Are you rowing correctly?? Check out this article by Dean Somerset for more info.
**Focus on the mechanics and mechanical cues in this article--those are by far the best take-away. Ignore the "why this may be happening" explanations he gives as well as the corrective self-help. The "why" is a much too individual question to even begin to assess in an article, which therefore makes the self-help useless.
Deconstructing the Dumbbell Row by Dean Somerset
I have been asked recently why I write biceps and triceps isolation exercises into my SMS training programs as accessory work when I am such a huge proponent of heavy lifts and compound movements. While it may seem contradictory, the fact is that having strong biceps and triceps is a huge component of being able to complete heavy presses and pulls. While your pecs, lats, and deltoids don't ever completely give up the responsibility of moving the weight, there are times during the movements in which the majority of the force has to be produced by the biceps or triceps in order to further the movement. This is why guys who train with Westside and Elites perform board presses for the bench press--to improve lockout strength, i.e. triceps strength. Most people do not have access to a variety of boards at their facility, so I take this into account through other triceps isolation work.
As far as biceps go, I am a HUGE fan of back training, so you will find a lot of pulling movements in my program. Because the biceps work synergistically with the lats, etc, during a pull--assuming the individual has proper scapula mobility--week biceps could be the limiting factor in how heavy you can during these movements.
If you think that your biceps will progress right along with the rest of your pulling muscles to be able to handle the weight, think again. Take deadlifts, for example. It is well-known that people can deadlift more when they use chalk or straps than when they use neither. Why? Because now they have a stronger grip on the bar. Since their grip is no longer limiting them as much, they are now able to pull more weight. Even though the strength of their legs didn't change, and even though they were training their grip while they deadlifted, they were able to pull more weight off of the ground simply by increasing the amount of weight they were physically able to hold in their hands.
So, as far as force-generating capabilities are concerned, that's my reasoning behind including arms in my SMS programs. There are other reasons behind this, too, such as having bigger and stronger arms elevates an athlete's self-confidence, which will improve his or her performance. I digress on this matter in my article 5/3/1 vs. SMS, which can be found on the articles page of my website under 2010 Training.
Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.
This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.
After spending the last week in my mid-twenties, I realize that feeling young is a good thing. For all of you that are experiencing the aches and pains of old age, check out this article by Martin Rooney.
5 Secrets Of How To Stay Young by Martin Rooney
Everybody in the United States of America needs to lose weight. Ha. This is an absolutely absurd statement, despite how applicable it may be to to masses. There are still plenty of people out there who are trying to gain weight, be it for sports, strength, or aesthetic reasons. Unfortunately, the majority of publications out there are telling you how to drop your highly-coveted lbs, and those that claim to do otherwise are all about synthetic supplements and other garbage.
So for all of my hardgainers out there, those who can't put on pounds to save their life, I'll be writing for you. At least once every-other week I'll be posting about methods I have studied and used to add tissue to my frame, because I, too, was once emaciated. Stay tuned for recipes, training tips, and lifestyle habits that will allow you to continue your pursuit of size and strength with actual results.
Trying desperately to increase that vertical of yours? Check out this article from DieselCrew.com by Joe Meglio for some tips to help you rise up.
How to Increase Your Vertical Jump by Joe Meglio
