Muscle Control And Weighted Pull-Ups

After a year of doing pull-ups, I've finally purchased a dip belt. I should have transitioned long ago, but I avoided the task. At one point I had tried holding a dumbbell between my legs, but it didn't feel right, and I was discouraged to try weighted again. During the year I did pull-ups, I varied the rep and set ranges. My highest pull-up session was 127. I blew out my rotator cuffs a few times, but I've been healed for some time. I learned high-rep pull-ups and dips are too tough on the joints, regardless of your available strength and endurance. When I realized this, I lowered my total reps, and focused on slowing my technique and perfecting it. I evolved my pull-up to end in a very high position with my chest to the bar. I feel this works my mid-back well.  Dips, when I first started, wrecked my shoulders. I had to drop them for some time, and when I resumed them, I no longer sank below parallel in the down position.

I'm very excited for the weighted pull-ups, chin-ups, and dips. In the past, I've neglected very formidable exercises like the five main compound lifts: deadlift, squats, overhead press, rows, and bench press. I chose not to do them at the time because I didn't know the correct technique or the effectiveness of the muscles used in them. Although intrinsic, sometimes you know you're hitting upon the right path, and I'm at a full sprint down this one. Gains are inbound, and are starting already. I don't perform any flys for my chest, and instead rely on decline, incline, and flat bench press. Just from having the past two sessions of dips, I can see my inner chest more cut than it's been since I was last doing dips several months ago. I'll also be relying on the dips for my triceps. I see the weighted pull-ups and chin-ups enlarge my lats and especially my lower lats, which have only really popped recently. Two things I hadn't thought about on weighted pull-ups are my biceps and forearms getting extra strain. I've been bracing my forearms , keeping them from getting knotted up. I read that chinning biceps can be a bad thing because you spend so much time in the full contraction and not the other angles. Though, I'm not putting too much stock into that problem if it is even one.

I must mention my progress on Muscle Control. I've just completed my second month of it, but it feels like a much closer friend than that. I have been doing muscle control daily and sometimes twice daily consistently without fail. I have attained more control over my traps, especially the upper traps, which I couldn't flex beforehand. My intercostals are under my control as well as my serratus anterior. I don't have a full abdominal vacuum, but I'm advancing my control of the transverse abdominal. I'm feeling it easier to contract my abs. I have fine-tuned my lats a bit more. I can more easily put them at odd angles without soreness. My left forearm flexors have really started to take shape and fill out. I can tell my calves are filling out and getting cut. With the last leg exercise in the Muscle Control directory, I've begun noticing my quads take shape. Earlier today, I performed divebomber push-ups, and it being an agilty-demanding exercise, my form has always improved, but today I noticed myself able to keep tight hamstrings and calves throughout them in the up position. My biceps are visibly showing the two separate heads at certain angles. Rows are feeling more compact with my lats very tight and assuring.