standing Machine Calf Raise
When young Arnold trained with Reg Park, the latter used 1,000 pounds for his calf raises, twice Schwarzenegger's training weight. Park explained to the future legend of bodybuilding that the 500 pounds he was toying with “were not making an impression” on his calves at all, because these are very strong muscles (or at least ones with good leverage). Arnold proceeded to work up to a grand. The rest is history.
Superheavy calf training is a must. But great weghts on your shoulders combined with high volume translate into some serious spinal compression, especially if you are not skilled in protecting your back with diaphragmatic pressure against your viscera and your midsection is weak. Regardless of the standing calf raise’s effectiveness, you had better ditch it once you work up to big poundages.
The Best Calves Exercise: the Negative Accentuated Foot Extension in a Leg Press Machine
Your calves get worked daily and it takes some unusual stress to spur them into growth. This is where the leg press machine comes in (the only thing it is good for). The sled will enable you to blast your calves with monster weights without back stress – as long as you do not let your butt curl up – and easily lends itself to intense negative accentuated training. Lift the load with two feet, lower it with one. Feel the pain.
For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today
Posted by james at 7:10 AM | Comments (0)