Exercises that should be banned!

[Tubbs]

CGBP is bad for your shoulder joint if you go all the way down, if not it's the best tris mass builder.

[Bluto]

if you get problems with the wrist you probably use a too narrow grip. the difference between a regular bench and a close grip isnt that big actually.

[Carmello]

Elbow's tucked in by your ribs, or flared outward like a chest bench? I've seen people do both. Personally, my grip was closer than shoulder width, elbows out, and I'd go down almost to chest. Messed up my shoulder pretty bad. Critique.

[Bear03]

Elbow's tucked in by your ribs, or flared outward like a chest bench? I've seen people do both. Personally, my grip was closer than shoulder width, elbows out, and I'd go down almost to chest. Messed up my shoulder pretty bad. Critique.

your form was bad.  critique done.  it'd be better to do a comfortably wider grip and keep your elbows tucked into your side.  the problems with the shoulder arise when you wrench them by putting them at unusual angles and then loading them with a lot of weight and moving in a reasonably unnatural plane of motion.  I think CG bench, Dips, Some sort of French Press, and some sort of pressdown complete the perfect triceps routine. 

[pumpster]

For many, Close grip BP aren't that effective AND are harsh on the joints, just as benches shouldn't be done at all by some. Definitely use an E-Z curl bar to take the stress off the wrists.

More intense with no shoulder stress for the same areas IMO are bench dips.

Best for tris is one of each:
-2-handed extensions-lying or seated-these are the best size builders.
-Dips/bench dips or close-grip military press partials.

Gunter loves training tris, his fave's incline extensions. Problem is both genetics and chronic elbow probs, but he trains through the pain because he likes extensions the best.

DB pullovers work well for lats if done heavily after warming up.

Squats are the best thigh developer-to avoid injury warm up thoroughly and keep the reps in the 10-15 range; you'll get plenty of size without the joint and back problems that can happen with lower reps. Consider also doing box squats to about the halfway point instead of full squats-i got better results with less problems with these.

Deads i wouldn't recommend but if you have to do them, same thing-very good warmup, maybe do another lower back exercise first to pre-exhaust, then keep the reps in the 10-15 range.

Upright rows are great IF the elbows are always brought up high. Again use an E-Z bar to reduce wrist strain.

[(nothing)]

Elbow's tucked in by your ribs, or flared outward like a chest bench? I've seen people do both. Personally, my grip was closer than shoulder width, elbows out, and I'd go down almost to chest. Messed up my shoulder pretty bad. Critique.

about shoulder width
elbows closer to the body (like with dips)
when you come down go lower on the chest, like the nipple area instead of the upper chest
don't go all the way down, go till you feel your tris the most
grips too close are bad for the wrists
elbows too far out is bad for the elbow joints
to far up on the chest puts too much stress on your front delts and roator cuffs
all ways if you don't feel comfortable don't do them because oyur probably doing them wrong. dips are a good mass builder for your tri as well. in most of my friends who work out the ones who do dips in general have thicker tris. take it for what its worth, peace, \m/.

[The Ugly]

Ok kids. I'm going to list the exercises that do nothing for me

1. DB pullovers: No effect whatsoever! Sometimes my tri's actually get sore as all hell!
2. Close grip bench presses: Excellent way to f**k up your shoulder joints, and wrists.
3. Behind the neck military presses: If I had 10 dollars for everyone i know who blew out a disk, or injured their spinal column...
4. Behind the neck pulldowns: The body is just not meant for certain angles. This B disk blower #2 matey.
5. Upright rows: No matter the grip, I feel this is the single most overrated for nothing exercise ever!
6. sternum pulldowns: Hurts my shoulder joints everytime!

Funny, I'm with you on all 'em, but let's get 10:

7. Tricep Kickback
8. Decline _______
9. Leg Press
10. Anything "Core"

[The Ugly]

... and big ol' Chuck E. Cheese bouncy ball activities, across the board.

Seriously, who started this shit?

