Showing posts with label straight arm pull downs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label straight arm pull downs. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Giant set for giant lats


A1) Hammer Strength Pull machine ( or pullup or lat pulldown )-12 reps

A2) One arm row with barbell-12 reps
* set up a barbell with one end jammed into the corner of a wall or anything that will keep it from moving. Load weight on one end and grip like it was a dumbbell row. Keep your back straight and stay in a squatted position with your non working arm resting on your hip or thigh.

A3) Decline straight bar cable pullover-12 reps
* set up a cable pulley just below hip height. Set up a decline bench in front of the cable so that when you lie down you are facing away from the cable. The bench so be just far enough so you can still grab a hold of the bar with your arms extended. Keeping your arms straight and locked. make a big sweeping motion bring the bar towards your thighs and then back to about eye level. If you start to feel this heavy in triceps odds are you are bending the arms.

A4) Speed rows-25 reps
* use this as a burnout. Grab a band and attach it around something. Get into a squatted position and rep out rows with your palms down as fast as you can. The farther you are away from where the band is attached the harder it will be. Full range of motion-reach your arms all the way forward and pull the band all the way back.

Rest 2min. Each round after you will drop the reps by 2 and increase the weight so that the exercise is challenging at that new rep count. The only exercise that remains the same in terms of the reps is the speed rows, they will always stay at 25.So for example set 2 would look like this-

A1)-10 reps
A2)-10 reps
A3)-10 reps
A4)-25 reps

set 3

8 reps on everything except the speed rows....

set 4

6 reps on everything except speed rows

Then to finish go back to the original weight you used to do 12 reps on each exercise and try and knock out another set with this weight on all 3 exercises doing 12 reps, of course still doing 25 with the bands.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween random thoughts.....


  • New take on deviled eggs-A friend of mine Brian Barkely introduced me to his version of this traditional dish. Take hard boiled eggs and remove the yolk just like you would for deviled eggs. Next, spoon in red pepper hummus into the empty eggs and dash on some paprika. It is the red pepper hummus that really does it. Not only is this better for you than the classic deviled egg it can be a great high protein snack.

  • When doing straight arm pull downs. try using a V shaped or curved bar to get better activation on the lats.

  • Your hamstrings respond best to low reps and your glutes respond best to medium to high reps.

  • Want quick advice to drop weight and lean out? Cut out the 3 whites. White bread, white salt and white flour.

  • Love Emeralds cocoa roast dark chocolate dusted almonds. Taste great and basically no sugar.As always with nuts watch out for the fat and calories of course.

  • Some motivation for you- Rocky 4 training montage...might be the best ever