After struggling to activate my triceps for nearly 2 years, I've found something that works. It's an exercise that I tried long ago, but I didn't use the form I'm using now. They're called Skullcrushers or lying triceps extensions. What led me toward them is triceps kickbacks. I noticed when I fully extend my arm, the long head of the triceps gets a good contraction if the weight is on it from a decline angle. I found it impossible to increase my weight on kickbacks, and so I stopped doing them.
I had been looking for a triceps move that you can use a lot of weight, and something that's not a machine or cables. I don't like close-grip barbell bench press. Dips don't make my triceps grow (not even heavy weighted ones). I experimented with standing overhead triceps extensions, and I really had to fight to perform the move as it's not a very natural movement with a straight bar. I wanted to use the straight bar because I hadn't had any success with shorter bars and curved ones. I never like EZ curl bars for biceps, and still don't thus far. Yesterday, I tried Skullcrushers with a straight bar, and it made me hate the exercise. I couldn't get my triceps to contract fully as I can with the EZ curl bar.
I chose Skullcrushers over an over-head lying extension because it felt more natural. I don't need to bring the behind my head, only to my forehead (more specifically eyebrows/bridge of nose). Also, bringing my arms merely straight upwards doesn't get the triceps contraction. I need to go farther forward to the decline angle I mentioned earlier that I experienced with triceps kickbacks.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Goodnight, Sweet Prince (Pull-Ups)
After a childhood and the past 2 years of consistent pull-ups, I'm sad to see them go, but I have no choice. I seek to live a life without tennis elbow, and that means no more pull-ups. Perhaps you could say my form is causing the issue, but I've conquered high rep and heavy weighted pull-ups. I don't believe in cutting out an exercise for the sake of 'muscle confusion'. I believe in improving your numbers and mind-muscle connection. There is the term, 'pet lift', and I suppose it was one of mine. I had thought of replacing pull-ups with Deadlifts, but I think it would interfere with too many other exercises (squats and anything with lower back).
I don't think I'll ever forget how to do a pull-up. I never learned to ride a bike, but pull-ups have stayed with me. I went about 8 years without doing a single pull-ups, and when I tried after that hiatus, I did 10 reps with ease. So to replace pull-ups, I have a horizontal friend named Barbell Bent-Rows. I also feel my lats very strongly, and they get pumped from Deadlifts.
I had been doing Barbell Bent-Rows once a week, and recently my form jumped to the next level. I'm able to really feel my lats and throw the weight into them and statically hold the contraction for a few beats on each rep. I started Rows 10 months ago. I wanted to do them more frequently, but my lower back was never ready for them. So I designated my extra work day to Deadlifts. I think it's easier to put on muscle through Rows than Deadlifts. My lower back gives out first on Deadlifts, whereas my lats give out on Rows. So I've avoided volume on Deadlifts, and in doing so, I've gotten my Deadlift to 385lb for 8 reps at 180lb.
I had always done my Rows with a prone grip (palms down) for the sake of saving my biceps strength for pull-ups. I had also brought straps into my routine for the sake of saving my grip strength for pull-ups. I remember, before I had straps, I would Deadlift 300lb for 1 long isometric hold, and it would absolutely destroy my hands, and it got to the point I couldn't train the Deadlift, because the bar would just slip out of my hands to my fingers instantly.
It's funny how everyone's goal is to do pull-ups. You see them on the assisted pull-up machines and the lat pulldowns, hoping one day they'll be doing pull-ups. I have a different view on pull-ups now though. I think they're inefficient, at least for me at the present time. I definitely grew my lats with pull-ups, but they don't feel the same anymore. I've sort of outgrew them as I did with push-ups. I like both exercises, but they're no longer working in my favor.
I don't think I'll ever forget how to do a pull-up. I never learned to ride a bike, but pull-ups have stayed with me. I went about 8 years without doing a single pull-ups, and when I tried after that hiatus, I did 10 reps with ease. So to replace pull-ups, I have a horizontal friend named Barbell Bent-Rows. I also feel my lats very strongly, and they get pumped from Deadlifts.
I had been doing Barbell Bent-Rows once a week, and recently my form jumped to the next level. I'm able to really feel my lats and throw the weight into them and statically hold the contraction for a few beats on each rep. I started Rows 10 months ago. I wanted to do them more frequently, but my lower back was never ready for them. So I designated my extra work day to Deadlifts. I think it's easier to put on muscle through Rows than Deadlifts. My lower back gives out first on Deadlifts, whereas my lats give out on Rows. So I've avoided volume on Deadlifts, and in doing so, I've gotten my Deadlift to 385lb for 8 reps at 180lb.
I had always done my Rows with a prone grip (palms down) for the sake of saving my biceps strength for pull-ups. I had also brought straps into my routine for the sake of saving my grip strength for pull-ups. I remember, before I had straps, I would Deadlift 300lb for 1 long isometric hold, and it would absolutely destroy my hands, and it got to the point I couldn't train the Deadlift, because the bar would just slip out of my hands to my fingers instantly.
It's funny how everyone's goal is to do pull-ups. You see them on the assisted pull-up machines and the lat pulldowns, hoping one day they'll be doing pull-ups. I have a different view on pull-ups now though. I think they're inefficient, at least for me at the present time. I definitely grew my lats with pull-ups, but they don't feel the same anymore. I've sort of outgrew them as I did with push-ups. I like both exercises, but they're no longer working in my favor.
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