Dual-factor Bodybuilding routine for Intermediate and Advanced lifters

[jaymaximus]

I personally use the cross arm because I lack the mobility to use catch. But I have seen the heavier I go I A) tend to lose a little control over the weight and B) put a lot of pressure on my arms/shoulders/upper chest. Sometimes thats been the deciding factor on what set to stop on.

I have a gym buddy who uses catch and has shown me a few stretches, but I dont know if ill wver get THAT mobile again.

Whats my point? I have none. But I guess it could be use what works for you?

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

I'm not interested in the athletic uses of the rack position. It makes close to zero impact on my training goals. I don't train for 1rpm and not really interested in my totals. For me it's all about growth of the muscle which has some relation to weight used but close to no relation to 1rpm. The further I distance myself from my PL base the more I make muscle growth a realization

 

[weighted chinup]

I'm not interested in the athletic uses of the rack position. It makes close to zero impact on my training goals. I don't train for 1rpm and not really interested in my totals. For me it's all about growth of the muscle which has some relation to weight used but close to no relation to 1rpm. The further I distance myself from my PL base the more I make muscle growth a realization

Cross-armed is more than suitable for these goals. I personally use the rack position but for our purposes - it won't make a difference. I figured it would come up at one point or another though so I outlined some comparisons between the two grips in my earlier post.

In a nutshell I guess my opinion on it would be: if the lifter can attain the mobility for the rack position fairly easily or within short order, then they should probably give it an attempt to practice / learn it. If it's a long ways off - probably don't bother unless it's something they really want. It won't have an impact on hypertrophy or aesthetics though.

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

Exactly WC

On another note those front squats are ballooning up the front 3 heads of my quadricep. Really nice change of pace. I'm getting very little glute stimulation but the other exercises are filling up the slack where back squats have left a void. I like to wear shorts where ever I go. Can't hide them wheels

 

[TANGO.ECHO.KILO]

Exactly WC

On another note those front squats are ballooning up the front 3 heads of my quadricep. Really nice change of pace. I'm getting very little glute stimulation but the other exercises are filling up the slack where back squats have left a void. I like to wear shorts where ever I go. Can't hide them wheels

are you elevating your heels Squatch?

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

are you elevating your heels Squatch?

I squatted shoeless last session. I'll never do that again. My ankles are sore and I heard some clicking going on. Pretty unnatural. I think I need raised heels like you said. Which leaves me with a dilemma. I don't really wanna buy an expensive pair of Olympic shoes but go fasters ain't getting it done

 

[NovaFlex]

Is it an injury or pain that prevents you from getting your wrist in position, or is there just not enough wrist mobility?

IME wrist mobility is fairly easy to improve. At least it was when I was learning the rack position for the first time a long time ago. Do stretches and see if you have any pain once you have enough mobility to get in position.

Do you have problem with a straight chin up bar or is it one of those cambered bars that goes out on an angle? Neutral grip chin-ups are also an option.

it's a combination of both injury and pain. Broke my wrist skating as a teen, and it never bothered me until i started lifting. same arm where i broke my hand this year, which i believe only added to it.

I get sharp pain in my wrist when i try doing bb curls / ez bar curls / bb row with underhand grip, etc. then there is the mobility factor..my left wrist only turns out about half as much as my right. my wrist is nearly in a hammer position when i do db curls.

Wrist Flexors

Praying Wrist Flexor Stretch
Seated Wrist Flexor Stretch
Single Arm Wrist Flexor Stretch
Kneeling Wrist Flexor Stretch

[This will also help out your rack position as well on frontsquat, but wrist mobility is very simple compared to the other mobility requirements the rack position has (for me it was lat and tricep tightness).]

I take a very minimalist approach to mobility work and stretching in bodybuilding routines - grinding out mobility is hard as fuck and not something I would want to do unless I was a rehabing something. Do it as needed to allow you to take the indicated movements through a full range of motion or one you are pain-free / comfortable with.

i never tried any flexing or rehab type joint movements. I'm going to give these a go and see how much they help. thanks a lot bro.

 

[weighted chinup]

it's a combination of both injury and pain. Broke my wrist skating as a teen, and it never bothered me until i started lifting. same arm where i broke my hand this year, which i believe only added to it.

I get sharp pain in my wrist when i try doing bb curls / ez bar curls / bb row with underhand grip, etc. then there is the mobility factor..my left wrist only turns out about half as much as my right. my wrist is nearly in a hammer position when i do db curls.



i never tried any flexing or rehab type joint movements. I'm going to give these a go and see how much they help. thanks a lot bro.

I should probably say the movements I linked are stretches to improve wrist flexibility assuming an otherwise healthy wrist, not what I would consider rehab work for an injury that is causing pain unless lack of flexibility is the cause of the problem.

