What is the stupidest "Bro Science" thing you've heard?

[Hulkotron]

Sounds like DickYay needs an external adjustment to his tone.

[LurkerNoMore]

Wide grip grins will make your back wider.

[_aj_]

Wide grip grins will make your back wider.

Another one that I did for 20 years hurting my shoulders and elbows along the way. Thanks Arnold!

[LurkerNoMore]

Another one that I did for 20 years hurting my shoulders and elbows along the way. Thanks Arnold!

I believed this too when I first started.  But Lee Haney told me "you know what makes your back get wide?  Getting a full contraction and you can't do that while in a half crucifix pose."

[_aj_]

I believed this too when I first started.  But Lee Haney told me "you know what makes your back get wide?  Getting a full contraction and you can do that while in a half crucifix pose."

Only recently have I noticed that bent-over rows make my back wider than pullups. All these years, "Rows make the back thick, pullups make the back wide" and I believed it.

[El Diablo Blanco]

squats make your hips wide.

[Grape Ape]

Only recently have I noticed that bent-over rows make my back wider than pullups. All these years, "Rows make the back thick, pullups make the back wide" and I believed it.

Vince McMahon would would have realized this fallacy from the beginning, and did that walk right out of the gym.

[LurkerNoMore]

Only recently have I noticed that bent-over rows make my back wider than pullups. All these years, "Rows make the back thick, pullups make the back wide" and I believed it.

Same here.  But Haney said when a muscle grows, it grows in all directions not just one.  Make it bigger and it will look thicker and wider as a result.  

[MCWAY]

Another one that I did for 20 years hurting my shoulders and elbows along the way. Thanks Arnold!

So, this all basically boils down to the old adage, "One's man's meat is another man's poison".

An exercise that's worthless for one guy does wonders for another. Even Arnold experienced that with preacher curls. He had that exercise pushed on him because he trained at Vince Gironda's gym and that exercise was the one that Larry Scott did to blow up his arms.

Arnold said he later reduced his usage of preacher ("Scott") curls because, while they did wonders for Scott, they did far less for him.


Squats are in the same boat. In one magazine, you have two USA champions talking legs. One sings the praises of squats (1999 USA winner, Melvin Anthony); the other declares that squats suck (2000 USA champion, Bob Chicherillo). Both had great leg development, yet the advocate different exercises to get there.

I don't train to failure; others swear by going to failure. Is one "bro science" vs the other?

[El Diablo Blanco]

So, this all basically boils down to the old adage, "One's man's meat is another man's poison".

An exercise that worthless for one guy does wonders for another. Even Arnold experienced that with preacher curls. He had that exercise pushed on him because he trained at Vince Gironda's gym and that exercise was the one that Larry Scott did to blow up his arms.

Arnold said he later reduced his usage of preacher ("Scott") curls because, while they did wonders for Scott, they did far less for him.


Squats are in the same boat. In one magazine, you have two USA champions talking legs. One sings the praises of squats (1999 USA winner, Melvin Anthony); the other declares that squats suck (2000 USA champion, Bob Chicherillo). Both had great leg development, yet the advocate different exercises to get there.

I don't train to failure; others swear by going to failure. Is one "bro science" vs the other?

Bob Chic hates squats and bench because of his longer limbs.  It is a lot harder keeping heavy weight balanced with longer limbs than shorter.

[LurkerNoMore]

Incline benching develops the upper chest.

[MCWAY]

Bob Chic hates squats and bench because of his longer limbs.  It is a lot harder keeping heavy weight balanced with longer limbs than shorter.

Good point. Anthony is 5'8" (I believe); Chic is 6 feet.

[LurkerNoMore]

Whatever happened to Anthony?  He just disappeared off the scene.

[Go 4 It]

Human body cannot process more than 30 grams of protein in one feeding.

[Erik C]

An exercise that worthless for one guy does wonders for another. Even Arnold experienced that with preacher curls. He had that exercise pushed on him because he trained at Vince Gironda's gym and that exercise was the one that Larry Scott did to blow up his arms.

Arnold said he later reduced his usage of preacher ("Scott") curls because, while they did wonders for Scott, they did far less for him.

To quote Larry Scott about the preacher bench: "That series I just mentioned is very, very painful, but it just blows the arms up like nothing I've ever seen--- if the preacher bench is designed correctly."

"Most of the benches you see have a flat face , and they don't work."

"As a matter of fact, I remember Arnold saying to me,'I don't know how you ever made any progress on a preacher bench.' And I went in to shoot some photos on the preacher bench at the gym in Venice where he was training, and thought, 'God, no wonder he says that. This is terrible."

Though Arnold did get some training from Vince Gironda, he didn't train on the better designed preacher bench, that Vince had in his gym, as Larry Scott did.

[Skeletor]

Bob Chic hates squats and bench because of his longer limbs.  It is a lot harder keeping heavy weight balanced with longer limbs than shorter.

That's why Chic utilizes a different technique and a partner:



Sometimes his partner gets overly excited though.

[Palpatine Q]

don't know if it's been mentioned, but two words.....stabilizing muscles

[Erik C]

don't know if it's been mentioned, but two words.....stabilizing muscles

Stabilizing muscles?

[_aj_]

Stabilizing muscles?

Yes, the obvious reason that "free weights" are vastly superior to machines. Because "Free weights" require you to use your "stabilizer muscles" to move the weight.

[Erik C]

Yes, the obvious reason that "free weights" are vastly superior to machines. Because "Free weights" require you to use your "stabilizer muscles" to move the weight.

Yes, I thought he meant "stabilizer" muscles, not "stabilizing" muscles. That was what the question mark was for.

[Donny]

Only recently have I noticed that bent-over rows make my back wider than pullups. All these years, "Rows make the back thick, pullups make the back wide" and I believed it.

Bent over BB rows one of the best back exercises around.

[Hulkotron]

Vince McMahon would would have realized this fallacy from the beginning, and did that walk right out of the gym.

spot on

[LurkerNoMore]

To quote Larry Scott about the preacher bench: "That series I just mentioned is very, very painful, but it just blows the arms up like nothing I've ever seen--- if the preacher bench is designed correctly."

"Most of the benches you see have a flat face , and they don't work."

"As a matter of fact, I remember Arnold saying to me,'I don't know how you ever made any progress on a preacher bench.' And I went in to shoot some photos on the preacher bench at the gym in Venice where he was training, and thought, 'God, no wonder he says that. This is terrible."

Though Arnold did get some training from Vince Gironda, he didn't train on the better designed preacher bench, that Vince had in his gym, as Larry Scott did.

Are there any pics of these two preacher benches to compare by?

[Erik C]

Are there any pics of these two preacher benches to compare by?

I don't have a link to a picture. Here's a description of the good preacher bench that Larry Scott used at Vince's Gym, quoting Larry Scott again. "The correct design of the bench is that it has to have a face that is convex rather than flat. In other words, the face should bulge out in the middle. Most preacher benches are flat because they are easier to manufacture that way. But the bench has to have a convex face. And the area at the top where you place your armpits has to be rounded and well padded, because you're going to be bearing down real hard on that bench when you're doing the curls. Most benches have a sharp ridge on top. and it hurts your arm pits."

[Erik C]

Are there any pics of these two preacher benches to compare by?

Found a pic, thanks to funk51:

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=466913.0;attach=595236;image

It's the bench in the middle of the pic.