 

[Carmello]

Funny, I'm with you on all 'em, but let's get 10:

7. Tricep Kickback
8. Decline _______
9. Leg Press
10. Anything "Core"

Although I feel the triceps extention working good in the top of the tri's, I feel it's more of a shaping exercise than a mass builder. I see everyone do 'em though. I hate when others see me lift, and they want to do the same weight as me, especially on back day, because for some reason, that's the only body part that looks like i train it hardcore like a bodybuilder, and also is my strongest body part. But getting back to what i was saying, they think, "HOLY SHIT! I can't believe this guy is so thin, and he's pushing this weight with proper form! I gotta do that weight right now!" Then they try it, and their face turns bright red. I don't know if it's the effort, or the frustration, but I just laugh and walk away. I'm gonna start a new post, and in it I want everyone to post the actual weight they use to train with. NOT 1 REP MAX! I'm talkin' weight for reps, and how many.

Btw, I hated leg presses as well, until I moved my feet closer together. I saw a picture in FLEX of Jay Cutler doing them with his feet close, like waist width apart, and since then, i switched to the same footing, instead of shoulder width apart, and have been seeing, and feeling great results!

[Carmello]

YES!!!! I forgot seated one arm triceps db extentions. I hate those joints! I'd rather do seated 2 arm triceps db french presses. I used to do these with a cambered bar, like Ronnie does them, and I loved 'em, but it put way too much stress on my wrists, and I always had a pain. So I switched to just a heavy dumbell.

[SD_Adonis]

I think that an exercise can be productive, it just depends on the person performing it.

With that said, one factor that has not been presented is that most bodybuilders, and people in general, have small bone structures. 

From the sounds of it, a good majority of the members posting in this thread experience pain or discomfort from the exercises I find most useful:

heavy squats
heavy deadlifts
close-grip bench presses (or alternatively heavy board presses)
good mornings
etc.

The reason: bone structure/body composition. 

My lifting partner from high school (who is still a powerlifter), complains at times of the stresses some of you have.  I never do (not because I have a higher tolerance for pain or more machismo), because I have a heavier bone structure [especially in respect to my ankles (which sucks because my calves never look big!)].

A good example is that when I used to compete and use a Westside template, I would routinely do various types of good mornings with anywhere from 315-405 for 1-5 reps @a bodyweight of ~200 lbs, and never had joint problems.  Other guys that were 198s would at times complain of the havoc imposed on their joints, and they were always stocky with more muscle and bodyfat than me, eating probably double the amount of calories I did daily (being 198 @6' 2'' is not easy).

So, my 2 cents is that any exercise can work, just depends on your body, and that everyone needs to find what works for them.

I believe the key is to find what works for you own body, and go with that.

[negative51]

A good example is that when I used to compete and use a Westside template, I would routinely do various types of good mornings with anywhere from 315-405 for 1-5 reps @a bodyweight of ~200 lbs, and never had joint problems. 

No way anyone does 405 good mornings haha!  There...I have given you the attention your mother never did. 

[SD_Adonis]

No way anyone does 405 good mornings haha!  There...I have given you the attention your mother never did. 

I believe you neglected to read that I was 1-5 reps.  I have at times done 405 for 3 reps on various forms of good mornings.  If you have a 500+ lbs. deadlift, you should be able to get a couple good reps with 405 doing GM's.

[sarcasm]

hahahahahahahaha.

[JPM]

There are indeed many forms of GM'ings, one being sitting on a bench and coming close to or touching the chest each rep to the bench.  A 400lb GM  (or a lot more) is not out of the question, though some styles look like a half bent over squat's.  The more a heavy weight is used the more the body is forced to extreme positions of balance.  I've done in the 320-330 range for 10-15 reps or so but than find that with anymore weight it defeats the purpose of working the lower back truely and becomes a case of keeping balance. Some guy's will put one foot ahead of another slighty to help with the weight load/balance. Personal view is that GM'ing, like no other movement, can help your squat & DL greatly .Also be sure to work the abs as hard as you work on the GM'ings. Good Luck.