I can't give any assurances of effectiveness in this case because there is an old injury involved but it might help. Proceed with care.

 

[NovaFlex]

well, i figure it can't hurt.

 

[Docd187123]

I squatted shoeless last session. I'll never do that again. My ankles are sore and I heard some clicking going on. Pretty unnatural. I think I need raised heels like you said. Which leaves me with a dilemma. I don't really wanna buy an expensive pair of Olympic shoes but go fasters ain't getting it done

You can find a decent pair of oly shoes for less than $100. The ones I have were about $60 last I checked

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

You can find a decent pair of oly shoes for less than $100. The ones I have were about $60 last I checked

That's not bad then. I'll have a look c

 

[Docd187123]

That's not bad then. I'll have a look c

Look on Amazon. That's where I got mine from. I have the adidas powerlift 2.0 but there are other shoes in a similar price range.

 

[TANGO.ECHO.KILO]

That's not bad then. I'll have a look c

look around. in the meantime you can get by with chucks and a plate, I have a feeling it may help with your forward lean issue. I'd still try to work in some catch grip and try to get more comfortable, driving my elbows up helps me stay upright and makes me feel safer if I need to dump the weight. I do cross grip too but I'm not willing to go heavy and run the risk of gettin tied up under the bar and smashed looneytoon style

 

[TANGO.ECHO.KILO]

I wish I could justify 250 bones for a pair of shoes, I like these Risto boots...not that much tho. I will just buy 5 pairs of hi top chucks that should last me a lifetime

 

[Docd187123]

I wish I could justify 250 bones for a pair of shoes, I like these Risto boots...not that much tho. I will just buy 5 pairs of hi top chucks that should last me a lifetime

I like the normal Risto shoes and you can grab a pair under $175 I think. Used even less (they last a long time)

 

[TANGO.ECHO.KILO]

I like the normal Risto shoes and you can grab a pair under $175 I think. Used even less (they last a long time)

they are all custom though right? I think when I was pricing them it looked like 6-8 weeks on the shoes and 12 weeks on the boots.

Do the wood platforms really start to harden with heavy use?

 

[weighted chinup]

Risto's are an excellent shoe and they are priced well too. Handmade leather + wooden heel for a good price.

I have a pair of romaleos.

I would love to get my hands on the 08 adistars, but those things go for like $800 or something completely ridiculous since they're not made anymore. Still...

 

[Docd187123]

they are all custom though right? I think when I was pricing them it looked like 6-8 weeks on the shoes and 12 weeks on the boots.

Do the wood platforms really start to harden with heavy use?

I don't believe they're custom but they're handmade and made when an order is placed.

My coach and one of his training partners have Ristos and they've had the same pair for about 2-3yrs now. I've never heard them mention anything about the soles hardening. In fact the only complaint I heard is that the shoe gets hot inside bc there aren't a lot of ventilation holes. Not a big deal to me since if I bought a pair is only use them for squats and squat variations and use my adi's for everything else.

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

look around. in the meantime you can get by with chucks and a plate, I have a feeling it may help with your forward lean issue. I'd still try to work in some catch grip and try to get more comfortable, driving my elbows up helps me stay upright and makes me feel safer if I need to dump the weight. I do cross grip too but I'm not willing to go heavy and run the risk of gettin tied up under the bar and smashed looneytoon style

I see your point but my arms aren't reading holding it. I got it down so the shoulder and upper chest do 85% of the work. The arms just kinda help. I'm not tied up at all. Just drop it on the safety bars. But in the mean time I found foot wear more toward your liking...

That way you can be a cowboy in the gym too

 

[TANGO.ECHO.KILO]

I don't believe they're custom but they're handmade and made when an order is placed.

My coach and one of his training partners have Ristos and they've had the same pair for about 2-3yrs now. I've never heard them mention anything about the soles hardening. In fact the only complaint I heard is that the shoe gets hot inside bc there aren't a lot of ventilation holes. Not a big deal to me since if I bought a pair is only use them for squats and squat variations and use my adi's for everything else.

nice I've been eyeing some about a year now.
The wood platforms hardening over time was actually a "pro" that this guy mentioned....he said Ristos are worth the money and actually a great value investment "they are like a good baseball mitt". He said they are stiff and heavy, built like a tank. But you sweat in that leather and hit it heavy the leather breaks in and contours to you foot nicely over time and softens up. The heels he said harden over time and the more you wear them the better they become whereas the lighter shoes/synthetics dont have near the lifespan.

since we are already off topic...I'm looking for some shoes for my girl. They have the one adidas and one nike rom colorway for women but what do you guys think about the Pendlays? They aren't as "heavy" duty but the price is right and come in all the cute colors . For someone that is a novice lifter they should be suitable for her? or should I push her to just man up and get the better shoe in the Adi/Rom and live with the color