- Joined
- Jul 27, 2023
What exactly is the point of deadlifts? I once heard someone say "you only practice deadlifts to get better at deadlifts". This has only seemed true in my experience. I don't deadlifts partly because of this but mostly because I have other exercises that handle those muscles already.
On the topic of exercises, here's one that I've devised recently that has done me a lot of good:
Take a pulley per each hand. Face away from the pulley machine. Take three steps forward and then punch out with each arm in alternation for however many reps. For the lower weights of 20,30,40 lbs per each arm I put in more reps to avoid bruising muscles from not-enough-warmup, so I go 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 per each arm. Once I get to 50 lbs I keep it at 11, 13, 17 and maybe 19 per each arm; escalating to 60 lbs then 70 lbs and now I'm trying to normalize 70 lbs so I can get to 80 lbs. I weave in 31 sit ups between each weight increase. I'm cautious with the warmup but once I get into the groove it's a great exercise. As far as I can tell it exercises the back upper arms, the shoulders, the upper back and definitely the center back since those three steps means you have to hoist up, on the higher end, 120 to 140 lbs split between the arms. I have seen some very good growth from doing this.
Other than that: for the chest I do the usual pushups. For the arms I have that one pull out exercise with the pulley but more usually I have curls with dumbbells. I do 100 reps per each arm going 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 at 15 lb then again at 20 lbs and then as far as I can go with 25 lbs. I'm pushing to go further. For the legs I'd say the standard exercises are good. For me, marching for an hour or so in stride or sprinting are great work outs for those. Interestingly, for the lower body, I came up with this workout to hoist myself up by my arms on a rack and lift my knees to my chest in 5 or 7 sets of 7. I noticed one day after a hard workout that my ass was sore. Turns out doing that targets the ass muscles. So there's that.
The main thing I target for is endurance as well as strength. It's more important to me that I can handle weight for a long time rather than a little time. Pushing your comfort with the weight is necessary to build muscle and get stronger, but true progress is when the cusp of your old limitations is not just achieved but is comfortable for your new limitations.
Take a pulley per each hand. Face away from the pulley machine. Take three steps forward and then punch out with each arm in alternation for however many reps. For the lower weights of 20,30,40 lbs per each arm I put in more reps to avoid bruising muscles from not-enough-warmup, so I go 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 per each arm. Once I get to 50 lbs I keep it at 11, 13, 17 and maybe 19 per each arm; escalating to 60 lbs then 70 lbs and now I'm trying to normalize 70 lbs so I can get to 80 lbs. I weave in 31 sit ups between each weight increase. I'm cautious with the warmup but once I get into the groove it's a great exercise. As far as I can tell it exercises the back upper arms, the shoulders, the upper back and definitely the center back since those three steps means you have to hoist up, on the higher end, 120 to 140 lbs split between the arms. I have seen some very good growth from doing this.
Other than that: for the chest I do the usual pushups. For the arms I have that one pull out exercise with the pulley but more usually I have curls with dumbbells. I do 100 reps per each arm going 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 at 15 lb then again at 20 lbs and then as far as I can go with 25 lbs. I'm pushing to go further. For the legs I'd say the standard exercises are good. For me, marching for an hour or so in stride or sprinting are great work outs for those. Interestingly, for the lower body, I came up with this workout to hoist myself up by my arms on a rack and lift my knees to my chest in 5 or 7 sets of 7. I noticed one day after a hard workout that my ass was sore. Turns out doing that targets the ass muscles. So there's that.
The main thing I target for is endurance as well as strength. It's more important to me that I can handle weight for a long time rather than a little time. Pushing your comfort with the weight is necessary to build muscle and get stronger, but true progress is when the cusp of your old limitations is not just achieved but is comfortable for your new limitations.