Author Topic: On Working Your Back  (Read 2410 times)

stevefdl

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On Working Your Back
« on: November 09, 2008, 02:10:19 PM »
How can you tell if you are using too much weight for back exercises?

If you can't hold the weight for a split second during peak contraction, you are using too much weight. Many times, you will see lifters master the ability to swing or leverage a weight up to position for DB Rows, etc., without truly gaining the strength to lift it and/or hold it without swinging it up.

When performing back exercises, concentrate on first pulling your shoulder back, then pulling your elbow back. These motions should be smooth and continuous. Lastly, concentrate on contracting your lats tightly as you finish the rep, holding the weight for a small, split second.
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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2008, 04:40:30 PM »
How can you tell if you are using too much weight for back exercises?
If you can't hold the weight for a split second during peak contraction, you are using too much weight. Many times, you will see lifters master the ability to swing or leverage a weight up to position for DB Rows, etc., without truly gaining the strength to lift it and/or hold it without swinging it up.

When performing back exercises, concentrate on first pulling your shoulder back, then pulling your elbow back. These motions should be smooth and continuous. Lastly, concentrate on contracting your lats tightly as you finish the rep, holding the weight for a small, split second.

When you have sloppy mechanics.

Ex; A bicep curl shouldn't turn into a lower back exercise.

bigbychoice

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2008, 09:07:03 AM »
I would agree. A 1 sec squeeze is essential!

d0nny2600

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2008, 09:08:45 AM »
I like to fart after each rep

pumpster

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2008, 09:13:50 AM »
I like to fart after each rep

lol this is the most accurate so far.

The idea that squeezing for a second = a "good rep" is quite arbitrary, don't agree. That's just an opinion, and doesn't even necessarily equate to better development either. What matters is whether the muscle's worked using any of a number of approaches.

d0nny2600

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2008, 09:14:36 AM »
lol this is the most accurate so far.

The idea that squeezing for a second = a "good rep" is quite arbitrary, don't agree. That's just an opinion, and doesn't even necessarily equate to better development either. What matters is whether the muscle's worked using any of a number of approaches.
I notice the harder I work my back the louder the post rep farts are.

bigbychoice

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2008, 09:16:25 AM »
I think on any muscle you should squeeze for at least a sec. This guarantees that you can handle the weight you are using and it puts far more stress on the muscle you are working.

pumpster

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2008, 09:17:28 AM »
I think on any muscle you should squeeze for at least a sec. This guarantees that you can handle the weight you are using and it puts far more stress on the muscle you are working.

Again very arbitrary and just an opinion. What matters is working the muscles, which can be done using strict and/or squeezing, or by using loose form with more weight, that has nothing to do with strict or squeezing. Schwarzenegger or Larry Scott often used loose form in various exercises and found it more effective.

bigbychoice

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2008, 09:21:09 AM »
Try doing a 1 sec squeeze on each exercise of your next workout and tell me that it does not get much more intense! Also see how those muscles fell after.

pumpster

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2008, 09:22:53 AM »
Try doing a 1 sec squeeze on each exercise of your next workout and tell me that it does not get much more intense! Also see how those muscles fell after.

Been there do it many times. It's just another approach worth trying, not the be all you're suggesting. What i'm suggesting is just as useful, moreso i would say in my opinion.

mass 04

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2008, 09:23:51 AM »
IMO back exercises are more effective when some momentum is employed. A bb row using 135 with a 2 second squeeze isn't as effective as using 225 with momentum.

d0nny2600

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2008, 09:24:42 AM »
IMO back exercises are more effective when some momentum is employed. A bb row using 135 with a 2 second squeeze isn't as effective as using 225 with momentum.
Tell Ronnie to squeeze when he is throwing 405 around lol

bigbychoice

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2008, 09:27:37 AM »
Yea tell him to and I bet the weight would drop to 315, its not about weight moved. its about the muscle contraction. In my opinion.

pumpster

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #13 on: November 10, 2008, 09:28:56 AM »
Yea tell him to and I bet the weight would drop to 315, its not about weight moved. its about the muscle contraction. In my opinion.

You're overly concerned with "honest" reps. Not that important unless trying to accurately gauge someone's strength, as opposed to effective training. Schwarzenegger attributes his biceps size primarily to cheat curls, which is properly done are more effective than the strict version in his opinion and mine.

mass 04

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2008, 09:30:41 AM »
Yea tell him to and I bet the weight would drop to 315, its not about weight moved. its about the muscle contraction. In my opinion.
It's still possible to get a good contraction using looser form and some momentum.

bigbychoice

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2008, 09:31:59 AM »
No I think you can have cheat reps at the end. I just think the base should be honest real reps. Every gym I go to I always see guys trying to move to much weight and see little or no growth from it. Just my opinion from trial and error.  

pumpster

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #16 on: November 10, 2008, 09:49:41 AM »
No I think you can have cheat reps at the end. I just think the base should be honest real reps. Every gym I go to I always see guys trying to move to much weight and see little or no growth from it. Just my opinion from trial and error. 

Using a gym example like that can be misleading, because cheats are often abused. That's only an extreme, inaccurate version of the idea used by lots of macho men using way too much weight to try to impress = abuse of the concept, rendering it next to useless. Controlled cheating, that is where there's some control maintained of the weight, can be better than strict.

Cheats can be used at the end or for an entire set. My back's been well-worked over from yesterday's menu of controlled cheats with heavy weight. ;)

Charlys69

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #17 on: November 10, 2008, 01:55:15 PM »
if i´m only allowed to train in one specific way, i would train with "relative" good form, with "relative" high weights for "relative" high reps....but i don´t do that...maybe in the middle of my back workout... for the beginning i use high weights for low to medium reps, being explosive on the positve phase of the rep, and relative controlled on the negative...at the end of my workouts i like to do training very strict, with more focuss to get a good contraction and hold the contraction for a while....

so for barbell rows at the begining i go up for 180-210 kg (explosive, 4-6 reps),

and at the end i finish with a stricter kind of exercise like that....   



_bruce_

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #18 on: November 11, 2008, 08:44:41 AM »
if i´m only allowed to train in one specific way, i would train with "relative" good form, with "relative" high weights for "relative" high reps....but i don´t do that...maybe in the middle of my back workout... for the beginning i use high weights for low to medium reps, being explosive on the positve phase of the rep, and relative controlled on the negative...at the end of my workouts i like to do training very strict, with more focuss to get a good contraction and hold the contraction for a while....

so for barbell rows at the begining i go up for 180-210 kg (explosive, 4-6 reps),

and at the end i finish with a stricter kind of exercise like that....   




Brute strength - you seem pretty tall
.

Charlys69

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Re: On Working Your Back
« Reply #19 on: November 11, 2008, 08:50:15 AM »
I´m 190 cm, that´s about 6 "2" - 6 "3"