[Bear03]

There are indeed many forms of GM'ings, one being sitting on a bench and coming close to or touching the chest each rep to the bench.  A 400lb GM  (or a lot more) is not out of the question, though some styles look like a half bent over squat's.  The more a heavy weight is used the more the body is forced to extreme positions of balance.  I've done in the 320-330 range for 10-15 reps or so but than find that with anymore weight it defeats the purpose of working the lower back truely and becomes a case of keeping balance. Some guy's will put one foot ahead of another slighty to help with the weight load/balance. Personal view is that GM'ing, like no other movement, can help your squat & DL greatly .Also be sure to work the abs as hard as you work on the GM'ings. Good Luck.

you must be huge! i'm not being sarcastic, i'm not what you'd call small, and not what you'd call huge.....but i only do 135-150 for my good mornings!

[Carmello]

What in God's name are good mornings? Please explain this exercise as I thought it was extinct. I've heard of old timers doing these in the 70's, but never knew what they were.

[irgenwan]

good mornings; position yourself with a barbell as if you were to do squats and then keep your back straight/slightly arched as you bend forward at the hip. like you were to take a bow for Her Majesty!

[hangclean]

Inzer wrist wraps wrapped up tight will prevent any wrist injury while lifting.

[Carmello]

YEAH!!! Hang cleans kill my traps big time!

[Gotta Beat em]

I think all sorts of Cardio exercises are bad!! It's just too hard on my lungs, and I cant breath and talk very well when I'm on those devil machines!! LOL

[Carmello]

I think all sorts of Cardio exercises are bad!! It's just too hard on my lungs, and I cant breath and talk very well when I'm on those devil machines!! LOL

U FAG! Waaaa waaaaa! I can't do cardio. I bet u hate squats and deadlifts cause it involves your legs too. Just bury your head in the sand, and die. Better yet, trade in your cock n balls right now u shame of a man!

[Gotta Beat em]

U FAG! Waaaa waaaaa! I can't do cardio. I bet u hate squats and deadlifts cause it involves your legs too. Just bury your head in the sand, and die. Better yet, trade in your cock n balls right now u shame of a man!

What are you 8 yrs old like my son? Do you know what sarcasm is? Do you purposely try to degrade people you don't know on line? Good luck in all your endeavours.

[Robbie]

Hey Carmello,

I'm not sure if someone else has mentioned this, but don't go all the way down and lett the bar touch your chest when doing CGBP, stop about 2 inches above your  chest... and as mentioned earlier, widen your grip.

My top 2 most hated:
1. Behinf the neck military press
2. Upright rows


R.

[Flex 215]

I have no trouble getting them to grow with the alternative exercises I've listed above asshole. FYI, I'm getting progressively stronger, and larger doing what I'm doing. If you're short, that's not my problem, don't take it out on me. I'm simply making an argument on longer, different structured people like myself. I've never heard someone like Gunter, or Arnold do CGBP, and they're triceps were great. For that matter, I never read them doing a couple of exercises on my list.

                  Carmello, you are way off on Arnold. His early years of training, he basically only did 4 different arm exercises. Barbell cheat curls and incline dumbell curls for biceps. And close grip bench press and seated french press for triceps. I am sure he experimented with some others from time to time, but basically until he came to America, these 4 exercises were all he did for arms. And they enabled him to build over 20" muscular arms. Well those 4 exercises and a lot of d-ball.
                  But they were a mainstay of Arnold's first 5 or 6 years of training. Like everyone else said, don't go to narrow. I go less than shoulder length, but still have about a foot between my hands. I used to see people do these with about 6 " spacing of the hands back in the 80's, and that with heavy weights, will surely cause wrist pain.
                  And keep your elbows in to emphasize your tri's, while also lowering the bar to just below the chest. Now I do go all the way down, and let my hands and the bar touch my ribcage, but everyone else said stop a few inches short. Try what they say, and hopefully you won't have pain. I remember you saying in another thread that your bench press is weaker than you would like. Since you haven't been doing close grips lately, if you do them consistently, you should be able to increase the weight. Since it's like a new exercise again, you're not at a plataeu, and hopefully you can make a significant increase in close grip strength. Which will in turn, increase you regular bench press strength, at least a little.    good luck!