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vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

I love the negative reps!

darius3000 · Joined: 31 May 2008 Posts: 42

swanso5 wrote:

why more cardio?? do inverted rows, not push ups for those workouts...you're probably imbalanced (back vs chest) already so no need to make it worse...sit ups are no good either, try lunge variations

do negative reps and isometric holds for chins...

Why more cardio? To burn the fat! My love handles runneth over! I'm very tired of having this big waist.

My back surely was imbalanced before but it's catching up nicely with the barbell rows that I do. They've been absolutely awesome and lat pulldowns just never did much for me. I actually can SEE my lats now.

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

darius, good to hear on the back. Cardio is good for burning calories, but remember it is actually the muscle in your body that increases your metabolism thus burning calories at a higher rate even at rest. Cardio is good for heart health but for fat loss, muscle.....

on weight days limit yourself to a 15 to 30 minutes cardio, that's it!

Non-weight days no more than an hour, although I would say do core work and about 1/2 hour cardio on your off days.

Core work: side braces, plank, bridges (wow swanso, since I started these this past week, you were right man, 10 times better than crunches!)

Cardio, go full body, ie elyptical, swimming, rowing, skipping, running.

if you can't find examples of these on here for the core work, try physicalfitnet.com, they have vids you can view on how to do exercises, and a big library at that.

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:08 am Post subject:

- clean up your diet before adding more cardio...even better do a speint session each week and 1 HIIT session and you'll be golden
- yes pulldowns are shit

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

don't know why so many people don't like lat pull downs, they do my back wonders. Care to explain anyone?

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:47 am Post subject:

machine

Christopheel · Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 931

Can you do just one pull-ups vamp ? If yes then you should never do pull-down

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:49 am Post subject:

or inverted rows and free wt back exercises

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

actually, I can do pull ups, I just have problems with the wide grip ones because of tendinitus in my shoulders, I find the pull downs, wide grip to be far less painful and if I lean the hips back to 45 degrees I can really hit the lats good.

Understand the whole use the body first and then add weight, but if you do the one motion (pull-up) your negative is in the downward motion whereas on a pull-down your negative is in the upward motion. By using both exercises on different days you would actually maximize your strength throughout your whole range of motion if looked at in a logical manner.

I agree, body and free weights offer a wider range of motion and flexibility and brings more stabilizer muscles into play. But by using a cable style lat pull down, you don't sacrafice all that much in these areas and you gain an opposite exercise to the pull-up and bring balance into your program.

Your thoughts guys.....?

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:49 am Post subject:

- use a grip for pull ups / chin ups that you can use...wide, med or close doesn't really matter...it's the wt and the amount of muscles used that matters...lean back not good either eeally
- 100pd lifted as bw is not the same as 100pds lifted on a machine, the eccentric/positve strength will not carryover to each other...sounds good in theory and one i'd never thought of before but i don't think so in the end...

unless yuor far too over wt to even inverted row, i dont see a use for the lat pulldown...except for assisted glute ham raises and supinated pulldowns for lower traps

Boss Man · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:35 am Post subject:

Lat Pull-downs aren't natural Vamp.

If you look directly ahead, and have Arms perpendicular, you'll hit yourself on the Head doing those.

1. You have to tip your Neck forwards a bit, to avoid it, when might stress the Vertebrae in your Neck, not to mention the 11th Cranial Nerve that runs into the Sternocleidomastoid in the Neck, and the Traps, might be affected.

2. You'd have to pull your Arms back beyond 180 degrees, possibly stressing the Rotator Cuff and Scapulae.

3. You do both.

It's pretty much the same thing with Behind, the Neck press, you have to do one of those 3 things to avoid hitting yourself on the Head.

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

OK swanso and Boss man,

the two of you raise very convincing points, especially the strain on the spine. The shoulder issues I knew, but I like to fully explore and know reasons other than they suck or not good for you. I'm the "why" type.

Thank-you for your info and excellent arguements, I'm sure that anyone else following this thread will like the info as well.

Cheers mates!

swanso5 · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:12 am Post subject:

it's not there "bad" for you, there's just plenty of way better ways to do it

let me ask you one question?

which is harder? pulldowns or pull ups?

i think you'll answer like you should...if something is easy then it's not worth doing...i bet your still not benching the same wt you used on your first workout are you? (please say no)

vamp · Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 640

pull ups are harder, even inverted rows, question : is there a cheap way to make a weighted vest or where would I get one or should I just use plates on my chest for these?

As for the bench no, since I've returned to the gym I'm gaining strength back, and endurance so I've increased Smile

(hope I didn't worry you lol)

roach81 · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 24

Vamp a weight vest is too easy. Wal Mart sells them pretty cheap. Or if your near a Army town go to a pawn shop people take their old vest in there all the time. You would be surprised. I am in the Army so i run and excerise alot with my bullet proof vest on. Hope this helps and good luck training.