You Should Do This: Battle Rope Row

Pulling, we all need more. Like a lot more. Like on a set per set comparison, 2:1, pulling to pushing is a good start for most people. IF you've ever been a client you already know that I'm VERY partial to the TRX/ Ring row. I think it's the best rowing exercise going. It's scalable and basically fool-proof, plus and best of all, it's self-limiting. You can do an ugly rep, but you, and everyone else is going to know it instantly and hopefully that's when you stop. So I was looking for new stuff on the Onnit Academy website and saw Battle Rope Inverted Rows and was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? So I did them and they're sick nasty.....that means really … [Read more...]

Make the Lat Pulldown Machine Useful

For the most part I'm not a big fan of weight machines, but lat pulldowns are pretty good. Especially with the neutral grip bar.... http://youtu.be/JzSzsCGGGeI Thats my online client Nate Dog...doing lat pulldown, nothing special here, just needed a good video and he does a good job. [Tweet "Usually weight machines are nothing but $3-7 thousand dollar coat hangers"]. Fun Fact: Almost every weight machine was produced to replicate a barbell movement. Yeah, I know body builders like them. Yeah, I know that sometimes they do give you a different "feel" and hit the muscle better than a/ the barbell equivalent. <------ Pec Deck: the arms straight kind … [Read more...]

Doing it Better: Rows

Hard truth: We NEED, as in MUST HAVE to function, more rows in our workouts. Too much of these things: Pushing Sitting Desk Work Bad Posture Have left us with Desk Jockey Syndrome. One major component of which is a weak back, especially in the pulling muscles. Muscles like the Lats, Rhomboids, Posterior Delts, and Lower Traps that just are not doing what they are supposed to do, or at least not to the level they are supposed to do it. How do we start to fix this? SCAPULAR RETRACTION and SCAPULAR DEPRESSION.....ie. pulling the shoulder blades back and down.   http://youtu.be/BU3eHNtyNCc What exercises are great at … [Read more...]